HOF'ers That You Have Shook Hands With

[RiverDog]

I have just two. The first one was Bob Feller, one of the greatest if not the greatest pitcher in MLB during his era. I was in Pony League, ie 13–14-year-old youth baseball, in Walla Walla in 1968, and our coach, a gregarious lawyer at the Corps of Engineers, took us to a luncheon where Feller was speaking. After Feller was done talking, our coach elbowed his way through the crowd, grabbed Feller by the elbow, and escorted him to where I and 2-3 other teammates were standing. "Bob, I would like you to meet...."

The other HOF'er I shook hands with was Walter Jones (needs no introduction). We were in London for the game against the Raiders in 2018 and were in attendance at a virtual Seahawks rally at a pub at the base of London Bridge. There was a loft in the bar that had a number of VIP's and separate from the main floor where we were seated at a pub table. But there were no bathrooms in the loft, so the VIP's had to come downstairs to use the facilities. I saw Big Walt on his way to the John, and I stood directly in his path, extending my right hand, giving Walt two choices: Grab me by both shoulders and toss me aside or shake my hand so I'd get out of his way. Fortunately, he chose the latter.

 

[IndyHawk]

I have just two. The first one was Bob Feller, one of the greatest if not the greatest pitcher in MLB during his era. I was in Pony League, ie 13–14-year-old youth baseball, in Walla Walla in 1968, and our coach, a gregarious lawyer at the Corps of Engineers, took us to a luncheon where Feller was speaking. After Feller was done talking, our coach elbowed his way through the crowd, grabbed Feller by the elbow, and escorted him to where I and 2-3 other teammates were standing. "Bob, I would like you to meet...."

The other HOF'er I shook hands with was Walter Jones (needs no introduction). We were in London for the game against the Raiders in 2018 and were in attendance at a virtual Seahawks rally at a pub at the base of London Bridge. There was a loft in the bar that had a number of VIP's and separate from the main floor where we were seated at a pub table. But there were no bathrooms in the loft, so the VIP's had to come downstairs to use the facilities. I saw Big Walt on his way to the John, and I stood directly in his path, extending my right hand, giving Walt two choices: Grab me by both shoulders and toss me aside or shake my hand so I'd get out of his way. Fortunately, he chose the latter.

I read Bob Feller's biography as a kid,
interesting life he had, pitching for Indians at 16-17 yrs old
and serving in WW2, The "Heater from Van Meter" was a legend.

 

[Salmonkiller]

For me its Jones, Largent, Tez, etc. Everyone except for Flores… I never thought much of it, until this question. Season ticket holder since 1979.

 

[RiverDog]

I read Bob Feller's biography as a kid,
interesting life he had, pitching for Indians at 16-17 yrs old
and serving in WW2, The "Heater from Van Meter" was a legend.

Yep. "Rapid Robert" was another nickname. Unlike Ted Williams and Joe Dimaggio, who were both drafted, Feller volunteered for the Navy on December 7th, 1941 and enlisted two days later:

“I was on my way to meet with the general manager of the Cleveland Indians to sign my 1942 contract the day of Pearl Harbor,” Feller told ESPN in 2009, one year before he passed away at the age of 92. “It was about noon; I had the radio on in the car and had just crossed the river into Quad Cities when I got the news. That was it. I had planned on joining the Navy as soon as the war broke out. Everybody knew that we were going to get in it sooner or later and that was the day.”

On Dec. 9, Feller enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He didn’t have to; he was eligible for deferment because his father was terminally ill, but he wanted to join the fight.

“It was a war that had to be won,” Feller said. “I needed to join the Navy. If you ask the people in Europe who won World War II, they don't say the Allies, they say the United States won the war and saved the world. Now, I'm no hero -- heroes don't come home from war, survivors return from wars. I'm very lucky, you know that.”

He served in combat on a battleship, earned 8 battle stars. It took 3 seasons out of the prime of his career. Of course, I didn't know any of that when I was 14 or else I would have thanked him for his service.

 

[Lagartixa]

I have some "almosts," and I don't remember the one that might actually count.

I got autographs from Franco Harris after the Seahawks game in Foxborough in September of '84 and from Largent after either that game or the one two years later in the same place. I probably didn't shake their hands, but I might have. In any case, it was really a bigger deal to me that day in '84 that I got to meet Zorn and tell him to his face I had had his autographed picture framed on my wall in Kennebunk, Maine for years.

The other one's closer to counting, but I don't actually remember it happening. I was told about it. I was less than two years old and John Mackey picked me up and put me on his shoulders not long before (I think it was the day before) Super Bowl V, in which he scored a big 75-yard TD.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Green Bay Packer Jerry Kramer. he played golf a few times at the golf course when I was working out there and playing the afternoon game. He played that skins game a few times and I met him and talked a bit with him.

 

[NoGain]

Hell, I have a hard time thinking of any NFL players I've personally met that I knew of, let alone HOFers. The only one I can remember was in the 80's when I was visiting my sister from Chicago who lived in Kirkland. I was hungry late afternoon and went into some bar/restaurant called the Pelican, I believe, in Kirkland. And who comes in with a handful of big guys and sits down next to me at the bar but none other than Dave Krieg.

I knew who he was, and we talked for awhile. I told him I was from Chicago and a Bears fan. The Bears D came up in the conversation and I distinctly remember him saying "they're scary", and he meant it when he said it.

But that's about it.