Earlier this week I responded to a partner in need and gave him a suggestion for what to write about for this very website. About 10 minutes later Neil had a huge article written in response to that suggestion. Neil was kind enough to give me a suggestion in return and here I am sitting down to put fingers to keyboard a day later. Maybe we should give each other topics more often. Have each contributor to the website give a list of potential topics we'd like to read about for that contributor's team. Just a thought. Anyway my topic is my "5 Favorite Falcons". And I don't think this is as easy as it looks because 2 guys that were in my Top 5 when they played for us can't be put on that list. The first is Mike Vick. I don't think we have to go into reasons here. He's paid his dues to society but I have a hard time putting someone in my Top 5 who would rather fund a Dog Fighting Ring than watch video so he can help his team win a football game. The second is Deion Sanders. He returned his first career punt for a touchdown. The AJC's Mark Bradley compared the Braves Jason Heyward's debut this week to Deion's. But alas Deion turned his back on the franchise and for that I cannot forgive him. Maybe Brett Favre could have made this list if he could have stayed out of Buckhead. Maybe I will have to write about my 5 most hate Falcons. But for now here are my 5 favorite Dirty Birds:
#1 Jessie "The Hammer" Tuggle
How can you not like this guy? If you look up Atlanta Falcon in the dictionary this is the guy whose picture should be up (well him or Tommy Nobis). He played for the Falcons his entire career from 1987 to 2000. He went to school in Georgia at Valdosta State. He made the team as an undrafted free agent and proceeded to be the inspirational leader of the team, make 5 Pro Bowls and eventually helped lead them to the Super Bowl (don't think Eugene Robinson is making this list). He led the NFL in tackles in 2000 and 2001, finished his career with the most tackles in franchise history, and had 12 consecutive 100-tackle seasons. The Falcons even named a Humanitarian Award after him that they give out every year. Not bad for a 5'11" linebacker. This guy had the heart of a lion and is and was everything you want in a football player.
#2 Jamal Anderson
That's Jamal Anderson, not to be confused with the current Falcons player Jamaal Anderson. You know the guy that rat fink Bobby Petrino drafted instead of Darrelle Revis and/or Patrick Willis. Jamal is much like Jesse Tuggle in that he wasn't expected to make a splash in the NFL. He was drafted in the 7th round after playing at Utah by way of Moorpark College. I'm not even going to mention Jamal getting busted last year for snorting coke off of a public restroom at the Peachtree Tavern last year because while shocking it's less offensive to me than Keith Brooking getting 2 tackles against the Falcons and talking shit like he owned us or Deion doing victory laps around the dome or Jeff George just being a douche bag in general). In 1998 Dan Reeves rode him hard for an NFL record 410 times (Larry Johnson broke this record in 2006 and you see where it got him!). Jamal is actually one of the guys that I think led to split carries and dual backfields. I wish Dan would have thought of that so that he could have prolonged Jamal's career. He ran for 1,846 yards in the Falcons improbable 14-2 Super Bowl season. He was the guts and heart of the offense. He and Jesse where responsible for some great memories for me and my Dad during that almost magical season.
#3 William Andrews
He is the first running back that I remember associating with the Atlanta Falcons. I won't even hold it against him that he went to Auburn. The Falcons have had some great running backs over the years (Andrews, Jamal Anderson, Gerald Riggs, Michael Turner, Warrick Dunn) but Andrews was the first one that I remember watching. He was a 4 time Pro Bowl selection before a knee injury took him out (much like Jamal Anderson). He was one of the first running backs to gain 1,000 yards in his first three seasons (his peers are Earl Campbell and Tony Dorsett, not bad). I have a really bad memory but I can still picture him and Jamal Anderson running guys over as they ran downfield.
#4 Billy "White Shoes" Johnson
He only played for the Falcons from 1982-1987 but I remember him being electric. He was drafted in the 15th round of the 1977 draft by the Houston Oilers (maybe there is something about me and guys who get drafted really low or not at all). He was a Pro Bowler in 1983 and also won the Comeback Player of the Year. He broke the all-time record for Punt Returns while playing for the Falcons in 1985. He had great hands, great speed and great moves. He was the type of player you couldn't turn away from. This one is more of a sheer enjoyment from watching him play than from a productivity and success stand point.
#5 Steve Bartkowski
I don't really remember him too much but I remember that as a little munchkin I had his jersey and that says a lot to me because I can't remember any other jersey I've ever had. Well I did get a free Michael Vick jersey from work. That's anunpaid for MV7 jersey not one that actually was in favoring of "freeing" him from jail. He put together a solid career. Wikipedia tells me he's one of only 8 QBs to sling consecutive 30 TD seasons (the other 7 are Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Dan Fouts, Jeff Garcia, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Y.A. Tittle. Pretty good company). One of the most memorable plays in Falcons history was a game winning Hail Mary against the 49ers from Bartkowski to Billy "White Shoes" Johnson that was deflected before it got to the end zone and White Shoes had to dive it into the end zone. Outside of the win over the Vikings in the NFC Championship game it might be the most memorable win in Falcon history.
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