Former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin is officially in the NFL Hall of Fame. The 4th leading rusher of all time, who retired with 14,101 yards, gave an induction speech that won’t soon be forgotten. Curtis said that he didn’t have notes and he was going to bare his soul. That is exactly what he did, talking about growing up in an abusive household, being on the streets and making decisions that he regrets and eventually making a deal with God.
Mom, I thank you so much for the sacrifices that you’ve made for me.
The full speech is embedded below and is definitely worth the time investment.
Curtis Martin is class act, but Jets fans already knew this. He talks about the lessons he learned through football, with the most important lesson being who you become along the way. It is a cliche but Curtis Martin is truly a Hall of Famer on and off the field.
What I want to highlight more than the Curtis Induction, is the Hall of Fame experience through the eyes of a New York Jets fan. With Curtis being the first player inducted since Joe Namath in 1985, many fans have not had the opportunity (or desire) to visit the pro football hall of fame in Canton, Ohio. All I can say to that is you should go, it is worth the trip. It is quite the experience, seeing the evolution of the game, reading about all the great players and watching video highlights.
Seeing the display of Super Bowl rings only makes the desire to watch the Jets bring home the Lombardi run deeper. Fireman Ed stood up at the induction ceremony and led the Jets chant while fans of other teams looked on silently. If that doesn’t get you ready for New York Jets football, then please have your pulse checked.
Hopefully trips to Canton become a recurring theme for Jets fans over the years. If that happens, we can look back and thank Curtis Martin for setting the bar so high.
Here are photos of the Hall of Fame and induction ceremony.