Steve Atwater’s wait from Hall of Fame selection to induction nearly over

Steve Atwater is utilized to being patient.

The Broncos didn’t interruption done for their archetypal Super Bowl rubric (1997) until his ninth play arsenic a perennial Pro Bowl safety.

Atwater was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame successful his ninth twelvemonth arsenic a semifinalist and 2 decades aft his retirement.

And owed to the coronavirus, 553 days volition abstracted his enactment (Feb. 1, 2020 successful Miami) and authoritative induction ceremonial (Aug. 7 successful Canton, Ohio). The Class of 2020 volition beryllium inducted a nighttime earlier the Class of 2021 that includes erstwhile Broncos backmost Peyton Manning and information John Lynch.

The mode Atwater sees it, an other twelvemonth of anticipation has been fine.

“The hold has been OK,” helium said Friday during a Zoom conference. “It truly hasn’t taken thing distant from this acquisition and actually, we’ve gotten much clip to get much enthusiasm for it. … I deliberation I’m utilized to Murphy’s Law — immoderate tin spell wrong, volition spell incorrect — truthful it wasn’t a large antagonistic for me.”

Atwater volition beryllium surrounded by household and friends during Hall of Fame Weekend and volition beryllium introduced by long-time teammate Dennis Smith. Atwater said his father, Jeff, won’t be arsenic a wellness precaution. He visited Jeff past week successful St. Louis and “he’s successful a bully place.”

Atwater is joined successful the modern-era Class of 2020 by defender Steve Hutchinson, moving backmost Edgerrin James, receiver Isaac Bruce and information Troy Polamalu.

Atwater, a first-round prime successful 1989, made his archetypal Pro Bowl successful ’90 and was first-team All-Pro successful 1991-92. The Broncos didn’t triumph a playoff crippled from 1992-96, but won the Super Bowl aft the ’97 and ’98 seasons.

“(Those titles) were a immense portion of my vocation and that was surely the item of my career,” helium said. “I deliberation that has played a portion successful this grant — being connected teams with large coaches and large players who did thing special. Winning back-to-back, that was unbelievable.”

Atwater was listed astatine 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds and earned a estimation for his thunderous hits, but helium besides intercepted 24 passes successful 167 games.

How would helium beryllium utilized successful today’s NFL?

“I deliberation I could inactive play safety,” Atwater said. “I thought I did a bully occupation playing portion sum and erstwhile I had to play (man) coverage, it was chiefly against choky ends and if we did play man-to-man against receivers, astir of the clip determination was immoderate pressure, 5 oregon six guys (rushing), truthful the backmost would person to merchandise the shot a small quicker. I deliberation that’s inactive the concern today. … I inactive would person been capable to play and beryllium effective.”