Warren Moon honored as Hometown Hall of Famer™

Pro Football Hall of Famer and nine-time Pro Bowler Warren Moon was honored Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 as a “Hometown Hall of Famer™” by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate Insurance Company during a special plaque ceremony at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. In front of a crowd of more than 1,000 students, faculty, staff and alumni, Moon was welcomed home and recognized for his lasting legacy in Los Angeles. Following a performance by the Hamilton High School band and cheerleaders, Hamilton High School Athletic Director Frank Wiley kicked off the ceremony with a highlight reel of Moon’s career.

{GALLERY}Presenting Moon with his plaque was Leigh Steinberg, an alumnus of Hamilton High School and Moon’s former agent who also presented him for induction into the Hall of Fame in 2006. Steinberg spoke about Moon’s determination to play quarterback, earning him the distinction of being the first African-American quarterback in the modern era to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and emphasized how Moon also continues to give back to the community by providing scholarships through his Crescent Moon Foundation.

After the unveiling of the plaque, Moon took the stage with an overwhelming amount of appreciation and spoke about the importance of retracing your roots and earning your education.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about Hamilton High School,” said Moon. “If you’re willing to put in hard work and sacrifice, you can achieve anything in your life that you want to achieve. I’m a true example of that.”

Additional speakers included Leonard Therrien, Allstate Insurance Company, and Brock Richards, program director for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises.

“Warren did not get to the Hall of Fame solely because of how well he played the game of football but also how well he played the game of life,” said Richards. “The mission of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is to preserve, promote, protect, educate and honor the sport of football. By giving you a piece of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we fulfill our mission.”

In addition to the plaque, a commemorative Warren Moon “Hometown Hall of Famer™” road sign will be on display in Los Angeles.

Moon, an All-City football star at Hamilton High School, started his college career at West Los Angeles College. After convincing Division I coaches that he could excel at quarterback, he transferred to the University of Washington, where he went on to earn MVP honors while winning the 1978 Rose Bowl his senior year.

Moon went undrafted in the 1978 NFL draft because scouts were critical of his roll-out style and preferred more traditional drop-back passers, so he began his professional career with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Moon went on to lead the Eskimos to an unprecedented five consecutive Grey Cup championships.

Moon had proved his value and joined the NFL’s Houston Oilers in 1984. His first season in Houston, Moon set a club record with 3,338 passing yards, a record that he would break four more times. In 1986, the Oilers molded the offense around Moon’s capabilities with a run-and-shoot offense that allowed him to showcase his strong arm, running skills and big play ability.

In 1994, Moon moved on to the Minnesota Vikings and led them to the playoffs during his first season. After Minnesota, Moon set franchise records with the Seattle Seahawks before wrapping up his career in Kansas City in 1999. At the time of his retirement, Moon ranked third all-time in NFL passing yardage, fourth in touchdown passes thrown, and was one of three quarterbacks to post back-to-back 4,000 yard seasons.

“Like Hall of Famers including Warren Moon, we at Allstate know and understand the value of hometown pride, which we saw here today at Hamilton High School. That is why we are proud to be a part of this program,” said Leonard Therrien, Allstate Insurance Company.

Watch ceremony highlights>>>