Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame 2010.

I’m especially happy for Floyd Little, who was up until this weekend the most deserving running back not in the Hall of Fame. Little was the first running back to win a NFL rushing title on a last-place team. He earned five Pro Bowl berths and was a versatile all-purpose player with more than 12,000 yards.

Floyd Little is Inducted into NFL Hall of Fame along with Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith

I actually have a personal connection to Little. He was the first professional athlete I ever met. He lived next door to my uncle, and one year when my family came out to Denver to go skiing, my uncle took me next door to meet him. This was during the peak of his career and he was larger-than-life to a 10 year old. I remember holding his trophies and getting his autograph. He’s an extremely nice man….

Of course, Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are going to grab most of the spotlight and deservingly so.

Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards and a league-leading 155 rushing touchdowns. He was named NFL MVP in 1993, MVP of Super Bowl XXVII and to the 1990’s NFL All-Decade Team. Only Hall of Famer Jim Brown won more rushing titles than Smith.

Rice holds many of the NFL’s receiving records, including marks for single season, career and Super Bowl. He caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards and 208 touchdowns. He played in four Super Bowls and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXIII. He had at least 1,000 yards receiving for 11 consecutive seasons and was a 13-time Pro Bowler.

John Randle was one of the most dominating players during his 14 years in the league with the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. He tallied more sacks (137.5) than any other player who primarily played defensive tackle. Only Reggie White (10) had more consecutive seasons with at least 10 sacks than Randle (8).

Russ Grimm was a member of the famed Washington Redskins “Hogs” offensive line. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980’s.

Rickey Jackson was a six-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Saints and San Francisco 49ers. He  had 128 sacks and 28 fumble recoveries, which ranks second all-time.

Dick LeBeau was a skilled cornerback for the Detroit Lions. His 62 interceptions at the time of retirement ranked second all-time and today ranks eighth overall.

Each year, there are a couple of players left out who deserve to be in the Hall. Among those not inducted this year include Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Shannon Sharpe. The official induction will take place in Canton, Ohio, on August 7.

If you would like to find out how to hire NFL Hall of Famers for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith,  Floyd Little  or Shannon Sharpe booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for  sports stars and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380

Michael Irvin Joins DWTS

Dancing With the Stars just announced their new Season 9 cast and it looks like Michael Irvin, former Dallas Cowboys WR, is going to be following in the footsteps of NFL greats Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Jason Taylor and Warren Sapp.

The NFL players always seem to do well on DWTS. Because of their great athletic ability and popularity, many of the pro football players either go all the way to the finals or like Emmitt Smith – win.

Other Cast members to join DWTS are:

Singers Mya, Macy Gray and Aaron Carter; actors Ashley Hamilton, Melissa Joan Hart and Debi Mazar; and models Joanna Krupa and Kathy Ireland.

Other contestants also include reality stars Mark Dacascos and Kelly Osbourne; entertainer Donny Osmond; mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; professional snowboarder Louie Vito; and  Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin.

Representing the  political arena is former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

The ninth season of the hit ABC show premieres Sept. 21.

PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a speakers bureau and top booking agent for sports stars, athlete appearances, endorsements and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380

Kurt Warner

People often ask me who my favorite athletes are to deal with. I always give them the same answer…there are a lot of great guys, far too many to mention. But definitely high on the list is Kurt Warner, the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.

A lot of athletes change over the years due to their success and wealth. Not Warner. He’s the same guy today as he was 10 years ago. He’s a devout Christian, a big family guy and very philanthropic. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, he traveled to his hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to assist Habitat For Humanity in rebuilding more than 20 homes for families that had been affected by the devastating floods of 2008. He wasn’t there for just a photo-op – he got his hands dirty and worked hard like everyone else.

Warner has enjoyed a rags-to-riches career that couldn’t have been scripted any better by a Hollywood director.

After finishing his college career at Northern Iowa, Warner attended the Green Bay Packers training camp in 1994 but was released before the regular season began. It was at this point that he famously stocked shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa for $5.50 an hour. With no NFL teams calling, Warner played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League beginning in 1995. He was named to the AFL’s All-Arena first team in both 1996 and 1997 as he led the Barnstormers to Arena Bowl appearances in both seasons.

In 1998, Kurt Warner was signed by the St. Louis Rams and was allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, where he led the league in touchdowns and passing yards. Going into the 1999 season, Warner was the Rams backup quarterback but took over the starting job when Trent Green was sidelined with an injury. The rest, as they say, is history. Warner put together one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in NFL history, throwing for 4,353 yards with 41 touchdown passes and a completion rate of 65.1%. He went onto lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans and was named both the Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP. He became the sixth player to win both awards in the same year, joining Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith and Steve Young.

In 2001, Kurt Warner enjoyed another career year when he led the Rams to the Super Bowl and won his second NFL MVP award. For the next several years, his career was up and down. However, last year, he returned to old form when he led the Cardinals to their first division title since 1975 and first-ever Super Bowl appearance. He recently re-signed with the Cardinals for two more years and will likely be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame after he retires.

Away from the gridiron, he’s a much sought-after Christian speaker and sports motivational speaker.

PFP Sports and Celebrity Booking Agency is a speakers bureau and top booking agent for sports stars, football speakers, celebrity speakers, athlete appearances, endorsements and corporate entertainment. For more information call 800.966.1380