Mills family welcomed to Pro Football Hall of Fame

This week, the Mills family got to see the museum and grounds, and to find out more details about the August enshrinement.

But they also got to learn about the family they’re joining.

Melanie and Marcus Mills — who lives in Charlotte with his family — were there along with 2022 inductees LeRoy Butler and Richard Seymour as part of this wave of orientation.

And at a private luncheon Monday, they shared the stories of coming here.

Seymour spoke of losing his father. Butler talked about overcoming his early obstacles, from being born into poverty in Jacksonville, Fla., to the braces he wore on his legs as a child. The Mills family talked about losing a husband and a father to cancer, and the inspiration he has become to so many.

Marcus put his hand on his mother’s back as she spoke,

“We’re here to carry on his legacy, and it’s our legacy too,” she said, recounting the many ways the message of Keep Pounding has resonated over the years, since his death in 2005.

This summer, he’ll find a new home, with a new family.

“It’s a shame he couldn’t be here, he can’t be here with his peers,” Marcus Mills said of peeking around the corner at the busts. “But when you see it, you know, it does feel right. He does belong here. He really does.”