CANTON, Ohio -- While Chris Berman introduced the 116 Hall of Famers on hand for Saturday's induction ceremonies, the fans gathered at the Pro Football Hall of Fame saved their loudest -- and only boos -- for the man dressed in black.
You guessed it -- Al Davis.
The renegade Raiders owner looked out of place as the greatest collection of football legends posed for a group photo after their introduction. Amid the blue polo shirts and yellow Hall of Fame jackets, Davis stood inconspicuously in the middle of the back row. He may as well have been standing off to the side helping the TV production crew.
|  | | Howie Long made sure to thank Raiders owner Al Davis in his speech. |
By the end of the day, however, Davis would be cast in a much more positive light. He would be honored by the people who know the man who helped blaze the trail of the old AFL and coined the Raiders' "Commitment to Excellence" motto with three Super Bowl titles.
Two members of the Class of 2000, former Raiders Howie Long and Ronnie Lott, took time in their induction speeches to personally thank Davis and show reverence to their one-time employer.
"The Raiders were steeped in history," Long said. "From the moment I walked into Raider camp, I could feel it. It was all around me. People not only defined what the Raiders were about, but they also defined what the passion of football was all about.
"John Madden, George Blanda, Ted Hendricks, Jim Otto, Willie Brown, Fred Biletnikoff and Gene Upshaw and Art Shell helped bring me up. Then, of course, there was an owner named Al Davis, whose passion for winning is unparalleled in sports."
Unlike Long, who spent his entire 13-year career playing for Davis' Silver and Black, Lott played just two seasons with the Raiders. Those years were important to Lott, though. After San Francisco let him go after the 1990 season, Davis welcomed him to Los Angeles.
"I played for another man who helped build this league -- Mr. Al Davis," said Lott, who proved he had plenty of game left after leading the NFL in interceptions his first year in L.A. "He built the AFL and dominated it for many years with the Silver and Black."
Long felt fortunate to be noticed by Davis' uncanny eye for talent. The eight-time Pro Bowler revealed that even he questioned the Raiders' expectations for greatness of "a kid out of Villanova in the second round."
"At that time, many of the football experts viewed that pick as a stretch, a reach -- a surprise," Long said. "But Al Davis saw something in me that many, including myself, did not."
The Canton fans, in the end, got to see Davis in a different way as well.
Joe Lago is the NFL editor for ESPN.com.
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  Howie Long is proud to be a Raider. wav: 133 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Ronnie Lott wants the fans to recognize greatness. wav: 461 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Howie Long is honored to be in the Hall of Fame. wav: 532 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Ronnie Lott says the inductees are more than football players. wav: 106 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 For Howie Long, nothing can top the game of football. wav: 143 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 |
