You're Mine

Chapter 42

If Carrie would've known all those years ago she would end up married to a pro football hall of famer, she never would've believed it. And today that became a reality.

Harrison had made the hall of fame ballot by a landslide. And he really wasn't supposed to be eligible. The normal wait time to get on the ballot was 5 years, but 98% of the voters had him as their first choice.

At first, the commissioner was against the idea of him on the ballot since he hadn't been retired for 5 years. But the football fans stood up for him, and facing a backlash about his decision, Roger Goodell allowed him to be on the ballot.

Carrie waited inside with him and Adam until the ceremony started. Today, he would be inducted in the the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They made the trip to Canton, Ohio a few days ago, and spent most of the trip touring the hall of fame.

"Well how you feeling?" She asked, nudged him as they stood in front of his newly finished display.

"Really excited," he answered.

"I bet. You're making history."

Indeed he was. Harrison would be the youngest player ever inducted at 26, and the fastest player to be inducted. He was the only exemption ever of the 5 year rule.

Being the youngest player ever to be inducted, he beat out Gale Sayers who was 34. And in the class of 2013, would also be former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. Parcells coached Harrison his rookie year, and was a huge factor in the player he is today.

"Dadda!" Adam held his arms up, the now familiar sign that he wanted held.

Harrison picked him up. "Look at that buddy," he whispered, pointing to his white Cowboys jersey that sat behind the glass.

Adam pressed his little hands against the glass, checking out his daddy's display. The display was the newest edition to the locker room display. All time greats had their jerseys, helmets, and even cleats laid out in a locker setup.

His sat next to Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw. There was a plaque on the front of the glass with a summary of his playing career and some of the great plays he made. Behind the glass his game worn Super Bowl jersey sat next to a pair of game worn cleats and one of his authenticated footballs. And on the shelf above was the infamous helmet with the malfunctioning speaker he wore in his first Super Bowl game.

"You ready hotshot?"

"Oh yeah," he answered, taking her hand and walking with her and Adam across the street to where the ceremony would take place.

The NFL moved the ceremony from indoors to Hall of Fame Stadium due to the number people attending. They were taken backstage as Roger Goodell began with his opening statements. He talked in great detail of each player and their contribution to the game off football.

Finally, the inductees were allowed onstage. Harrison was last to be called, due to his age. As they were being called, Carrie and Adam moved to the front row where they had a perfect view of him.

He stepped onstage, making his way beside the other inductees and his bust as the crowd of about 40,000 roared. The bust looked great. Whoever sculpted it did a hell of a job. It depicted every single one of his facial features.

Adam tapped her leg and pointed to Harrison. "Dats Dadda!"

"Yeah buddy it is."

Roger Goodell quieted the crowd before going in detail about each player. And Harrison was the last to go. But the crowd was just as impatient as Carrie. They began chanting his name multiple times before Goodell got to him.

"Now-" the crowd cut him off, cheering Harrison's name. It was about a minute before everyone settled down and Goodell was able to continue.

"I'm sure you all know who this is-" The Harrison chant broke out again. This time, Carrie couldn't help but laugh. And he did as well, smiling while Roger Goodell tried to quiet the crowd down again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Harrison Ford!" He waved, getting even more cheers. "Harrison joins us this evening as one of the greatest players to play the game of football."

And again more cheering. "As a middle linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys for seven seasons, Harrison made a everlasting mark on the game. He finished a hall of fame career with 2 Super Bowl championships, 1 Super Bowl MVP, 7 Pro Bowl selections, 10 yearly awards, and 19 defensive player of the week awards. With those, Harrison also broke many records, both for the Cowboys and for the NFL. He broke the tackles record with 1,700, the most interceptions with 85, most interceptions returned for touchdowns with 15, and the longest return of a blocked field goal at 98 yards. Harrison, I'd say that's a heck of a career."

Harrison laughed, making his way to the podium to deliver his hall of fame speech. Everyone cheered as he waved. "I don't know where to start," he confessed with a smile, getting laughter to erupt from the crowd.

Pulling a small piece of paper from his pocket, he unfolded it and set it on the podium. "I'd like to thank my wife Carrie, my son Adam, my family and friends, the Cowboys organization, and all of my fans. Without you all, this journey would've been possible. I can't thank you all enough for the constant support. Your support means so much to me, more than I could ever say. Believe me, it made me smile hearing the 'Harrison' chant in the middle of games. I'd like to thank the Cowboys for drafting me and giving me the opportunity to play professional football. And I can't begin to thank my family enough. My parents Dorothy and Chris, and my sometimes still annoying little brother Terrance have been there for me since I began playing football in 4th grade. Now having a son of my own, I can really appreciate all the times you guys had to take off work to take me to far away practices, or games. I'd also like to thank my wife Carrie. Carrie has been with me since before the start of my career. Every single game, she was there, supporting me through the ups and downs. After a heartbreaking loss or a costly mistake, I love having her to talk with, and her pep talks. And after my son Adam's birth, Carrie had to take care of him by herself a lot when I was at practice. I owe it all to her. And to my family, friends, and fans. Thank you for everything."

With that, he stood beside his bust as the jackets were brought out. Each player received their gold hall of fame jacket, with its iconic logo on the front. On the inside were their names and the year of their induction.

After the ceremony, her and Adam found him backstage. "Well hotshot, I'd say the jacket looks good."

Harrison smiled, leaning in closer. "Pretty good," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers.

Fun fact, I've actually been to the Hall of Fame, and I'll tell you, it's really awesome. I even took the picture at the beginning of the chapter.