CANTON, Ohio — The first National High School Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place on Sunday evening. 

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar was among the many former football players being inducted.

"It’s an awesome day to be honored and humbled to be going into the first national high school hall of fame here," he said.

Joining Kosar at the induction was his mother and father. Kosar attended Boardman High school where he quarterbacked the Spartans, earning Parade Magazine’s All-American honors his senior year.

"But those high school days were the days that really built a core foundation of who you are and what you stand for," he said. "Being able to celebrate that in the birthplace of football in the birthplace of northeast Ohio where I’m from with my family just couldn’t be more of an honor more humbling thing for a man getting into the late third quarter really early fourth quarter of his life."

Kosar went on to play for the University of Miami, leading the Hurricanes to a national championship in 1983.

"This is the 40^th year anniversary of the 1983 national championship at the University of Miami, I was blessed to be at the 30^th year anniversary of 1993 Superbowl of the Dallas Cowboys, so blessed to have been at the University of Miami and a 12-year NFL player," he said.

While Kosar is counting his blessings, he’s also reflecting on the adversity he had to face during, and after, his career.

"I’ve had 40-some surgeries, 80-some broken bones, over a hundred concussions, 14 or 15 seizures," he said.

Archie Griffin was another inductee who attended Eastmoor High School in Columbus. He explained this is a surreal moment for him and his family. “We won two championships in the three years that I played at Eastmoor high school and it was all fantastic, enjoyed playing with the players I played with," he said.

Griffin was Ohio’s player of the year in 1971, and went on to win two Heisman trophies at Ohio State, making him the only two-time winner of the prestigious award.

"When you think about the number of young men and kids who played the game of high school football and you to be selected to be in the hall of fame, it’s very, very special and I’m so very humbled," he said.

As for Kosar, paving the way for the next generation is something he plans on doing for the rest of his life.

"It’s almost a responsibility for us guys now who have to be able to create a message out there to show people that there is hope, hope and a pathway to success," he said.