ESPN NFL

CANTON, Ohio -- The sea of Broncos blue and orange in the stands at Fawcett Stadium made it clear who was the headliner at Sunday's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Thousands of fans made the 1,100-mile trip from Colorado to attend the induction of John Elway, the first Broncos player to make the Hall. Nearly all of them wore the No. 7 jersey, both the old style, which Elway wore for most of his career, and the current version.

Elway noticed them. He couldn't miss them.

"The fans of the Broncos never cease to amaze me," he said. "I was so lucky getting to play for the Broncos. There is such a great love affair between the organization and the fans.

"As NFL players go, I was truly one of the lucky ones. I got to play my entire career in one city, I got to play in the greatest football town in America and for the greatest fans."

The coach for whom he won two Super Bowls, Mike Shanahan, was among those on their feet when Elway came on stage.

Although there were No. 20 Lions jerseys for Barry Sanders and various Vikings shirts for Carl Eller scattered among the crowd, this ceremony was a lovefest for Elway and the Broncos. Nearly half of the crowd of more than 20,000 sported Denver's colors, and they chanted "ELWAY! ELWAY!" throughout the proceedings.

If that seemed odd in Cleveland Browns territory -- particularly with Elway having destroyed the Browns' shot at the AFC championship three times, including "The Drive" that climaxed the 1986 title game -- well, the locals seems to have forgiven the quarterback.

"There were quite a few comments at the parade. Not every one of them forgave me, but quite a lot did," Elway said with a smile.

Dedicated coach
Wayne Fontes, who coached Barry Sanders for his first eight NFL seasons, said he decided Saturday night to fly from his home in Florida to be at Sunday's ceremony.

Fontes' wife and doctors were not thrilled with the idea, because Fontes soon will have surgery on his back and neck, or both.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," said Fontes, with his familiar smile, clutching a cane in his left hand.

Highlights of Sanders' countless jaw-dropping runs have been aired recently, and some of Fontes' favorites rarely are shown.

"This guy had some of the best 2-yard runs in the history of the game," Fontes said. "Every time Barry Sanders carried the ball, he was trying to get us a touchdown."

Lying in wait
Bob Brown retired in 1973 and had to wait through 25 Hall of Fame elections before being selected. One benefit of the wait was that his son, Robert, was able to introduce his father Sunday.

"I am fortunate enough that he vaguely remembers my playing when he was younger," Brown said of his son, now 37 and a civil litigator in Los Angeles. "This is our opportunity to shine. He has this moment with me and I am thrilled about it."

Brown's son spoke of how his father was an overweight eighth-grader who took his lumps before learning how to play -- and dominate with "unbridled aggression and intensity for 60 minutes."

"I am about to honor the man I love more than myself for achieving the pinnacle of his profession," Robert Brown said. "Does it get any better than this? No, it truly does not."

For both of them.

Patience pays for Purple People Eater
Carl Eller became the second member of the Purple People Eaters defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings to make the Hall. He was preceded in 1998 by Alan Page.

Eller said he built up his hopes every year after becoming eligible in 1985. But when he failed to be selected, it was "sort of like a dagger in my heart."

He admitted giving up on being chosen, even though making the Hall of Fame was "something important to me."

So when he got the call in January, Eller was caught somewhat by surprise.

"As a player, you are giving your all," said Eller, who made five All-Pro teams and played in six Pro Bowls. "You're happy with your work, but never really sure if people appreciated it. So that's fulfilling for me."

Canton notes
Four military Purple Heart winners, invited to the ceremony by Hall of Famer Deacon Jones, were introduced to a standing ovation. The league also paid tribute to Pat Tillman, the former Cardinals safety who died during active duty in Afghanistan in April as a member of the U.S. Army. Tillman's wife, Marie, was on hand. ... The Class of 2004 was the first with only first-round draft picks. Elway was the top overall choice in 1983 by Baltimore and then was traded to Denver. Brown was No. 2 overall by Philadelphia in 1964 -- and first overall by the AFL's Broncos that year. Sanders went third overall in 1979. Eller was taken sixth in 1964 by Minnesota (and fifth overall by Buffalo in the AFL). ... Sanders' father, William, called his son the "the third-best running back who ever lived," and mentioned that Jim Brown was No. 1. He later added that he was No. 2. William Sanders played football at Wichita (Kans.) North High School, his last season coming in 1955.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press