Pro Football Hall of Fame 2017: Top Speeches, Highlights and Reaction

A loaded Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2017 was announced during the NFL Honors show Saturday night. The field has combined for six Super Bowl wins, four MVP awards, two Super Bowl MVP trophies, two Defensive Player of the Year honors and an Offensive Player of the Year nod.

Here's a list of all seven future Hall of Famers below, along with some quotes and reactions:

Player	Teams	Years
PK Morten Andersen	New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings	1982-2007
RB Terrell Davis	Denver Broncos	1995-2001
S Kenny Easley #	Seattle Seahawks	1981-1987
Owner Jerry Jones *	Dallas Cowboys	1989-Present
DE Jason Taylor	Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, New York Jets	1997-2011
RB LaDainian Tomlinson	San Diego Chargers, New York Jets	2001-2011
QB Kurt Warner	St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals	1998-2009

# Senior nominee

* Contributor nominee

PK Morten Andersen

Anderson played a whopping 26 years in the NFL, retiring at the age of 47. He made the Pro Bowl seven times, was named a First Team All-Pro three times and landed on the 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Teams.

He was emotional after receiving the call. According to Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports, Anderson had this to say: "Obviously we shed a few tears. Just tremendously humbled and honored to be in this class."

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who is paving his own path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, congratulated Anderson on the call to the Hall:

However, at least a few folks wondered why Anderson made the Hall in front of wide receiver Terrell Owens, who seems to be getting frozen out of the Hall of Fame due to his oft-reported antics while he was an active player.

Look at the long list of tweets from Alec Nathan's Bleacher Report article for more information, but one tweet from Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report stands out the most:

Owens is arguably a top-three (or at least top-five) all-time wide receiver, and yet he's not in the Hall. That's another article in itself, but for the record, Andersen deserves to make it, as special teamers and offensive linemen don't get nearly enough love from Hall of Fame voters.

Staying in the NFL and succeeding for 26 years is a monumental accomplishment. Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw was in the NFL when Anderson broke in, and Adrian Peterson had just finished his first NFL season when Anderson retired.

I don't care if he's a kicker, because that's incredible.

RB Terrell Davis

In four full NFL seasons from 1995 through 1998, Terrell Davis averaged 336 carries, 1,603 yards and 14 touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. He won the Super Bowl twice, was named the Super Bowl MVP once and ran for over 2,000 yards with 21 touchdowns in 1998 for the 14-2 Super Bowl champion Broncos.

Bill Simmons of The Ringer touted Davis' candidacy on Twitter, making some great points for why he deserved to make the Hall:

When a fan remarked that Davis played only four full seasons in the NFL, Simmons had a good response:

No one in his or her right mind argues against Gale Sayers being in the Hall, so why shouldn't Davis be there? At his peak, he was the best running back in the NFL (and making a case for one of the best all-time) and played for a two-time Super Bowl winner. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career, but he was a fantastic football player.

Obviously, Davis was happy to be in the Hall of Fame:

S Kenny Easley

The former Seattle Seahawks safety, the choice for the Senior Committee (you can read more about that selection process here), played seven years in the league, winning the 1984 Defensive Player of the Year award. He had 10 interceptions in 1984 to go along with a couple of touchdowns for a 12-4 Seahawks team.

Off the field, Easley was a player rep for the Seahawks and one of the leaders behind the 1987 players strike.

Current Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor congratulated Easley on his honor and also retweeted a highlight video the Seahawks posted of Easley.

Like all the others, Easley was pleased with his selection:

Owner Jerry Jones 

Jones was named to the Hall of Fame via the Contributor Committee (like Easley, you can read more about that selection process here).

Critics can say all they want about Jones mismanaging the team for the better part of the last two decades since the 1990s Cowboys dynasty (and the criticism is well-deserved), but he took a Cowboys team that was dead in the water during the mid-to-late 1980s and helped lead it to three Super Bowl wins in seven seasons after assuming control of the team in 1989.

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News also mentioned that Jones' business acumen helped land him in the Hall. Here's a passage from his Saturday article:

"

It was Jones who stonewalled the proposed financial rebates to the television networks in 1992 when CBS and NBC pleaded poverty. Jones got Fox involved and instead of returning $238 million to the networks through rebates, the next TV contract scored a $790 million increase. That 1994 TV contract was worth $4.39 billion. Three contracts later, it’s worth $44.5 billion. That money has driven the salary cap from $34 million in 1994 to $155 million in 2016.

"

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi congratulated Jones on Twitter:

As did former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who asked Jones to present him before his Hall of Fame speech: 

DE Jason Taylor

The 2006 Defensive Player of the Year (and 2002 NFL sack leader) finished his 15-year career with 139.5 sacks, the seventh-most in NFL history. That led him to being named a Hall of Famer in his first year on the ballot. Here's his reaction to being honored as it happened:

Taylor was also known as one of the good guys in the league when he was playing, earning the 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his charitable efforts, many of which you can read about here on the NFL Foundation's website.

Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald quoted Taylor as saying the following regarding his selection:

"

It stunned everybody, Taylor said. I couldn't open the door. I was shaking when I opened the door. I opened it, saw Dave with a big smile on his face. Tears started coming a little bit.

Taylor continued: It was a great moment. I just turned around, my two sons are standing there, my sister's crying, and my two sons were in awe. And I've kind of been speechless ever since.

"

It's an impressive run for a guy who didn't exactly have Hall of Fame aspirations when he started playing. Taylor recalled his early days, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald:

"

I heard the NFL guys were making $7,500 a week, or whatever the number was for the practice squad, so I just said, I just want a chance. I'll be on the practice squad. I'll cover kicks. Whatever I have to do. That was my goal, to get in the league somehow, some way. I had no idea I'd be part of anybody's game plan on a Sunday or anything like that. That all just worked out.

"

NFL legend and former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino also congratulated Taylor:

RB LaDainian Tomlinson

If anyone voted against Tomlinson making the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot, they should have their vote revoked forever, as LT was a mortal lock to make the Hall for his play over the years.

Tomlinson finished with the fifth-most rushing yards (13,684) and the fifth-most yards from scrimmage (18,456), per Pro Football Reference.  He also finished with 162 touchdowns, the third-most in NFL history.

2006 was Tomlinson's best performance, as he finished with 2,323 yards from scrimmage and 31 touchdowns en route to winning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune quoted Tomlinson as saying the following:

Junior is former linebacker great Junior Seau, who played 20 years in the NFL, including 13 with San Diego. Seau died in 2012.

Tomlinson also said this to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com:

"

I never, as a kid, dreamed about going to the Hall of Fame, Tomlinson said. It just wasn’t something that a kid dreamed about. I dreamed about making it to the National Football League and playing in Super Bowls and winning championships as a kid. That's what I dreamed about.

"

Former Chargers center Nick Hardwick, who blocked for Tomlinson for five years, also told Williams:

"

He was a game-changer obviously. He was an unbelievable talent but had an incredible football IQ. And he had the ability to break a game open at a moment's notice.

As an offensive lineman...you were really inspired to get your block and stay on your block because you knew that his ability to break off a long run and finish off a game at moment's notice was right there in the power that LaDainian Tomlinson held in his feet.

"

QB Kurt Warner 

Kurt Warner went from working at a supermarket to playing in the Arena Football League to winning an NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP and Super Bowl trophy in just five years.

That's unbelievable, and chances are that route to the professional ranks is never repeated.

Warner led the famed St. Louis Rams' Greatest Show on Turf, leading them to the Super Bowl twice (and winning the NFL MVP twice). Unfortunately, his career in St. Louis flamed out, but he enjoyed a career rebirth in Arizona, nearly leading the Cardinals to a Super Bowl XLIII win against Pittsburgh in 2009.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Warner saying the following in response to his Hall of Fame nod:

"

But to be a part of the St. Louis community and to see how they supported us and followed us in everything that we did on and off the field. I'm very disappointed that they don't have a team.

But they can rest assured, as I go into the Hall of Fame, that I will carry the St. Louis community and fans with me, because they have meant so much to me, my family and my career.

"

You can view and listen to more of Warner's comments here, via the Post-Dispatch.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle also mentioned this remarkable stat about Warner:

Warner closes a great 2017 Hall of Fame class (even if Owens was noticeably missing) that will be officially enshrined in August.