Zach Thomas gives emotional Junior Seau tribute during Hall of Fame induction speech: 'My inspiration'

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Miami Dolphins legendary linebacker Zach Thomas officially took his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon, as he took a long look at his bronze bust that will forever be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. 

Thomas also delivered a speech, thanking everyone who has helped him along the way to seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro selections. 

One of those people was the late Junior Seau, a teammate of Thomas’s on the Dolphins. Thomas praised Seau's "inspiration" throughout his football career. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Miami Dolphins former linebacker Zach Thomas poses with his bust during the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

"There’s one person whose name I’ve yet to mention," Thomas said in front of thousands of football fans, friends and family at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium during his induction ceremony. "His poster hung on my wall in college, and he was everything I wanted to be as a football player. He was my inspiration, and he became my teammate and friend."

NFL LEGEND DEMARCUS WARE TAKES CRACK AT NATIONAL ANTHEM BEFORE HALL OF FAME GAME

Seau, who had been a legend with the San Diego Chargers prior to his time in Miami with Thomas, took his own life. He was found dead with a gunshot would to his chest in his home on May 2, 2012. 

It was determined that Seau had suffered from CTE, after the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke did research on his brain tissue provided by his family. 

Thomas and Seau were teammates on the Dolphins from 2003-06, a dream-come-true for the former. 

"Though