Eric LeGrand
The Warrior Award is up next. Dana Warrior is out to introduce the Warrior Award to Eric LeGrand.
“There lived a warrior so vibrant and electric, they called him ULTIMATE….” – @DanaWarriorWWE #WWEHOF pic.twitter.com/Q7dSEYy1Ed
— WWE (@WWE) April 1, 2017
Eric LeGrand comes to the stage and gets a standing ovation. He thanks God for his life and everything that’s happened since he got injured. He thanks Triple H for being a friend and giving him this opportunity. He says it all started with Triple H’s trainer, Joe DeFranco. He went onto DeFranco’s podcast and then Triple H invited him to SummerSlam that year.
Eric gives a detailed recollection of his injury on the football field and how it changed his life. He talks about finally being able to breathe on his own again and how it was the first step toward his recovery. Eric says he can have a conversation with anybody about wrestling because everyone was a fan at one point or another. He says his sister once put him in The Walls of Jericho when they were kids and talks about the friends in his neighborhood who used to watch with him.
Eric talks about how Kane used to inspire him when he was a kid, and also credits The Rock and Stone Cold for being great entertainers. He remembers Austin coming back to help Undertake and Kane during the Invasion storyline and how awesome it was. He also talks about everything his mom did for him with the doctors when he was healing. He has some friends from his team, who stand up in the crowd, and he thanks them for their support. He thanks WWE for welcoming him to the family and says he will walk again. A truly moving speech.
“It’s time for me to take over Christopher Reeve’s goal and find a world with empty wheelchairs.” – @EricLeGrand52 #WWEHOF #WarriorAward pic.twitter.com/evrsJfKVUr
— WWE (@WWE) April 1, 2017
