Rookies get tour of HOF

The NFL has decided to give all incoming rookies a tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The idea is to give them a sense of what they may be playing for, and hopefully turn the tide of recent incidents involving the likes of Odell Thurman, Chris Henry, Michael Vick, and Pacman Jones.

Since I am interested in history (NFL and otherwise), when I came across this article I thought it was pretty interesting. As much as I generally dislike Michael Irvin, I have to admit that this is a great idea. Some of you may have seen his HOF induction speech, and in it he described being passed over for the Hall the previous year. He believed a main reason was his off the field issues, like getting arrested in a hotel room with 2 strippers and cocaine. But, he used it as an example for his children, telling them that there are consequences when you do something wrong. So, apparently, he has decided to do something to improve the conduct of the young players coming into the league. Here is what Irvin said about his idea.

"When I was inducted into the Hall, I told the commissioner that guys coming out of college don't appreciate the game," said Irvin, who went through the tour with Cowboys rookies on Friday. "They don't have an understanding of the game's history. They've been playing football to get away from their history.

"So I told Commissioner [Roger] Goodell that the first thing he should do is bring them here and give them a sense of history. It's impossible to go there and not come away with something."

I can definitely see something like this helping out "at risk" players. From what I can tell, all of the players quoted were considered high character anyway, but the response was definitely positive.

[Matt] Ryan was ecstatic to see game-worn artifacts of his favorite player: former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Falcons offensive lineman Sam Baker, who grew up with Jackie Slater's son, took a picture next to the enshrinement statue for Slater, a star for the Rams. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne did the same with the bust of fellow Pennsylvania native Dan Marino, and Long took pictures next to the replica of former offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf.

 

"[Dierdorf is] a legend at Michigan and a legend in the league," said [Jake] Long, a Michigan alum. "And being able to see him here is pretty cool."

Who know? If Vick had seen the HOF, would he have decided to risk it all on dog-fighting? Maybe, maybe not. But hopefully, seeing a glimpse of how you could be remembered will have a positive impact on some of the these young guys. The league hasn't decided if it will be a one time thing, but I suspect the NFL will continue it, kind of like how the SB being played in February and starting the season on Thursday night have become traditions.