Ex-Broncos safety Steve Atwater recognizes parents in enshrinement into Pro Football Hall of Fame: “Thank you for believing in me.”

Steve Atwater got successful dozens of convey yous during his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement Saturday, but helium saved the astir heartfelt ones for his parents.

At a ceremonial wrong Tom Benson Stadium successful Canton, Ohio, Atwater’s eight-minute, 45-second code credited his precocious mom, Jesse, and his father, Jeff, for mounting him up for a Hall of Fame career.

“To my mom, convey you for the sacrifices you made, for ever loving maine and for showing maine however to ne'er springiness up connected those you love,” Atwater said. “To my dad, you ever loved maine unconditionally and I cognize however overmuch you sacrificed to nonstop maine to Lutheran North High School, and that laid the instauration for everything that followed… Thank you for believing successful me.”

Atwater was presented by chap ex-Broncos information and Ring of Famer Dennis Smith, who played with Atwater for six seasons connected the beforehand extremity of Atwater’s career. Smith highlighted Atwater’s interaction plays successful the team’s victories successful Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII.

“The archetypal Super Bowl the Broncos won (against the Packers), Steve was the astir important subordinate retired determination too (John) Elway and Terrell Davis,” Smith said.

Atwater gave a shoutout to his erstwhile Broncos teammates successful attendance, which included Elway, Davis and Karl Mecklenburg, and besides his galore coaches. He called late, longtime proprietor Pat Bowlen “a phenomenal leader” and besides singled retired longtime caput trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos, who retired this twelvemonth aft astir a half-century with the Broncos.

“Congratulations to you for a singular 45 years with the Broncos,” Atwater said to Greek, who was besides successful attendance. “Thank you for everything.”

In 10 years successful Denver, Atwater amassed 1,125 tackles and 24 interceptions successful 155 starts. A first-round prime astatine No. 20 wide retired of Arkansas successful 1989, Atwater started each 16 games arsenic a rookie and ne'er looked backmost portion emerging arsenic an anchor of Super Bowl teams successful 1997 and 1998.

Nicknamed “The Smiling Assassin” for the hard-hitting play that juxtaposed his jovial nature, Atwater made 8 Pro Bowls and 2 first-team All-Pro nods.

Atwater finished his vocation with 1 play with the Jets successful 1999, but No. 27 volition ever beryllium remembered arsenic a Bronco. A subordinate of the NFL All-Decade squad for the 1990s, helium was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame successful 2005, but had to hold longer for his telephone to Canton. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame successful his ninth twelvemonth arsenic a semifinalist and 2 decades aft his retirement.

That hold was extended a mates of years longer arsenic 553 days passed betwixt his enactment and Saturday’s enshrinement aft past year’s ceremonial for the Class of 2020 was postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was a small spot of a wait, but we’re successful this happening now,” Atwater said.

Among those successful Canton to witnesser Atwater’s induction included Ken Hatfield and Bob Trott, his manager and presumption coach, respectively, astatine Arkansas, erstwhile Broncos coaches Mike Shanahan and Wade Phillips, and erstwhile antiaircraft backs coach/defensive coordinator Charlie Waters.

Earlier successful the ceremony, Waters was connected signifier to service arsenic the presenter for erstwhile teammate Cliff Harris.

Smith was a Broncos seasoned erstwhile Atwater was the team’s first-round prime successful 1989. Why did Nos. 49 and 27 click truthful well?

“They had a batch of respect for each other,” Waters said earlier this week successful a telephone interview. “Dennis was astatine the apical of his crippled erstwhile Steve came successful and Steve played level with him. It was a imagination travel existent for maine to manager the secondary and person 2 large safeties similar that, particularly Steve’s contributions. He was phenomenal.”

Trott often showed Atwater’s crippled portion during his post-Arkansas coaching stops.

“And past erstwhile I was coaching astatine Richmond, helium came down to signifier and I bought him into my gathering country and said, ‘This is Steve Atwater,’” Trott said successful a telephone interrogation past week. “I had a information similar him named Cooper Taylor and I asked him, ‘Do you cognize who Steve Atwater is?’ and Cooper said, ‘Coach, I’ve had his jersey successful my country since I was 5 years old.”