Drew Brees stood on stage next to his bronze bust, in front of Who Dat Nation, and took his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Getting benched three times in the NFL helped him get there.

Brees’ Journey to the Hall of Fame

Brees eventually left the San Diego Chargers and joined the New Orleans Saints, where he won a Super Bowl playing for coach Sean Payton and became one of the most prolific passers in NFL history.

Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, and Roger Craig were also inducted into the Hall of Fame. Each player gave a speech, thanking their coaches, teammates, and families for their support.

Fitzgerald’s Speech

Fitzgerald was the first player to have his bronze bust revealed on stage. He finished his speech with a message to his boys that’s applicable to everyone: “Don’t just pursue excellence for yourself. Help other people pursue it, too.”

Adam Vinatieri drew plenty of laughs and cheers with jokes about Bill Belichick, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. Vinatieri retired with NFL records of 2,673 career points and 599 field goals.

Kuechly and Craig

Luke Kuechly became the second-youngest player inducted into the Hall at 35. Roger Craig revealed in a video speech that he has vascular dementia and became the first player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a season.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.