Former University of Alabama and New York Jets player Marty Lyons was induced into the College Football Hall of Fame last night.

Lyons was a first-team All-American defensive tackle in 1978 at Alabama after leading the Crimson Tide to the national championship in the Sugar Bowl. He was the '78 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and helped the Tide to three conference titles.

Here is what Lyons had to say:

"It's an honor for me to represent the University, my teammates, the fans," Lyons said. "You go throughout life and you realize you never stand alone. You accomplish everything with the people that stand around you, the people that have vision for you when you don't have the determination to try to find the fight. And as everybody has stated up here we've been very fortunate to be surrounded by good people, people that were always there, people who had confidence, people that could see tomorrow when we didn't see the light.

"I also have to thank God for giving me the ability to play. When times were tough you always found the strength. And I also have to thank God that there was a lot of things that I'm not proud that I did in life, that somehow he didn't get me caught. And he said, 'You know what? I'm gonna make sure this mistake stays hidden, and you're gonna go on and have a platform.'

"I came up here (New York) n 1979 to the New York Jets. They've been my extended family for the last 32 years. I've been very fortunate, very blessed to create a foundation for terminally ill children, children being cheated out of life, children that would love to have the opportunity of every athlete up here.

"So today I represent my teammates because they made me a better player. Today I represent Coach (Paul) Bryant, and his coaching staff because they gave me vision. And more importantly I represent the fans of the University of Alabama for that rich tradition. They're going through a very difficult time after facing a devastating tornado, but they will survive because they are strong people. So on behalf of everybody associated with myself, my family and my friends I thank you very much, and I thank you for this honor."

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