HONOLULU — Still a towering figure, Gary Zimmerman stood still in a light blue T-shirt and navy blue shorts in a hotel ballroom Friday.
He was getting his barrel chest measured by a well-dressed clothier. Once measurements for the gold jacket were done, Zimmerman, who has a shaved head, was sent outside for a mug shot. It would be that likeness from which his bronze bust would be molded.
It’s here. It’s real. Gary Zimmerman is heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
John Elway has his blindside protector once again, and the Broncos have their second player elected to the Hall.
“Pretty amazing,” said Zimmerman, seconds after having his chest measured. “It’s all happening.”
After a five-year wait, Zimmerman was one of the six players to be elected to the Hall of Fame on Feb. 2 in Phoenix. They will be inducted in August.
Zimmerman said he has spent the past week contemplating what it all means. He said he never spent any time worrying about whether he would be elected into the Hall.
“I thought I’d eventually get in, but I never thought it would be anytime soon,” Zimmerman said. “You see great players like Lynn Swann take so long to get in, I thought it’d take me 13 years or something. . . . When I woke up the day after the announcement, I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is real,’ and how that I’m here, though I don’t feel like I belong. It’s like I’m not worthy of this.”
Whether he feels worthy or not, Zimmerman is full-bore in Hall of Fame preparations. The new inductees were flown to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl festivities.
There was an introductory breakfast Friday, when the new Hall of Famers were informed of Hall protocol. In the afternoon, there was a golf outing, and on Saturday’s schedule there was a special tour of Pearl Harbor. Today, inductees are scheduled to be introduced prior to the Pro Bowl.
The trip to Hawaii gave Zimmerman a chance to relax after several days of returning messages because “the phone rang off the hook.”
Among the well-wishers to call Zimmerman were several former Broncos and coaches, including Elway.
For Zimmerman, the next step is to select his presenter for the Hall of Fame induction. Zimmerman said he is “99 percent sure” of who his presenter will be but declined to disclose it because he hasn’t asked the person.
Henry case closed.
A New York court ruled that requests for sanctions were denied in the Travis Henry case against the NFL. Thus, the NFL must pay its court costs, as well as Henry’s. His attorney, Steve Zissou, said the NFL’s court costs were estimated at more than $200,000 while Henry’s costs were $15,000 to $20,000. The case is now completely closed. Henry won his appeal of a one-year drug suspension in December.
Goodman promoted.
Jeff Goodman’s title with the Broncos will be assistant general manager. A former area scout with the team, Goodman is the son of Broncos executive Jim Goodman.
