CANTON, Ohio — Being part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 holds a special — and painful — meaning for former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Bryant Young.
It's an emotional reminder of his son Colby, who died on Oct. 11, 2016 after a battle with cancer: Colby's favorite number, his dad said during his induction speech Saturday afternoon at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, was 22. «In this, my 10th year of eligibility, I enter the Hall as a member of this '22,» Young said, his voice cracking. «Twenty twenty-two.
Twenty-two.» Young's voice broke even more when he spoke about how brave his son, diagnosed at age 13 in 2014, handled the news after being told in 2016 the cancer had spread and the treatments were no longer working.
It was a powerful moment that caused the crowd to give Young a standing ovation. «Colby sensed where things were headed,» Young said. «He didn't fear death as much as the process of dying.