Peyton Manning and Robin Roberts were among those who spoke at the Celebration of Life event held in honor of former University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt Thursday.
Thousands attended the ceremony, which was held at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.
The event was hosted by Robin Roberts, anchor of Good Morning America. She offered the opening remarks.
Roberts then invited Tyler Summitt, Pat's son, to the stage.
When he was young, Tyler was always by his mother's side as she led the Lady Vols to greatness, getting to celebrate a championship win with her before his first birthday. Now 25, he told stories of his mother and how she taught him to succeed.
After Tyler spoke, Roberts invited two former Lady Vols, Shelley Sexton-Collier and Tamika Catchings, to the stage to speak in a series of reflections.
Both women played for and won national championships with Coach Summitt at UT -- Collier was on the team in 1987 when Summitt led the Lady Vols to their first national championship win.
The two told stories of Summit as a coach and mentor, and how she changed their lives.
The next to offer a reflection was Mickie DeMoss, a former top assistant for the Lady Vols who worked side by side with Summitt.
DeMoss then gave the stage to current UT Women's Basketball Head Coach Holly Warlick.
Warlick played on Summitt's team at UT from 1976-1980, and became an assistant coach under Summitt in 1985. She then took over as UT's head coach when Summitt stepped down prior to the 2012-2013 basketball season.
Warlick was there for Summitt's first NCAA championship win, but also for the little moments, like when she prayed for her life sitting in the front seat as Pat sped down the road.
After Warlick finished speaking, Roberts introduced a video tribute to Summitt of friends and players saying goodbye.
The tribute drew strong emotion from those in the audience.
Following the touching tribute, former UT football player Peyton Manning was invited to the stage to honor the coach.
Manning was a personal friend of Summitt's, up until when she passed away.
He told the audience he only keeps two pieces of sports memorabilia in his office -- both are basketballs signed by Summitt.
He also shared a touching personal story of the coach.
"Two weeks ago, at Pat's funeral, Chamique Holdsclaw and I caught up... Chamique told me that even as Pat's memory continued to fade, if Pat saw one of my games or commercials on TV, she pointed at the screen and said, 'That's my friend. He comes to visit me. There goes my friend.'"
He closed with a touching reminder from the coach herself: when things are tough, "Toughen up Buttercup."
John Wood, the senior pastor at Pat's church, then offered a benediction and prayer at the ceremony.
Following the prayer, Con Hunley sang a rendition of "I'll Fly Away."
Robin Roberts then closed the ceremony, asking all of the coaches from across the country that came to support their collegue to stand.
"No one else could bring all of these coaches together, other than Pat Summitt," Roberts joked.
But then her closing took a more serious tone.
"No words or music could ever seem adequate to express the love and the loss that we feel tonight," Roberts said. "We are forever grateful to this incredible woman, for all she did to remind us that if you dream it, and you pursue it with everything in you, it can be done."
