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Quiet Hall Class Ready For Center Stage

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By MICHAEL MAROT

The Associated Press

Published: August 2, 2008

CANTON, Ohio - Art Monk and Gary Zimmerman spent most of their careers trying to stay in the background.

Good luck today when they're the featured attraction here.

The two quietest members of the six-man 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame class are making a one-time exception to their self-imposed rule with induction speeches that will not be short on words - or perhaps tears.

"It's OK, it's kind of like a game," Monk said before Friday's news conference with the six inductees. "You get some butterflies, but once you take that first hit, you're ready to go."

Both have warmed to this weekend's public speaking engagement, given the circumstances.

Zimmerman is the 12th Hall of Famer to play exclusively at offensive tackle, and it took Monk, who retired as the NFL's career receiving leader with 940 receptions, eight years to reserve his spot alongside the league's greatest players.

Some suggest the wait may have taken longer for these two because they rarely drew attention to themselves, preferring instead to let their performances speak volumes.

"I was always a shy and reserved person who just wanted to work hard and stay in the background," Monk said. "There's no need to talk when you're a good athlete."

Zimmerman stopped doing interviews for another reason.

He said Friday that while he was playing in Minnesota, he told a reporter the Vikings lost because neither the offense nor defense played well enough to win. When he woke up the next morning, a headline implied Zimmerman had criticized the defense.

"Half of my teammates were mad at me, so I said it's better not to say anything," he said.

He took the same approach to Denver, where he protected John Elway's blindside for five seasons and helped initiate the Broncos' tradition of offensive linemen not doing media interviews.

Despite their reticence to speak while playing, neither is reluctant now.

Zimmerman has spent the past two weeks editing his remarks, while Monk spent the last two weeks crafting his own speech.

So, what fans will get today is a rare opportunity to see both of them talk, back-to-back.

"He may not like it public speaking so much, but he is really good at it," said James Monk, Art's son who will introduce his father for induction. "He has good things to say, and people want to hear what he has to say."

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