New Hall Of Fame inductee DeMarcus Ware knows a thing or two about stellar defensive play.
The former Dallas Cowboys pass rusher holds nearly a handful of Cowboys franchise records. In his nine years in Dallas, he became their all-time sack leader (117) and tops the list for forced fumbles (32) amongst others. His career in Dallas ended in 2013 before making the switch to the Denver Broncos, where he added another 21.5 sacks and winning a Super Bowl before hanging up his cleats.
Ware emotional at Hall Of Fame
This past weekend, he was in Canton, Ohio to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. He was inducted with the help of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who also has his own bust in the Hall. It was an emotional speech that he gave, as he recalled a never-before-shared life-changing moment in the years leading up to him being drafted. He was involved in an assault that saw him confronted by a man wielding a gun. The incident happened at a parking lot whilst on his way home after a trip to Troy University.
.@DeMarcusWare reserved seats in Canton for his former teammates who have passed away. ❤️
📺: #PFHOF23 Enshrinement on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/YdDnR6wlJC— NFL (@NFL) August 5, 2023
“Without warning. I was knocked across the head with a gun. A knife dropped to the ground and I picked it up.” An emotional Ware said, “When I looked up, all I could see was the potential shooter’s eyes and a gun barrel pressed against my head. All I heard was my family say, ‘Don’t kill him.’”
Second chance
“I dropped the knife. God gave me a second chance and I had to do something with it. That was my turning point. The memories of those parking lot lights and the sounds of those screams ‘Don’t kill him’ became the fire that empowered me. You can imagine how many years that night echoed in my head.”
The second chance was taken. Leading the NFL in two seasons as sack leader. A name that quarterbacks feared. The emotion shown during his speech was more powerful than any of his record number of sacks. More than that, though, it showed his true resilience. And, how to overcome an unhealthy environment that he was surrounded by at a young age. After having slipped on his gold jacket, he stood beside the bust that will immortalize his football prowess.
Good vibes at Training Camp
He visited the Cowboys training camp, to offer encouragement to players that look to emulate him, and his former teammates. What he saw surprised him. What he could sense was a team that is playing for each other, rather than having several individuals leading the play.
“It was a great feeling to see that the guys actually owning who they are, where they fit in the defense or offense and they were having fun. And the leaders were actually being leaders.” This was a marked improvement he said from the start of the Mike McCarthy era. “Now you have a lot of guys that can be leaders but they pinpointed like a DeMarcus Lawrence, or a Micah Parsons, or a Dak Prescott. You are our guy, We’re following you.”
Is it finally a show of the team’s maturity? A sense that being more together will see better results, especially in the postseason. “I always say the Dallas Cowboys can win the Super Bowl every year,” he stated, but now even he is thinking that it really could be their time, and who knows one day part of this roster could be in the Hall Of Fame like DeMarcus Ware.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
