Morten Andersens Hall of Fame-tale
Læs Morten Andersens tale her:
I forbindelse med Morten Andersens optagelse i New Orleans Saints’ Hall of Fame, kan vi her, helt eksklusivt, bringe hans originale tale, som han holdt ved banketten:
TODAY MY HEART IS SMILING AND MY SPIRIT SOARS.
TODAY IS SPECIAL, BECAUSE I AM HERE WITH PEOPLE WHOM I LOVE , IN A PLACE THAT I LOVE, REPRESENTING A TEAM THAT WE ALL LOVE.
WHEN I LANDED HERE IN 1982 ,I KNEW LITTLE ABOUT THE CITY ,ITS PEOPLE AND THE SAINTS. I WAS MET AT THE AIRPORT BY A FRIENDLY LADY.” WHERE YA AT DOLL” AND” HOW IS YOUR MOM AND THEM”. I REALIZED THAT I WAS LOST.” UHHHMMM WHAT”, I STAMMERED IN MY THICK DANISH ACCENT, THAT BY THE WAY HAS SERVED ME WELL FOR MANY YEARS.
THE NICE LADY CONTINUED TALKING ABOUT” MAKING GROCERIES AT SCHWEGMANN’S”, AND “WALKING ON THE NEUTRAL GROUND “AND “WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT THEM SAINTS”. IT DIDN’T TAKE HER LONG TO MAKE ME FEEL AT HOME. I THINK THAT I REALIZED RIGHT AWAY THAT I HAD ARRIVED AT A SPECIAL PLACE.
SOON , IT WAS AS IF THE WHOLE CITY WAS MY FAMILY. THE GREATEST GIFTS THAT I RECEIVED HERE WERE THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIPS, THE UNBROKEN POSITIVE SPIRITS AND THE SMILES. I KNOW NOW WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW THEN.
DESPITE ITS TRIALS, NEW ORLEANS IS A HAPPY PLACE AND PEOPLE SMILE AND LAUGH AND ENGAGE EACH OTHER. NEW ORLEANIANS CRAVE TRADITION, FAMILY AND A DEEP SENSE OF BELONGING. IT IS ROOTED THROUGH GENERATIONS AND SOMETIMES BORN OUT OF NECESSITY. MY DAYS AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL VISITING THE KIDS WERE SPECIAL. THE SMILES ON THEIR FACES DESPITE IT ALL. GOING FROM ROOM TO ROOM TALKING SAINTS FOOTBALL, READING A BOOK OR JUST HANGING OUT. THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. I AM HUMBLED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE “KICKS FOR KIDS “PROGRAM AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. I KNOW THAT WE ALL MADE A DIFFERENCE AND MY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN NEW ORLEANS IS SOMETHING THAT I AM VERY PROUD OF.
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES ARE ROLE MODELS AND CAN MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE CITY IN WHICH THEY PLAY. I NEVER LOOKED AT LIVING AND PLAYING IN NEW ORLEANS AS A PART TIME JOB. I WAS ALL IN FROM THE BEGINNING and YOU ACCEPTED ME AND WE TOOK THE JOURNEY TOGETHER AND WHAT A RIDE IT WAS.
IT ALSO MADE LEAVING NEW ORLEANS SO MUCH HARDER. MUCH WATER HAS PAST UNDER THAT BRIDGE SINCE 1995 AND I AM HONORED TO HAVE JIM MORA SR. HERE TODAY TO PRESENT ME TO THE SAINTS HOF. I ALWAYS FELT LIKE WE HAD A SPECIAL CONNECTION WE BOTH HAD HIGH STANDARDS AND I LOVED BEING ON THE FIELD IN THE SUPERDOME KICKING 50 YARDERS AND LOOKING OVER ON THE SIDELINE AND WATCHING JIM GET FIRED UP. IT WAS FUN AND WE WON A LOT OF GAMES TOGETHER.
TO ALL MY TEAM MATES THAT ARE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT I WAS JUST A KICKER, BUT I HOPE THAT YOU FELT THAT YOU COULD COUNT ON ME ON AND OFF THE FIELD. I VALUE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS AND THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE SHARED.
I NEED TO THANK JOHN MECOM AND BUM PHILLIPS FOR TAKING A CHANCE ON ME BACK IN 1982. BUM HAD THE PATIENCE NOT TO CUT ME AND MR MECOM THE WALLET TO PAY ME.
TO KEN TRAHAN AND THE SAINTS HALL OF FAME A BIG THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS IN KEEPING THE TRADITION OF SAINTS FOOTBALL ALIVE.
TO JERRY ROMIG, A BIG CONGRATULATIONS. YOUR FAMILIAR VOICE IN THE SUPERDOME IS A LASTING MEMORY FOR ME OF MANY GREAT SUNDAYS TOGETHER. YOU ARE SO DESERVING OG THIS HONOR AND I AM HUMBLED TO BE HERE SHARING THIS WITH YOU.
TO TOM BENSON , RITA LE BLANC AND THE ENTIRE SAINTS ORGANISATION ,I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY FOR THIS GREAT FRANCHISE. I HOPE THAT TODAY MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A MORE MEANINGFUL AND PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US. I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LEGACY OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AND ITS FORMER PLAYERS ARE IN HARMONY WITH EACHOTHER. THERE IS GREAT VALUE IN TRADITION AND HISTORY.NEW ORLEANS AND ITS FANS KNOW THIS.
I WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. MY WIFE JENNIFER HAS KEPT ME HUMBLE AND ON MY TOES FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS NOW. IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY THAT WE MET AT CHAMPIONS SPORTS BAR. TO MY TWO BOYS SEBASTIAN AND AIDEN. HAVE PASSION FOR WHAT YOU DO AND DO IT WELL. AND REMEMBER IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO KICK…. I AM HERE.
I AM LUCKY TO HAVE MY MOM AMD DAD HERE AS WELL. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT MY PARENTS WERE GREAT TEACHERS OF LIFE AND GREAT MOTIVATORS. FOR THAT I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL.
LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS FANS WHO CHEERED AND BOOED ME OVER THE YEARS. I ALWAYS KNEW WHERE YOU STOOD. YOU MOTIVATED ME TO PLAY MY BEST AND I WILL ALWAYS KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE GREATEST FANS.
TODAY MY HEART IS SMILING. TODAY MY SPIRIT SOARS.