Raiders Legends Charles Woodson, Tom Flores Enshrined Into Pro Football Hall Of Fame
CANTON, Ohio (AP/CBS13) — Oakland Raiders legends Charles Woodson and Tom Flores were enshrined Sunday night into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
Woodson, who is from Ohio — though he went to Michigan — began by singing praise for his mother, who presented him.
"I love my mama, man," Woodson said, his eyes welling up. "look no further than my mama to know where I get it from: the passion, the hard work. It comes from my mama."
Woodson was 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year with Oakland and won Defensive Player of the Year honors 11 years later as a Packer. He also won a Super Bowl with Green Bay.
Flores led the Raiders, now of Las Vegas, to two titles (1981 and 1984) and was the first man to win Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He was a backup quarterback for the Chiefs in the fourth Super Bowl and a Raiders assistant to John Madden in the 11th.
Flores, of Mexican descent, long ago became a hero to the Latino community, a symbol of success on and off the field. He emphasized the importance of passion on the road to success.
"You don't get there alone," he said. "It doesn't happen in a vacuum. A lot of people helped me ... Raider Nation is everywhere."
The pair were enshrined along with Peyton Manning, who Woodson beat out for the 1997 Heisman trophy.
Manning was the only five-time NFL MVP and a two-time Super Bowl winner who left the game five years ago with a slew of passing records. The stadium rocked with cheers from fans in Colts blue or Broncos orange — the two franchises he took to the top — when Manning was introduced.
Receiver Calvin Johnson, safety John Lynch, guard Alan Faneca, Cowboys wideout Drew Pearson, and Steelers super scout Bill Nunn.
