Miami Dolphins legend Jason Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Taylor is the tenth player in history to enter the Hall of Fame as a member of the Dolphins and the first since Dan Marino in 2005. In his 15-year career, Taylor was with Miami for 11 seasons. Taylor's final NFL season came as a member of the Dolphins, in what was a fitting end to a Hall of Fame career.
Former Dolphins head coach Jimmy Johnson was on-hand for the big moment on Saturday and presented Taylor to the crowd. During Taylor's speech, the Hall of Fame shared an image of Taylor's bust on Twitter.
.@JasonTaylor Bust #PFHOF17 pic.twitter.com/uqSnE6B9d3— Pro Football HOF (@ProFootballHOF) August 5, 2017
Taylor began his speech with a long message of gratitude for his mother.
"I played 15 NFL seasons, but the toughest person I ever met in my life is right there," Taylor said of his mother.
The first-ballot Hall of Famer also spoke of his upbringing in Pittsburgh as his speech continued.
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"I got very lucky because football found me. Football rescued me," added Taylor.
Many football greats were in attendance for the induction and a local hero from another sport also was present. Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning was part of the crowd watching Taylor make his speech and the defensive end acknowledged his presence.
One local star who was absent from the ceremony was Zach Thomas, but Thomas made sure to recognize his former teammate anyway.
"You quickly became one of my best friends," Taylor said of Thomas.
In addition to thanking his friends and teammates, Taylor perhaps surprised some when he thanked some of his biggest rivals. Taylor gave gratitude to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, for forcing him to step up his game. The DE also spoke directly to longtime New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick.
"Bill you put a target on my back, my front, my sides. As a result of that, I never felt more respected," said Taylor.
In his career, Taylor was named to six Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro on three separate occasions. With his 775 career tackles and 139.5 sacks, Taylor was a force on the field throughout his career. In addition to being one of the best players in Dolphins history, Taylor was also one of the most popular men on the field.
Besides Marino and Taylor, Miami's Hall of Fame roster includes Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, Jim Langer, Bob Griese, Larry Little, Don Shula, Dwight Stephenson and Nick Buoniconti.
