I couldn't bear to bury this in the seldom-visited sports sections

Curtis Martin's HoF Induction Speech, you have to watch it all to get the full impact:

Lotta dust in here today. My eyebones are waterin' and stuff.

Thank you for that one. It was worth every minute.

Thanks.

I have an young friend who is in trouble in his life, and I would love for him to see this.

I normally wouldn't watch a football speech, but Martin's speech was not a normal football speech. Thanks for posting.

A couple of striking issues -- violence towards women, absent father, public housing, the soul-destroying waste of life and talent that is poverty. His mother and coach successfully finding a way out for him. The critical role of mentors and motivation. Religion as a motivating force. Whether you believe in a deity or not, MARTIN did and it changed his life.

Awesome speech.

What an incredible man.

His mother is one of the strongest people I've ever read about, anywhere, anytime. A lesser person would have crumbled under that weight.