The 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday was highlighted by Emmitt Smith’s emotional speech.

The Dallas Cowboys running back was introduced by team owner Jerry Jones at the event held at the Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The crowd gave Smith a standing ovation that lasted for 45 seconds, before he could begin talking.

With a clear and strong voice, Smith thanked all the people that helped and supported him throughout the years.

He tearfully thanked his ex-teammate Daryl Johnston:

“Daryl Johnston, where are you? Would you please stand?

Daryl, you mean the world to me … not just because we shared the same backfield, but because you sacrificed so much for me. People don’t understand what it took to be a fullback in our system – the sacrifices you made not just with your body, but your whole spirit. You took care of me as though you were taking care of your little brother. Without you, I know today would not have been possible.

I love you, Daryl – from the bottom of my heart.”

Smith also acknowledged his father, Emmitt II, and talked about how his dad sacrificed so much, how his father turned down a scholarship at Fisk University to play football because his mother was sick and he wanted to take care of her. His father, instead, played semipro football while working as a bus driver.

“Now, I did not know all the sacrifices until I became older. During those times they didn’t talk much about those sacrifices, and as a child you’re growing up seeing your father doing what he’s doing. You don’t know how he got to that point, there was never a discussion.”

Click here to watch a clip of Emmitt Smith’s Hall of Fame Speech.

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