Walter Jones NFL Hall of Fame speech: The best LT ever thanks the 12th Man

Walter Jones was known as a dominant, fierce left tackle on the field, though incredibly soft-spoken off of it. On Saturday, he gave the kind of speech you’d expect, but wasn’t shy at all about thanking just about everyone who played a part in his life and career.

Jones began his speech by saying he is “truly blessed” and honored to wear a gold jacket. He said it’s an honor to represent the Seahawks franchise and the 12th man, drawing a few cheers from the crowd. Jones started off thanking his mom first and foremost, and then his brothers and sisters. The family thanks continued with his children, Waleria and Walterius Jones, and his grandparents.

Up until this point, we didn’t hear much thanks for assistants and agents, but Jones acknowledged both of them. He then went on to thank ex-teammates and players. He also apologized for slapping Matt Hasselbeck at training camp, which drew plenty of laughs from the crowd. He called the pairing of himself and left guard Steve Hutchinson a “pretty good” combo. That might be the understatement of the century.

He went on to thank multiple top-tier offensive tackles who came before him. He thanked the Seattle media, and quipped the he enjoyed every interview, then paused and said “seriously.” He thanked Mike Sando of ESPN for presenting him to the Hall of Fame, “even though I didn’t need the help.” Jones wrapped up his speech by thanking the 12th Man, telling Seahawks fans that every player appreciates them.

Jones spent 12 years in the NFL, all of which were with the Seahawks. He was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft and was immediately one of the most dominant left tackles in the game. He finished his career on top, and seeing him make it into the Hall this quickly isn’t even a little bit surprising. The Seahawks attempted 5,500 passes while Jones was on the field, and individually he gave up a total of only 23 quarterback sacks.

He was only penalized for holding nine times throughout his career. He made the Pro Bowl nine times, and was named a first-team All-Pro six times, with one second-team selection on top of that. Seattle has already retired his No. 71 jersey, and you’d be hard-pressed to find another offensive linemen with his accolades. You’d be hard-pressed to find another player in general who was better than Jones.