Pro Football Hall of Fame Ceremonies : Tears, Cheers for 7 Inductees at Canton

Miami fullback Larry Csonka considered himself an emotional football player, so he wasn’t at all surprised when he had to fight back tears Saturday as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“My family is here, and this is where it gets tough,” Csonka said.

“I love you, Mom. Just please don’t call me ‘Gooch’ in front of these people.”

Csonka, a native of nearby Stow, Ohio, was one of seven players in the Hall of Fame’s 25th class.

Joining Csonka were his Miami teammate, center Jim Langer; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Joe Greene and running back John Henry Johnson; New York Jets wide receiver Don Maynard and Oakland Raiders guard Gene Upshaw.

Don Shula, who coached the Dolphins to Super Bowl victories in 1972 and 1973, presented both Csonka and Langer for induction.

“He (Csonka) was simply the best fullback of his time,” Shula said. “He was blood and guts and dirt all over him. In his career, high school, college and the pros, he had 12 broken noses.”

Csonka rushed for 8,061 yards and fumbled only 21 times. Langer played every down of the Dolphins’ 17-0 season in 1972.

Dawson, who passed for 28,711 yards and 239 touchdowns, grew up in nearby Alliance, Ohio.

“For me, this is where it all began,” Dawson said. “It’s come full cycle.”

The loudest cheers came from a large section of Pittsburgh rooters who made the two-hour drive to Canton to honor Greene. He responded by leading the crowd in a chant of “dee-fense, dee-fense.”

Pittsburgh fans also remembered Johnson, who in 1962 became the first Steeler to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

Maynard, who amassed 11,834 receiving yards and grabbed 88 touchdown passes, was introduced by former teammate Joe Namath.

“Don worked with 25 quarterbacks in his career, and made most of us better players,” Namath said.

Upshaw, who played with the Raiders for 15 seasons, was one of the most dominant offensive linemen ever to play the game. He is now head of the players’ union.

“I’m very proud to have been able to step off the field and represent the players,” said Upshaw, who was introduced by Raider owner Al Davis.