Isaac Bruce describes what it was like to wear his Hall of Fame jacket for the first time

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Isaac Bruce describes what it was like to wear his Hall of Fame jacket for the first time

Cameron DaSilva
June 23, 2021 1:18 pm PT
Isaac Bruce was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, but due to the pandemic, his enshrinement ceremony had to be pushed back a year. He and the rest of the 2020 class will be enshrined this August in Canton, getting the celebration they rightfully deserve.

Ahead of the ceremony, the Hall of Fame sent Bruce his gold jacket – but not to keep. It was just to try on and wear for a little while before it’s sent back to Canton for the celebration in less than two months.

Bruce was on the Jim Rome Show this week and reflected on what it felt like to put the jacket on for the first time. Understandably, he wore it in every room of his house and took a bunch of pictures in it.

“That was so real. You see iconic pieces of clothing, material and jewelry, but to actually have one in your hands, in your possession and have the ability to try it on and put it on,” he said. “I think I wore it in just about every room of my house, outside, took some personal pictures. It was fun. Just having it on and I’ve seen some of the greats with jackets. The Terrell Owens, the Jim Browns. Guys who have made tremendous contributions to the game of football that we all love.”

Rome asked Bruce how hard it is to send the jacket back to Canton for the enshrinement ceremony, but the Rams legend doesn’t know the feeling yet. He hasn’t sent it back to the Hall of Fame, keeping it for a little while longer.

He has found it difficult to part with the iconic jacket, though.

“It’s like being a kid again when you get your first bicycle. A better question for you to ask me is have I sent it back already? And that answer would be no,” he said, laughing. “Just when you get it, it’s hard to send it back because it’s a culmination of a lot of people that helped you get to that moment. And I want to show it off to them, give them the opportunity to touch it, maybe take a personal picture with it if they can but don’t post anything right now. But it’s hard to send it back. … Eventually we will get it back to Canton for the celebration to make sure everything’s in proper place for the celebration. But I have to warn them: They’ll probably have to dry clean mine before we do that celebration.”

Bruce played 14 years with the Rams, totaling 942 catches for 14,109 yards and 84 touchdowns in his career with L.A./St. Louis. He won a Super Bowl, was a four-time Pro Bowler and racked up eight 1,000-yard seasons.

It’s only right that a receiver of his caliber make it to Canton.