Raider Nation flocks to Sanger to celebrate new Hall of Famer in coach Tom Flores
Raider Nation gathered Saturday in Sanger to celebrate Tom Flores’ election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2021.
More than 100 fans attended, with some coming as far away as San Diego and Oakland, to honor Flores in front of a recently painted mural of him that’s located in the heart of Sanger.
Flores was officially announced into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 6 and will be enshrined August in Canton, Ohio.
While Flores couldn’t be in Sanger to be with his beloved fans, he did address them from his Southern California home via a Zoom call.
Many Raider Nation members stood in front of the Flores-themed mural that was completed by Omar “Super” Huerta while watching and listening to Flores speak via Zoom.
Sentiments expressed by the crowd ranged from “long overdue” to “congratulations” to “we love you coach.”
Many took up the chant, “HALL-OF-FAME.”
Flores grew up in Del Rey and the Sanger area, went to Sanger High and Fresno City College, then moved on to the University of the Pacific and the AFL and NFL, first as a quarterback and eventually as the two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders.
“I want to thank everybody from Sanger,” Flores said in his remarks. “Everybody is responsible for this incredible (trip to the Hall of Fame). I’m kind of overwhelmed. My mom and dad would’ve been very proud. I’m very honored to represent the city of Sanger. We came a long way. The years that we’ve been together ... when you do something like this, it doesn’t really sink it until after it happens. Now it is happening, it’s really quite overwhelming. I get choked up sometimes just thinking about it.
“It feels special; not just for me, but for all the people that I’ve known. My mom, dad, my brother, uncles and all of you. I’m so proud to represent you. I really admire the way you have reacted to this whole thing. The city, people in Sanger and people in the San Joaquin Valley, all up and down the coast. The way you’ve handled this whole ordeal, makes me proud.”
After festivities finished up at the mural, fans went to Tom Flores Stadium — a previous honor bestowed by the city on its adopted native son — to take a picture of the scoreboard that displays the name of the Hall of Famer.
Sanger Mayor Eli Ontiveros said the plan is to designate a downtown street as Tom Flores Boulevard, something that will be discussed in future City Council meetings.
“We’re very excited to do that and ... to have the street named after Tom Flores,” Ontiveros said. “He’s an icon. He has a special spot in everybody’s heart in Sanger, California. The accomplishments that he achieved as a Hispanic, now in Hall of Fame, quarterback in the NFL, head coach and the accolades go on and on for this man.
“He is someone I personally look up to and I know the community looks up to. Words cannot express how excited we are, not only for me, but as a community.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 6:17 PM.
