Former Chiefs Head Coach Dick Vermeil with thanks to the Hunt Family, the Reid Family and #Chiefs Director of Equipment @AllenWright4. #ChiefsKingdom #HallOfFame pic.twitter.com/3f1eZq3w2V
Buy Chiefs Tickets— Rob Collins (@RCFOX4KC) August 6, 2022
Former Kansas City Chiefs HC Dick Vermeil was filled with gratitude on Saturday, thanking anyone and everyone during his Hall of Fame Enshrinement speech.
After running through the many people who had an impact on his career and life leading up to his time with the Chiefs, Vermeil spoke of the Hunt family and some visitors he received at the famed Gold Jacket dinner on Friday night.
“Thank you, Lamar Hunt and Norma (Hunt) — the finest couple, I think, I’ve ever met in pro football. Unbelievable. Clark Hunt and Tavia (Hunt), son and daughter-in-law, came here to see me last night and this morning. Thank you for making that effort.
“Along with them came Andy Reid and Tammy (Reid). A head coach, in training camp, left training camp and flew here to say congratulations to me personally last night. I have never had, in my coaching career, a better display of respect for someone else in the profession that you are in than what Andy Reid did for me last night. It will always, always touch me. Thank you, Andy and Tammy. That was unbelievable.”
There was one more person who came out to congratulate Vermeil personally too, and right in the thick of what is his biggest undertaking of the year.
“Allen Wright (Chiefs equipment manager), my equipment guy was with him as well,” Vermeil said. “Gosh darn it, I just wish I had time to go through every one of them.”
While Vermeil didn’t get a chance to go through and thank every individual person, he did find the time to thank Chiefs fans. He spent the last five seasons of his NFL career in Kansas City. Based on his comments, I’m not sure he would rather have been around any other fanbase.
"The Kansas City people are the most compassionate and passionate combination of fans I have ever been around." – former #Chiefs HC Dick Vermeil in his Hall of Fame Enshrinement speech.
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) August 6, 2022
In his closing remarks, Vermeil also advocated for another former Chiefs head coach to become a Hall of Famer.
“I will forever be appreciative and grateful for this honor,” Vermeil said. “The only thing that will make me feel a little better about standing here as the 28th Hall of Fame football coach is when I see Mike Holmgren come in, when I see Dan Reeves come in, when I see Marty Schottenheimer come in, when I see Mike Shanahan come in, when I see Tom Coughlin come in, when I see George Seifert come in, when I see Don Coryell come in. Believe me, if I deserve it, so do they.”
