Former Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James delivered one of the most poignant and memorable speeches in recent Pro Football Hall of Fame history Saturday as he accepted his spot into Canton, Ohio's shrine for football's legends.
Among other lines, James told the live crowd and television audience that he was "inmate No. 336" in the "Canton Correctional Institute."
Steve Doerschuk of the Repository explained the line's significance: "James' 'inmate' line was tied to fighting to help his family, never having been in jail, coming from a community where plenty of people had, and ignoring how critics perceived him.