WATCH: NFL Great Demarcus Ware Sings the National Anthem in Honor of Late Teammate

Few expected Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee Demarcus Ware to be the one selected to sing the national anthem before the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night. But there he was, delivering a touching and heartfelt performance before the Jets took on the Browns in Canton, Ohio.

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But the real story isn’t simply that Ware chose to sing the anthem; it’s why he chose to sing it.

Ware chose to sing the anthem this year because that’s what he and his former teammate Demaryius Thomas used to do when they played together in Denver. Before each game, Ware and Thomas would sing the national anthem together on the sidelines. Thomas, one of the greatest wide receivers in Broncoss history, died due to complications from seizure disorders in December 2021. He was 33 years old.

Denver Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware (94) puts a glove on his daughters hand Marley and DeMarcus Jr. gets a glove from Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) before the game against the Dallas Cowboys August 28, 2014 at AT&T Stadium. (John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

“He’s not here right now, and I knew he was gonna be there with me out there singing,” Ware told NBC’s Melissa Stark during the game. “So it meant so much.”

Ware enters the hall after a 12-year career in which he became one of the NFL’s most feared and notorious pass rushers. A 2005 draft pick of the Cowboys, Ware spent his first nine seasons in the league terrorizing opposing quarterbacks for Dallas. In his final three seasons, Ware departed for Denver, where he joined Von Miller and Peyton Manning to win a Super Bowl in 2015.

Ware ended his career with 138.5 sacks, good enough for 13th on the all-time list. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday alongside Joe Thomas, Joe Klecko, Ronde Barber, Darrelle Revis, and others.