LOS ANGELES -- Kristin Young received the life-changing news for her husband, for her family, and had to keep it a secret.
For seven days, she had to act as if she was completely in the dark about the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Her husband, Bryant Young, was one of 15 finalists for the Class of 2022 after his remarkable 14-year career as a defensive tackle with the 49ers.
“You want that knock and that surprise to be genuine,” Kristin Young said on 49ers Talk.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Just hours before TV cameras would capture the moment of realization, Kristin and Bryant spoke about the subject. The 49-member Hall of Fame selection committee voted Tuesday, Jan. 18, on the eight-member Class of 2022. One week later, Bryant Young would learn the outcome -- but not from his wife.
“We went out to lunch that day and had a deep and intimate conversation,” Bryant Young said. “And she said, ‘What do you think about all of this, about getting in?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know. It’s a hard shot with all the guys who are on this 15 list, and I’m not sure about it.’”
Then, he made a comment that hit the mark.
Young told his wife, “You probably would know if I did get in before I would.”
San Francisco 49ers
She did not respond, and the subject was changed.
“My goal for the whole week was, oh, he’s going to cry,” she said. “He’s going to cry this week. So that happened.”
Said Bryant, “Yeah, I cried. I cried like a baby.”
RELATED: Deebo offers advice to Lance, Mitchell after rookie seasons
As part of the setup, Kristin and Bryant took part in a Zoom call with a friend to discuss a remodel. Approximately, 15 to 20 minutes into the call, there was a loud knock at the front door of their house in Charlotte, N.C. Bryant said it sounded as if someone was trying to knock down their door.
“Immediately when I opened the door, I saw this big grin, pinhead, yellow jacket on,” Bryant Young said. “And It was Charles Haley. I knew right at that moment what it was all about.”
Haley traveled from his home in Dallas to deliver the news that was captured by TV cameras. Haley capped his visit by pushing Young into his unheated pool. The footage of Young receiving the news will first air Saturday on the NFL Network.
Previously, former Hall of Fame president David Baker would appear to inform individuals who were elected into the Hall of Fame. Under new president Jim Porter, the new members were welcomed to Canton by another Hall of Famer.
Haley, who was elected as part of the class of 2015, started and ended his NFL career with the 49ers. His final season was 1999. He and Young were teammates.
“It took my breath away,” Young said. “I was absolutely speechless.”
Yes, he was surprised to learn he was Canton-bound in his 10th year of eligibility.
It was worth the wait.