During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. Today, the Atlanta Falcons are the focus.
Atlanta Falcons Mount Rushmore
Matt Ryan
After a challenging 2007 campaign with both the Michael Vick dog fighting scandal and the in-season resigning of head coach Bobby Petrino, the Falcons entered 2008 with a desperate need of energy under new head coach Mike Smith. When Boston College product Matt Ryan connected with receiver Michael Jenkins on a 62-yard touchdown play on his first career passing attempt, the spark was ignited and the team’s ceiling was raised. In seven NFL seasons, Ryan has led the Falcons to the playoffs four times–twice as the number one seed–including a berth in the NFC Championship game in 2012. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, and his 27 game-winning drives since 2008 are the most in the league. He has surpassed Steve Bartkowski as the franchise’s all-time leader in completions (2,508), completion percentage (64.0), passing yards (28,166), touchdowns (181) and career wins (66). Catapulting the careers of receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones, Atlanta has boasted one of the league’s premier passing attacks during the past few years. Just turning 30 in May, Matt Ryan still has a number of productive seasons ahead of him.
Deion Sanders
In 1989, the National Football League was introduced to “Prime Time.” Earning his famous nickname from a childhood friend because of his supreme athleticism and versatility, Deion Sanders lived up to that moniker throughout his entire career. Despite being one of the all-time greatest returners on special teams, he made his money primarily off of being a shutdown corner. Sanders had 24 of his 53 career interceptions in five seasons as a Falcon, including a career-high seven picks in 1993. He holds the franchise record in both interceptions returned for touchdowns (3) and interceptions return yards (520). Because of his superb press coverage skills, he virtually took away half the field for opposing quarterbacks and their offenses. Although he won Defensive Player of the Year and two Super Bowls on teams after his Falcons tenure, Sanders’ career got off to an amazing start in Georgia and he deserves the recognition.
Claude Humphrey
Drafted third overall in the 1968 NFL Draft, defensive lineman Claude Humphrey immediately made an impact at the professional level. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award after tallying an unofficial 11.5 sacks. Being the team’s sack leader nine times in 13 seasons for both the Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles, Humphrey was selected to six Pro Bowls in his career, which is the most by any Falcons player ever. For his career, he recorded 126.5 sacks in 171 games, which would be tied for 15th all-time had the statistic been officially recorded during his playing days. In 2014, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he was voted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Linebackers Tommy Nobis, Jessie Tuggle and Keith Brooking were among several front seven players who put forth convincing resumes for Atlanta, but Humphrey ultimately deserves the “Mount Rushmore” nod.
Roddy White
During the past seven years, Roddy White has established himself as one of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers. Getting off to a slow start in his career, White enjoyed a nice third season in 2007 with 83 catches for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns. He broke out league-wide when he caught 88 passes for 1,382 yards and seven scores in 2008 to earn his first of four Pro Bowl bids. The 2010 campaign proved to be his best, as he received All-Pro honors after posting a league-leading 115 receptions for 1,389 yards with an 86.8-yard average per game, all of which are career highs. His presence and mentorship has helped teammate Julio Jones become one of the league’s top pass catchers as well. Spending his entire career with the Falcons, White has become the team’s all-time leader in receptions (765), receiving yards (10,357) and touchdowns scored (62). Despite being on the downside of his career, he stands alone as the franchise’s greatest wideout so far.
