Marino's Hall of Fame acceptance speech

The text of Dan Marino's Hall of Fame acceptance speech can by found on the Miami Herald website.

Here are some excerpts:

Last January, when I was elected to the Hall of Fame, I challenged all the Dolphin fans to overrun Canton, Ohio. And you know what? You took the oath. [Dolphins fans greatly outnumbered all others at the ceremony.]

Pitt taught me how to compete at a high level. To tell you how talented our teams were, most weeks our practices were tougher and more demanding than any game we played on Saturday.

I've always been asked the question ''Did it bother me that 26 teams passed on me in the first round'', and I would always answer ''no.''. Well, I lied. Today I want to thank those 26 teams for passing on me. It gave me the opportunity to play for one of the greatest franchises in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins, and be coached by the greatest coach ever, Don Shula.

I want to thank all the linemen, you guys for protecting me, all the receivers for the tough catches, all the coaches for helping me be the best player I could possible be. I will cherish those Sundays that we lined up together. And to every Dolphin player that I've ever stepped on the field with, thank you for your sacrifice and your dedication. I know in my heart that I would not be here without you. All of you, every player, every coach, I share in my induction into the Hall of Fame, and I share in this bust.

To Claire and the kids, you guys are my true Hall of Famers. You guys are my whole life. You mean everything to me. Win or lose, no matter what the situation, kids and Claire, you're always there with smiles, hugs and kisses. Dano, Michael, Joey, Allie, Nicky, Leah, I love you guys.

But what I cherish more than any record that I hold, any fourth quarter comebacks, any win that I was involved in, what I cherish more are the relationships I've made, the people I work with, the teammates I've lined up beside, the opponents I've competed against, the friends and family.