Edgerrin James' HOF Speech Rocks the House - Sports Illustrated Talk Of Fame Network

CANTON, Ohio - Edgerrin James had to overcame a lot of difficult moments to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Saturday night he did it one last time when he stole the 20-man enshrinement ceremony from his new peers with a gold jacket acceptance speech that went way beyond football.

James, who is the 13th most prolific running back of all-time with 12,246 yards, spoke not only about the long road from a fatherless home in Immokalee, Florida to the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio but also about preconceived notions and societal biases that a kid with gold teeth and dreadlocks had to overcome.

“For some reason I always had to deal with perception,” the former Colts' and Cardinals’ Pro Bowl performer said. “Perception, though, isn’t always reality. It definitely wasn’t my reality. People looked at my gold teeth and dreads and were shocked and surprised I had never been under arrest or spent time in jail.

“So many people told me you can’t have dreads and gold teeth and be accepted in the NFL but I never listened. I always knew who I was – a great football player, a great father, a proud Black man, a lion and this was my mane which many of those doubters would discover when they got to know the real me.

“Times have changed. Look around the league. Look at some of the young stars. As a matter of fact look at my Hall of Fame bust. Rockin’ the same dreads they said I shouldn’t.”

Had James stopped there it would have been more than enough to have been the most inspiring speech of the night, but Edgerrin James always went a step farther in his playing days than anyone thought possible. And so he did again Saturday night in his final football moment.

“My closing message is proudly represent the real you,’’ James said. “Follow your dream. Aim high. Create the life you want to live. And to all those who have been judged prematurely because of their appearance, the way they speak, where they come from and in the minds of many should be locked up in prison, I represent US!

“I’m forever immortalized, locked up in the Canton Correctional Institution … Inmate number 336 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. My career started with gold teeth and ended with this gold jacket. Good night and God bless.”

A broad smile crossed Edgerrin James’ face as he spoke from his heart about what is important, truly important, about his life and his accomplishments. As his voice echoed through the night air at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium the crowd rose spontaneously and stood cheering words that spoke not simply about a race well run or a career of achievement but carried a message about the importance that we all stop judging a book, or a person, by its cover.