Remembering 9/11 a quarter-century later

On Sept. 11, 2001, as our country was under terrorist attack, brave men and women ran toward tragedy – in the opposite direction of logic and everyone else attempting to flee Ground Zero in New York and Washington, D.C.

As American reflect on these harrowing hours 25 years later, the Pro Football Hall of Fame looks at the impact the events of 9/11 made on the sport of pro football.

Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE faced the daunting responsibility of deciding how the National Football League would respond. While on a conference call during what was supposed to be a day like any other, he ended the call after three minutes and immediately shifted his focus.

His first order of business: Make sure his people were OK.

“I spoke to GENE UPSHAW (the late executive director of the NFLPA) right after the Pentagon was hit. We agreed the immediate need was to take care of our people. Gene said, ‘I'll take care of the players,’ and I said, ‘I'll take care of the owners,’” Tagliabue said to Fox Sports in 2011.

It took Tagliabue almost a full day to settle on what the decision was going to be, reflecting on former Commissioner PETE ROZELLE’s thoughts after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Rozelle decided to continue with games only 48 hours after the tragic event.

Looking back, Rozelle would call this decision one of the biggest mistakes of his tenure.

“We had to pause and make sure everyone had our priorities straight, make sure we understood how unified we needed to be, understand where we are at,” Tagliabue continued.

After almost the same 48-hour time frame Rozelle used, Tagliabue decided against playing the Week 2 games.

Future Hall of Famer KEVIN MAWAE provided one of the key voices that helped Tagliabue with his decision.

Mawae, who was in entering his fourth season with the New York Jets, found himself in the middle of one of the biggest decisions in NFL history.

“I was the team (NFL Players Association) rep for the New York Jets during the 9/11 attacks,” Mawae said to a room filled with students at the Hall of Fame in 2023. “Having been there and seen what was going on in New York, in our country, the NFL had to make a choice whether we were going to play that Sunday after the attacks or not.”

In calls with all 32 teams representatives, Mawae points out a specific moment when his counterpart for the Buffalo Bills, Phil Hanson, told everyone to quit talking – that Mawae (Jets) and MICHAEL STRAHAN (Giants) should be the only ones speaking because of their teams being in New York.

“I told (the 32 NFLPA reps) that under no circumstances would the New York Jets play that week, that we would take a forfeit if the NFL made us play,” Mawae said.

Mawae told the students he “lived in Garden City, New York, which 85% of the people worked in the financial district. Going by the train station where cars were still there four weeks later – we had a lot of loss in our community.

“For us to decide to go play a game was the wrong thing to do for the NFL and the wrong thing to do for our country,” he said. “At that moment and time in our history, football was the most insignificant thing that we can be doing, and worrying about our family and our country was the most significant thing.”

Twenty-five years later, the National Football League again is pausing to reflect on that fateful day.

“We continue to honor the memory of those we lost on September 11 and the heroes whose courage and sacrifice inspired our nation,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an NFL news release. “As the NFL family reflects on this day 25 years later, we remember those who were taken from us and support those who continue to carry the pain of that day.”

As part of the league's commemoration this year, all Week 1 games will feature tributes designed to honor the lives lost, recognize survivors, first responders and military families, and connect fans to the lasting message of remembrance and service that emerged after 9/11. NFL clubs will participate through in-stadium moments, broadcast integrations – including live national anthem coverage across 1 p.m. ET games – and community engagement efforts throughout the week.

Other efforts include:

• In-stadium branding and “Never Forget” end zone stencils and T-shirts
• Remembrance messaging
• Volunteer activities
• Special 9/11 tribute-branded coins for coin tosses
• The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys will don NYPD, FDNY and PAPD hats

This celebration will be worldwide. In the NFL’s debut game in Australia, pregame ceremonies honored the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with both U.S. and Australian color guards as well as a large-field flag presentation.