Eighteen tries Eric Allen's name has come up on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot. Eighteen times he's failed to be selected. The 19th time was the charm. In his 19th year of eligibility, Allen finally was selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Eric Allen is headed to Canton with a speech more than two decades in the making. The Eagles cornerback waited 24 years to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he will be Saturday with a statement that’s been trimmed and rehearsed accordingly the last few weeks.

Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Eric Allen: "Football incentivizes what's special about football. The pursuit of excellence, in short, calls for everything you've got."