“This is a moment for me, especially with my journey I think, to really impart on people maybe for the last time that I didn’t corner the market on where I’m at.

“I covered a lot of ground (in the speech), and a lot of ground that other people are going to be able to look at and say, ‘I’m right there right now. Or Kurt was right there, just like I was.’

“So I want to make sure I use that ground to encourage and inspire other people that you can do it as well. That you can keep going and accomplish and find yourself on the mountaintop.”

Secondarily, Warner said he will try to give thanks _ in his own way _ to those who may have helped him and encouraged him along the way. That presumably will include the fans of St. Louis, but the nature of the night means he won’t necessarily mirror his comments of Feb. 4 when he was initially voted into the Hall.

He touched the hearts of an entire region’s football fans that night, when he said he’ll always have St. Louis in his heart, that he would bring the community with him to Canton, and that he was very disappointed the city no longer had an NFL team.