2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction: Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, new inductees share emotional, inspirational words
The Pro Football Hall of Fame officially enshrined five men — Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald and Adam Vinatieri — into its halls on Saturday.
They acknowledged their mentors and bared their souls, earning laughs and tears alike. Here were some of the most memorable moments from their induction speeches.
WR Larry Fitzgerald
What he said in his induction speech: Fitzgerald retold his football story, from Vikings ballboy to NFL Hall of Famer, thanking dozens of people along the way. One of the first stops was at Martin Luther King Park in Minneapolis:
“Had my first touchdown, my first home run, first dunk, first fight. I even had my first kiss, and I almost drowned in the pool there one time.”
Fitzgerald praised the Bidwill family, especially Michael for giving him “the canvas to paint my version of a masterpiece” and for the golf-trip planes.
And though he was known as soft-spoken and one of the most respectful players of his generation, Fitzgerald displayed humor – mixed with humility – when talking about his former teammates:
On Randy Moss: “I learned nothing because there was nothing I could do like him on the football field … But what I did learn from Moss is about generosity. He gave me his clothes. He gave me his size-14 shoes … Randy, being acknowledged by you … meant the world to me.”
On Emmitt Smith: The all-time leading rusher made himself available, practiced with integrity, and couldn’t be beaten in locker-room wrestling. “The only thing I couldn't do was beat him in wrestling in the locker room. Man, he was old when I got there, too! He was so old, man. That (man) is strong, man. He's strong.”
On Kurt Warner: He shaped Fitzgerald through faith, service and accountability. “You dragged me into life's winner circle.” Fitz also pointed out Warner’s “weird, insatiable love for spaghetti.”
Fitzgerald referred to all of his coaches, teammates, trainers, and staff as his “rising tide” and “second family,” sharing everyday moments: folding towels, late nights in the weight room, running routes after everyone left the field, barbecues, Bible studies, golf, chess, weddings and kids being born.
“All of it was powered by love,” he said.
Top tear-jerk moment: Fitzgerald honored several late mentors, including his agent, Eugene Parker, and his first NFL head coach (and Vikings ballboy boss) Dennis Green. But perhaps the most emotional moment was when he mentioned his parents, both of whom have passed away.
On his mother, Carol:
“Mom, you were the first champion I knew, and the greatest one of all. You lost your fight with breast cancer, but in the years that you lived, you taught me how to love. You showed me how to fight with integrity. You set the standard for our family and our community, and you always will be an example of a life well lived.”
On his father, Larry Sr., who died last month:
“My dad, who I lost recently, is also here in spirit. I can feel his presence. He was the foundation of our family and the standard that I measured myself against. Dad, I know there were times where it must have felt like you were carrying the weight of the world, but you always showed up, and your willingness to love and sacrifice with consistency was the blueprint that I used to raise your grandsons.”
Fitzgerald also had a message to his sons, Devin, Apollo and Milo:
“Surround yourself with people who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Those are the people who actually love you… There’s never much traffic on the extra mile in life. Bring others along with you. Don’t just pursue excellence for yourself. Help others pursue it too… It’s not the likes, it’s not the follows, it’s not the fame, but the people you travel with, the values you uphold, and in the end, it’s not just about excellence. It’s about the people who you help get there.”
PK Adam Vinatieri
What he said in his induction speech: Vinatieri measured immense respect for the game and all the people who helped him achieve greatness with surprising doses of humor. At one point, Vinatieri’s speech turned into a mini-roast.
On Bill Belichick, who couldn’t attend: “There’s a lot going on at UNC right now… He may be on a recruiting trip right now, looking for the next Lawrence Taylor. I thought it was because training camp had already started, but in truth, it’s because he’s judging his girlfriend’s cheerleading competition.” (Later Vinatieri said, “All jokes aside, Bill is the greatest coach of all time.”)
On Tom Brady: “I was lucky enough to play with the greatest quarterback in Patriot history. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it here today … Drew Bledsoe.” Then: “I had a few more Tom Brady jokes, but I was afraid that he’d run up on this stage and maybe give me a Will Smith (slap) like he did to Logan Paul last month.” Vinatieri still praised Brady as a teammate who raised everyone’s standards.
On the Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXVI underdog win: “Sorry, Kurt (Warner).”
On Peyton Manning: “Thank you for generously donating your forehead for today’s teleprompter,” adding that “a gigantic forehead means a big brain…”
On former teammate and ESPN personality Pat McAfee: “The only person who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife… She held for me in the offseason when everyone else was gone.”
But it wasn’t all barbs. Vinatieri opened his speech by calling the Hall of Fame “the top of the mountain” and “the pinnacle of greatness,” then immediately shifted the focus to those who helped him land in Canton.
“Today, it’s not just about me. Today, it’s about family. It’s about teammates. It’s about coaches.”
Top tear-jerk moment: Vinatieri paid tribute to his wife, Valerie, telling her there simply aren’t enough words, carrying every burden of his career “with grace, strength, and unconditional love,” and that “without you, I am not me … I definitely outkicked my coverage.”
On being dad to A.J., Allison and Gabriel:
“Being your dad has been the greatest accomplishment of my life. Far greater than any kick, far greater than any record, far greater than even standing on this stage today.”
“I hope when you look back in my life, you don't just remember statistics or championships. I hope you remember that your dad worked hard, honored his commitments, treated people with respect, loved God, loved his family and did everything possible to provide you with the life that you deserved.
“Make or miss, win or lose, the greatest joy I ever had was walking through the door, being attacked with hugs and kisses.”
Then, in closing, he spoke directly to the game of football as if it were a lifelong partner and parent:
“I love you with everything I had… You were the air… I gave you 38 years of my life, and in return, you gave me a lifetime of memories… Looking back, I realized I never was just playing football. We were building a life together… Now it feels like a parent letting go of a grown child… I gave you everything I had, and somehow you gave me even more in return. Thank you for the life you gave me.”
LB Luke Kuechly
What he said in his induction speech: Kuechly opened by thanking his father, Tom, who was his presenter.
“Thank you, Dad. You're over there, and the tears are coming out of your eyes, and I don't have to cry because you've already done it.”
Kuechly then turned his focus to his fellow enshrinees. He praised Drew Brees as the best player he ever faced (“Your process, anticipation, that dang cadence that you have, I can still hear it.”); Larry Fitzgerald’s consistency; Adam Vinatieri’s dual Hall of Fame careers and humor; and Roger Craig’s pioneering 1,000-1,000 season and joyful family.
Kuechly said football taught him resilience, consistency, toughness, communication, finding common ground, and—most of all—to enjoy the ride, echoing his former head coach Ron Rivera’s mantra: “Be where your feet are.”
“The joy of football … didn't come from any particular win. It came from competing, from studying, from practicing, and from preparing.
“And joy came most importantly from the people that I was with. I think about the bus rides, the plane flights, being at Wofford College with each other during training camp. You've never seen guys so happy to have a night off at Venus Pie, eating pizza. I know Greg Olson's down there nodding his head.
“The relationships formed through football are unique. You see each other at your best, and you see each other at your worst. You spend long long days together in meeting rooms. You learn how different people communicate, lead, and overcome challenges. And over time, teammates become friends and friends become family.
“That's why when people ask me what I miss most about football, it's not one one specific game or one specific play. It's the locker room, which I feel like I have again with you guys up here. It's the conversations that have nothing to do with sports. It's together after wins and hurting together after losses.
“There's no way to measure what the game of football has given to me, the joy it's provided, and more than anything, the people that I've been so blessed to be around as a result of this game.”
After name-checking all the people behind the scenes in the Panthers organization who helped him along the way, Kuechly closed by quoting late team owner Jerry Richardson.
“The most valuable member of the team is the fan.”
Kuechly closed with a simple “Keep Pounding,” a nod to the Panthers fans who embraced him from the start.
Top tear-jerk moment: Kuechly’s focused speech turned emotional when speaking about his family, whom he called his “first team.”
On his brothers, John and Henry:
“I have two wonderful brothers. They're sitting right up here, John and Henry. John's my older brother. He was my first teammate. We played on the same teams growing up. We took our first car rides together. Went hunting, fishing, had plenty of adventures in the woods behind our house.
“John, you've always had the biggest heart, and you may not be the loudest person in the room, but I've always felt your support. It means the world that you're here today.
“To my younger brother Henry, we are seven years apart, but I look to you for motivation, your drive, your determination, and will to find the way to be the best is so fun to watch. You're consistent in what you do, and it's so cool to see.
“I've seen it through schooling and now in (your) medical residency. Your ability to wake up, be the same person, treat everyone well, and do your job the best you can has made me so proud. More than anything, your honesty. You know how to offer your opinion without being pushy. You speak your mind and give great feedback. That's so valuable.”
On his parents, after noting his mom was wearing her sunglasses because she was about to start crying:
“And lastly, to my mom and dad, thank you. There are not enough words. Thank you for every ride, every practice, every sacrifice, every lesson, every meal.
“Mom, for every lunch packed, annoyed phone call on the way home from games and from Sunday night football evenings on the couch.
“Dad … for the most thoughtful, well thought out answers, you gave me what I needed, not always what I wanted, and that's so important. Thank you for showing John, Henry and me what love and consistency looks like. Thank you for creating a home where effort, humility, and gratitude mattered. Thank you for teaching me that a simple smile goes a long way. You never pushed me to be a good football player. You pushed me to be a good person, and that gift means more than anything. I love you guys.”
RB Roger Craig
What he said in his induction speech: In a pre-recorded speech, Craig reflected on his long journey as a kid in Davenport who simply loved football – and all the early mornings, doubts and sacrifices he endured – to standing among the all-time greats in Canton. He thanked his fellow Class of 2026 members, noting that he had retired in 1993, prior to any of them taking an NFL snap.
Craig credited his parents for teaching him to work hard, stay humble and keep his faith. His father, Elijah, a mechanic at Wonder Bread, died of lung cancer at age 45 before getting the chance to see him play at Nebraska or in the NFL.
“Everything I became started with him.”
His mother, Ernestine, raised seven children while working the night shift as a machine operator.
“She sacrificed more than any of us would ever know.”
Craig credited Nebraska coach Tom Osborne with shaping him into a man through discipline and accountability and 49ers coach Bill Walsh for seeing a complete football player in him, not just a running back. He praised the selfless culture of those championship teams, naming teammates such as Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, Dwight Clark and Jerry Rice (and the famous hill that sharpened their toughness), along with owner Eddie DeBartolo and the York family. He also thanked his lifelong friend and presenter Jamie Williams (whom Craig knew from elementary school through a Super Bowl together with the Niners).
He closed by saying the honor belongs to his parents, wife Vanessa (his high school sweetheart), children, grandchildren, coaches, teammates and fans, calling the entire journey a blessing.
Top tear-jerk moment: Craig’s public disclosure of his vascular dementia diagnosis was an emotionally arresting moment. He shared that doctors believe it may be related, at least in part, to concussions suffered during his career. The changes were gradual and easy to dismiss as normal aging at first, until his family noticed and they sought answers.
Craig said he hoped sharing his story would encourage others to pay attention to their health and seek help.
“Two things can be true: Football gave me opportunities beyond anything I could imagine. It helped shape the man I became.
“At the same time, we know more today about brain health than when I played. And I hope sharing my story encourages people to pay attention to their health and seek help when something doesn't feel right.
“I want people to know, this diagnosis doesn't define me. I am still Roger Craig. I am still a father, a husband, a teammate, a friend and someone who loves this game and the people who brought it to my life.
“If sharing my story helps even one family or one former player, then it's worth it. Football gave me everything: opportunity, discipline, lifelong friends and a platform to grow as a man. This honor belongs to my parents, who started it all, it belongs to my wife Vanessa, my children and grandchildren, and it belongs to every coach, teammate, and fan who was a part of this journey.
“I'm grateful. I'm grateful for this game, grateful for the people it brought into my life and grateful I can stand before you today and call this journey a blessing. Thank you.”
QB Drew Brees
What he said in his induction speech:What he said in his induction speech: Brees spoke last, and he recognized the massive Saints presence in Canton.
“The Who Dat Nation is real,” he said.
Brees thanked his Class of 2026 teammates and the broader Hall of Fame fraternity, framing his speech around the people, places and moments that shaped his mindset and career, admitting the chance of getting through it without crying was zero. He traced his competitive fire to his athletic Texas family (including uncle Marty Akins and grandfather Ray Akins, a legendary high-school coach), sharing the childhood story of Marty naming the four seasons as “football, basketball, baseball and track.” Brees also credited his father, Chip, for always saying yes to playing catch or sports; his late mother, Mina Ruth, for being the most competitive person he’d ever known; and his siblings, Reed and Audrey.
Brees highlighted his Westlake (Tex.) High School state championship, including a major junior-year injury that led him to accept Christ on his 17th birthday. He also spoke of his transformative years at Purdue and with the Chargers organization. One special mention went to Marty Schottenheimer, noting how the adversity of Schottenheimer benching three times forced his own growth.
But then it was time to celebrate New Orleans, from the warm welcome of home-cooked Cajun food to the city’s resilience after Hurricane Katrina and other bad storms, and how the Saints became true representatives of the community.
Brees also paid homage to Sean Payton, his coach and presenter:
“The night before every game, talking through every play, every situation, every matchup in the greatest of detail. I would literally ask Sean, ‘Hey, Coach, when do you think you'll call this play?’ He would squint his eyes and purse his lips – you know that look – ‘Second quarter, across midfield, probably 47-yard line. Second and 10, left hash, left middle, maybe. They'll never expect it.’
“Precise, instinctive. Coach, you were brilliant. I saw myself as an extension of you on that field. I always had something to prove to you, and I always wanted to make you right. And I know you trusted me, and allowed us both to be great.”
Brees closed with “God bless you,” and a fitting “Who Dat?” for all the Saints fans who made the journey to see his induction.
Top tear-jerk moment: Brees paid tribute to his late mother and the deeply personal story of his wife, Brittany. He noted that his mother, Mina Ruth Eakins—“the most competitive person I’ve ever known”—passed away 17 years ago to the day on Friday and how so much of her lives inside him, as well as how proud she would be of her grandchildren.
Later, he described coming home devastated after one of the toughest moments of his Chargers career, only to find Brittany had filled the house with printed pictures and quotes from his entire career, turning despair into a place of love, support, and unwavering confidence.
“To my wife Brittany, I could be up here till the sun sets and beyond. I'm talking about how much my wife means to me, but I'll just tell you a story that encapsulates it all. In 2003, coming off one of the toughest moments of my career with the Chargers, I was distraught, feeling I let my team down. We fly home from Chicago, and when I walk in the door to our home, my wife has printed pictures and quotes from my entire career and displayed them throughout every step of our home. She immediately turned one of the toughest moments of my career into a place of love, support, and unwavering confidence.
“My love, you have always had the ability to remind me of who I am and what I'm capable of. So much of what we accomplished was because I knew you were by my side, and you believed in this calling.”
