CANTON, Ohio (WSVN) — He walked in wearing a new blue suit. He left wearing a new gold jacket.
Former Miami Dolphins player Jason Taylor, one of 2017’s inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was all smiles in Canton, Ohio as he showed off his new threads.
“I’m very proud of this,” he said. “I’ll wear it everywhere I can, everywhere I’m welcome to, and this jacket brings a lot of significance and clout. I appreciate it.”
The NFL Network recorded the ceremony where Taylor and the rest of the Hall of Fame Class of 2017 received their gold jackets.
On hand to help Taylor put the jacket on was coach Jimmy Johnson, the man who drafted him.
Great being here in person https://t.co/qmBTUqMEU9
— Steve Shapiro (@sshapiro7) August 5, 2017
“Everything up until this point was pomp and circumstance. You anticipate getting that jacket,” he later told an NFL reporter. “This is the first hurdle. The big hurdle is tomorrow night with my speech.”
Taylor will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at the enshrinement ceremony to be held Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. The event will follow a parade that morning.
“It’s an improbable journey. It’s an impossible journey, really, I thought,” he told reporters. “And, you know, even as I was sitting here now as a Hall of Famer, there’s a part of me that still says it was impossible for me to get here, but, you know, it’s worked out. Miracles happen.”
Friday started with a group picture for HOF inductees, followed by a welcome luncheon for the rookies and 100 returnees.
“We just listened, listened to stories, laughed a little bit. They all welcomed us,” said Taylor.
Fans will soon be able to see Taylor’s bronze bust at the Hall of Fame, a symbol of football immortality. His bust will be placed at the bottom of 2017’s roster, as the foundation of his HOF class.
“I could look at little kids eye to eye,” he quipped. “The adults, I couldn’t care about less anyway. The little kids can look at [my bust] eye to eye, and hopefully find something in those eyes.”
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