After six months of waiting, the eight members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2018 have finally been inducted. The group was officially voted into the Hall back in February, but weren't officially enshrined until Saturday night when seven of them took the stage at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. This year's class includes contributor Bobby Beathard, offensive guard Jerry Kramer, safety Brian Dawkins, linebackers Robert Brazile, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis, and wide receivers Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.

Incidentally, Owens was a no-show -- as promised. He announced in June that he would be giving his Hall of Fame acceptance speech from his alma mater, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and that's exactly what happened earlier Saturday where he explained why he wasn't in Canton with the rest of his classmates.

"The sports writers are not in alignment with the mission and core values of the Hall of Fame," he told the crowd, referring to some members refusing to vote him into the Hall during his first two years of eligibility. "I am a man of courage. Courageous enough to choose Chattanooga over Canton."

Then he ended his speech with this:

CBSSports.com's John Breech was in Chattanooga on Saturday to experience Owens firsthand and you can read his account here. In the meantime, we hit some of the enshrinement highlights from Canton below.

Jerry Kramer

In the age before agents, Jerry Kramer, who played from 1958-1986, talked about what it was like to negotiate a contract for the first time. When it was over, he was offered a four-figure deal -- including the signing bonus. 

Brian Urlacher

The accolades are impressive: Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000), Defensive Player of the Year (2005) eight-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team. The big plays are too many to document here but we'll mention one: The strip-fumble from the 2006 Bears-Cardinals game that's probably best known for the late great Denny Green's postgame "THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!" tirade, which former Bears defensive assistant Bob Babich recounted in his introduction: 

And in case if you forgot what Urlacher looked like without hair, it was memorialized in his bust:

On a more serious note, Urlacher's stepfather was fighting back tears during the speech.

Brian Dawkins

The only man in NFL history to record in a single game a sack, interception, fumble recovery and touchdown catch. Dawkins was at the forefront of the safety revolution that will almost certainly include the additions of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu in the near future. In related news:

Dawkins was the Eagles' defensive MVP five different times and he overtook Harold Carmichael for most games played in Philadelphia: 183, of which he started 182. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and finished his career with these mind-boggling numbers: 26 interceptions and 37 sacks.

Dawkins also talked about his battles with depression and suicide. "There's a purpose for my pain," he said. ... "I wasn't just suffering through suicidal thoughts, I was actually planning the way that I would kill myself so that my wife would get the money. But what that pain did for me, it increased my faith exponentially. I have grown leaps and bounds because of the things I have gone through. And when I say [gone] through, that means I came out the other side of it. So for those of you going through it right now, you do have hope. There is something on the other side of this!"

Randy Moss

There's a reason Moss was known as The Freak. He high-pointed the football like no other receiver before or since, and at 6-4 and blistering speed, he could -- and often did -- outrun anybody on the field. As a rookie with the Vikings, he caught 69 passes for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns, which led the league. In his seven seasons in Minnesota, he had 90 touchdown catches.

He retired after the 2012 -- 14 seasons -- with 982 receptions. His 156 touchdown catches are second all time, and his 15,292 receiving yards are fourth all time. He caught touchdowns from 13 different quarterbacks -- and for good measure, he threw two touchdown passes.

To reiterate: The Freak:

Patriots owner Bob Kraft and coach Bill Belichick -- and his flip flops! -- made a surprise appearance in Canton to support Moss:

Not surprisingly, when Moss acknowledged Kraft and Belichick during the speech, many in the crowd of more than 22,000 booed. 

"You challenged me every day to be great," Moss said, speaking directly to Belichick. "You challenged me to be great, coach! And I'm sorry we did not bring it home."

Before the ceremony, future Hall of Famer Tom Brady does his best Randy Moss impression and jokes about not throwing Moss the ball enough when the two were together in New England from 2007-2010. Fun fact: In Moss' first season with the Patriots, he had 98 receptions for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Finally, be at the town center in Rand, West Virginia tomorrow at 4:30 to see Moss and his gold jacket!

Ray Lewis

Lewis earns his rightful spot in Canton after a stellar 17-year career with the Ravens that included two Super Bowl titles, a Super Bowl MVP, 13 Pro Bowls, two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, a spot on the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and wide consideration as the best middle linebacker of his generation.

And to hear Lewis tell it on Friday, his football talents were so transcendent that they doubled as a crime-prevention tool.

"When I played, crime went lower in Baltimore," Lewis told reporters. "It's like, nobody needs to be mad now. It's like everybody wants to be happy and celebrate."

The data tell a different story but Saturday wasn't about a social science lesson, it was an opportunity for Lewis to tell his story over the final 33 minutes of the ceremony. You'll be shocked to learn that he was the only inductee who chose not to be encumbered by the podium.

Lewis' overarching message was a simple one: He got to where he is because of his family.

And that family included The U:

Fittingly, perhaps, the Squirrel Dance made an appearance:

If you missed Saturday's enshrinement ceremony and want to catch up on everything else that happened on the night, be sure to check out our blog below.