‘What a humbling honor’: John Lynch thanks Walsh, 49ers during Pro Football Hall of Fame induction

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch played 15 total seasons in the NFL after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made him a third-round draft pick out of Stanford in 1993. Twenty-eight years later, he officially became a Hall of Famer.

The former hard-hitting safety was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021. After being presented by his oldest son, Jake, and Herm Edwards, Lynch stood on stage Sunday night and thanked those who helped him reach football immortality, starting with his wife, Linda, then continued to the rest of his family and others who influenced his journey.

Lynch was the fourth inductee to speak on Sunday night.

"What a humbling honor," Lynch said. "First, let me say nothing about my Hall of Fame journey has been easy. I waited eight years as a finalist, and then (Pro Football Hall of Fame president) David Baker tells me I'm following Peyton Manning (at the podium). Thanks a lot, David."

The nine-time Pro Bowl selection, four-time All-Pro, and Super Bowl XXXVII champion played with the Buccaneers and Denver Broncos. Lynch registered 1,051 combined tackles, 26 interceptions, 13 sacks, and 16 forced fumbles during his 15 seasons.

Lynch also thanked former 49ers coach and then-Stanford coach Bill Walsh. Lynch was drafted by the Florida Marlins to play baseball and believed that his future was on a baseball diamond.

"Enter the late great Bill Walsh," Lynch said. "Coach Walsh had returned to Stanford as our head coach in 1992 when Coach (Dennis) Green accepted the head job for the Minnesota Vikings. One day I received the call from Bill. 'Hey John, this is Bill Walsh. I've been studying our defense last year, and John, you are our best defensive player.'

"Shocked, I said to him, 'Coach, with all due respect, I played safety for one year and I played half the snaps. How can you possibly arrive at that opinion?' He said, simply, 'The Film. I watched it, and you can be a Pro Bowl safety in the NFL.'

"Well, when I returned to school, in true Bill Walsh fashion, he not only told me, he showed me. He showed me a tape of me making a play, then perhaps a play of perhaps the greatest safety of all time, Ronnie Lott, making a similar play. There were only five plays on that tape but after watching it, I was all in.

"Coach Walsh, you gave me the confidence to follow my heart to an NFL career. Without you, I'm not standing on this stage today."

Lynch is one of five NFL safeties to record at least 1,000 tackles, 25 interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, and 10 sacks over his career. The others are Brian Dawkins, Rodney Harrison, Charles Woodson, and Rod Woodson. All but Harrison are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Lynch's nine Pro Bowl selections are tied with Ed Reed for the second-most by an NFL safety. Only Ken Houston had more with 10. Both Reed and Houston are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Over the last four seasons, I've had the honor to serve as the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers," Lynch added. "Thank you to Kyle Shanahan, to Jed York, and the entire York family, for having the faith in me that you do."