On several occasions, one of the Bowlens approached the conference room door to peer through the crack and look for a sign of Baker.

Baker's arrival, though, came soon enough.

Before he'd arrived, there had been a plan of how to proceed if there were a knock. Christianna — Bowlen's youngest daughter — would open the door and greet Baker. Then, after listening to Baker, the family would yell in unison, "This one's for Pat!"

But in the moment, the people in the room couldn't help but scream and yell when Baker knocked on the door. And it took a few moments before — through some tears — the family yelled out the line.

Who could blame them?

After 35 years as an owner, Bowlen was at last elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

And they celebrated in the best way they could. Although Bowlen couldn't be in Atlanta for the announcement, his family FaceTimed him in the moments afterward to share the news.

"There were a ton of emotions and it was incredible to be able to experience it together as a family," his daughter Brittany Bowlen said. "We FaceTimed my dad and he was there with his best friend, my mom and the people that help take care of him. It was surreal to be able to tell him that he was a legend."

The moments that followed came quickly as the family was whisked to a room with the other Hall of Fame electees and then to the Fox Theatre to be recognized in front of the crowd at NFL Honors.