Isaac Bruce was one of the unsung heroes of the Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf era, oftentimes getting overlooked as one of the best receivers in the NFL. He got his due on Saturday night, though, when he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020.
It was his fourth year as a finalist and sixth year of eligibility for the hall, Bruce finally made it to Canton, where he will be enshrined this summer. It was an understandably agonizing wait for Bruce to finally get recognized as a Hall of Famer, and after all that waiting and wondering, he paid back the Hall of Fame by making them wait, too.
After being inducted, Bruce told the story of how he made president David Baker wait after he knocked on his door to congratulate him – which is how players are notified of whether they made it to Canton.
.@IsaacBruce80 had to keep Mr. Baker waiting justttt a little 😬 pic.twitter.com/sJENFxv0Yp
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) February 2, 2020
“For me, my knock experience was – I wanted Mr. Baker to wait a little while. I wanted him to knock two rounds of knocks, just to let him feel what I’ve been feeling the last couple years,” Bruce said with a smile. “I wanted to keep my power and my control, so after the first knock, I went and told my family this is the knock, so gather round and let’s answer the door and shook his hand. It was a great handshake.”
Bruce is the Rams’ all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdown catches, and at the time of his retirement, he was second in NFL history in receiving yards – only behind the great Jerry Rice.
He may have only made the Pro Bowl four times, but he was certainly deserving of a spot in Canton.