Don Coryell’s daughter, Mindy Coryell Lewis, promised not to cry as she accepted his entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The former Cardinals and Chargers coach died in 2010.
The family had waged a 30-year campaign to get him enshrined.
“The challenge is what my dad would have said if he were here,” Lewis said. “So, I’ll do my best. . . . What I am sure of is he would be humbled and grateful and maybe just a bit surprised his legacy has lived on for all these years and now he’s forever recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Coryell spent 14 total seasons as an NFL head coach, five years leading the St. Louis Cardinals and nine years with the San Diego Chargers. Lewis, though, never mentioned the Cardinals in her speech.
Coryell compiled a 111-83-1 career record in the regular season and was a two-time coach of the year by the Pro Football Writers of America. He never won a Super Bowl but sealed his legacy as one of the greatest innovators in NFL history.
“Air Coryell has landed in Canton,” Lewis said to close and bursting into tears. “I broke my promise.”
