Current:Home > ContactOne 'frightful' night changed the course of Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware's life -AssetTrainer
One 'frightful' night changed the course of Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware's life
View
Date:2025-04-15 12:27:44
CANTON, Ohio — The megawatt smile of DeMarcus Ware doesn't tell the complete story of DeMarcus Ware.
From difficult beginnings in Auburn, Alabama, surrounded by drugs, gangs and domestic violence, Ware overcame that to become a nine-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion.
On Saturday, Ware, a devastating edge rusher during a 12-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Ware mentioned the belief that people are a product of their environments, how early difficulties can lead to destruction.
"It doesn't have to be true," Ware said on the stage of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Ware believes his tough beginnings made him "relentless, limitless and resilient," helped by a mom who taught him to "dream big."
DEMARCUS WARE: National anthem performance dedicated to late teammate
The true turning point in his life happened when he was home from college, at a parking lot party. He was struck with a gun and went down. As he tried to get up, knife in hand, he faced a crossroads.
"When I looked up, all I could see was the potential shooter's eyes and a gun barrel pressed against my head," Ware said. "All I heard was my family saying, 'Don't kill him.' There was an eerie silence, after which I simply said, 'This isn't me,' and I dropped the knife. At that moment, I knew God gave me a second chance and I had to do something with it."
He did plenty.
The 6-foot-4, 258-pound Ware was drafted 11th overall out of Troy University, the only college to offer him a scholarship, in 2005 by the Cowboys. He twice led the NFL in sacks. His 138.5 career sacks rank ninth all-time and are third among players in the 21st century. His 117 sacks with the Cowboys remain the franchise record.
After nine seasons in Dallas, he played his three final seasons in Denver, helping the Broncos win Super Bowl 50.
Ware suffered through just one losing season in his career and earned All-Pro first team four times.
None of it might have happened if not for that one night in the parking lot.
"The memory of those parking lot lights and the sounds of those screams, 'Don't kill him!' became the fire that empowered me," he said. "You can't imagine how many years that night echoed in my head. When I trained, I was motivated by the memories of those parking lot lights. And when I ran onto the field and the crowd cheered, those memories of those screams began to fade. Every sack I made helped to ease the memory of that frightful night and replaced it with positive energy."
Reach Josh at [email protected]. On X: @jweirREP
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Stanley Cup Final Game 6: Panthers vs. Oilers live stream, time, TV channel, odds
- Thunder trade guard Josh Giddey to Bulls for Alex Caruso, AP source says
- Thunder trade guard Josh Giddey to Bulls for Alex Caruso, AP source says
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- World's oldest deep sea shipwreck discovered off Israel's coast
- Horoscopes Today, June 20, 2024
- Why Heidi Klum Stripped Down in the Middle of an Interview
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Music Review: An uninhibited Gracie Abrams finds energy in the chaos on ‘The Secret of Us’
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Escape from killer New Mexico wildfire was ‘absolute sheer terror,’ says woman who fled the flames
- North Carolina governor vetoes masks bill largely due to provision about campaign finance
- Lakers hire J.J. Redick as head coach
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Lakers hire J.J. Redick as head coach
- Delaware lawmakers sign off on $6.1 billion operating budget for the fiscal year
- L.A. woman Ksenia Karelina goes on trial in Russia, charged with treason over small donation for Ukraine
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Inmate asks court to block second nitrogen execution in Alabama
Capital murder charges filed against 2 Venezuelan men in the death of a 12-year-old girl in Houston
North Korea and Russia's deepening ties prompt South Korea to reconsider ban on supplying weapons to Ukraine
San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
California implementing rehabilitative programs in state prisons to reshape incarceration methods
Tax cuts, teacher raises and a few social issues in South Carolina budget compromise
New Mexico judge weighs whether to compel testimony from movie armorer in Alec Baldwin trial