The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a rule that disallows families of deceased players from giving speeches in addition to a tribute video, according to the New York Times.
The family of legendary NFL linebacker Junior Seau will not be allowed to give speeches when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, the New York Times reports.
Reuters Photographer / Reuters
Seau played 20 seasons in the NFL and was selected for the Pro Bowl twelve times. He died by suicide in May, 2012. Upon examination of his brain, he was found to have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to football players and other athletes who play contact sports.
The Times reports that Seau had asked his daughter, Sydney, to speak at his HOF induction, "if he ever made it." Instead of a speech from his daughter, a five-minute video produced by NFL Network will be shown during the induction ceremony.
The video will not mention his suicide or the post-mortem findings of CTE, according to the Times. Clips of an NFL Network interview Sydney conducted will be included.
The video-only presentation is consistent with the standard the Hall of Fame implemented years ago. A spokesman for the Hall of Fame said speeches from the families of deceased players "often repeated what was in the video, prolonging an already lengthy ceremony."
To allow Seau's family to speak at his induction would be an exception to the rule — one which many believe should be made for the NFL legend:
