It won’t be long before Zach Thomas is officially the Hall of Famer that Dolphins fans know he is. But in the meantime, Thomas continues to prove himself to be a Hall of Fame role model and person to boot.
Imagine being in Thomas’ shoes. You’ve just found out that the Hall of Fame has passed you over for the seventh year in a row. What do you do? Do you close up shop for the night and head to bed early? Do you pack up your stuff and head home?
Not if you’re Zach Thomas. Because last night, Thomas received a text from ESPN’s Will Cain. Cain was at a Miami bar, speaking with a man named Ramon — a bartender who moved to America six years ago and has a long history of worshipping Thomas, the football player.
Let me share with you my favorite story from Super Bowl week. I’m sitting around at my hotel on Tuesday night and I meet Ramon. He works the bar and tells me this: pic.twitter.com/CpAcxnTWQB
— Will Cain (@willcain) February 2, 2020
Photo after photo, Ramon pulls up chapters of his life and in each and every one he’s wearing the same #54 — all because of Zach Thomas.
Hearing and seeing from such an avid fan apparently left quite a mark on Thomas, because Thomas — on the night of another Pro Football Hall of Fame snub, mind you — showed up at the bar with a signed #54 Zach Thomas jersey to present to one of his biggest fans, Ramon.
But Zach didn’t make @ProFootballHOF today. He didn’t make the final cutdown to five. He didn’t get the knock. Instead amidst this ridiculously busy weekend, this MAN, knocked on Ramon’s door. pic.twitter.com/JQ37NVAWux
— Will Cain (@willcain) February 2, 2020
They say that football is more than just a game. And in instances like this one, they’re absolutely right. Football, in this case, helped to bring together two strangers for a beautiful moment in a Miami bar — with a big assist going to Cain for his hand in helping bring this moment to life.
At this point, the Hall of Fame is only a formality for Thomas. He’s a legend to those who grew up watching him play — and a gesture like this only solidifies his status as an all-time great Miami Dolphin and man alike.