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DEL.ICIO.USEarly Bird Humphrey got all the sacks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Claude Humphrey is a candidate for sports immortalization again this year, his second time and the first long-term, authentic Falcons player to reach such heights. That means he is among the final 14 players to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the austere body of selectors gets together in Detroit on Super Bowl weekend. One coach is on the list as well, but I trust that John Madden is mainly for window dressing, or maybe honorary chef, or the only nominee who spends half his life on a bus.
Humphrey was drafted by the Falcons out of Tennessee State in 1968, when they were bottom-feeding. His specialty was devouring quarterbacks, and after all these seasons and all the avaricious defensive linemen who have passed this way, he still is the team’s all-time leader in sacks, by a mile. (Sacks did not become an official NFL stat until after he retired.) He couldn’t have arrived in Atlanta at a more tumultuous time, playing for a string of coaches marching to their doom.
Norb Hecker was about to be fired, to be succeeded by Norm Van Brocklin, then Marion Campbell, then Pat Peppler, then Leeman Bennett. Humphrey was at least able to play on the Falcons’ first two winning teams under Van Brocklin before Rankin Smith fired the Dutchman and ducked. After the switch, the Falcons won only 11 games over the following three seasons before Bennett was brought in and righted the ship.
There were complications, though. Under the coaches prior to Bennett, Humphrey had the green light to dismember opposing quarterbacks. Bennett installed a more regimented defense, moving the ends out and opening lanes for blitzing, which led to the glorified “Gritz Blitz,” allowing opponents only 129 points, still a team record. That restricted Humphrey’s access to quarterbacks, and though he still managed 10 sacks, after four games the following season he walked into Bennett’s office and said, “I’m going home.” In his Hall of Fame bio, it is referred to as “temporary retirement,” but in truth, he just plain quit.
He explained his discomfort this way: “For years we were mostly concerned with rushing the passer, leaving the run to tackles and linebackers. Now I’m staying at home, taking care of a particular responsibility. It was a complete unlearning process, forgetting everything I’d done over the past nine years.”
Campbell, meanwhile, had landed in Philadelphia, coaching the Eagles’ defense. Humphrey knew where he wanted to be, the Eagles traded two fourth-round draft choices to get him and there he resumed his assault on quarterbacks. In 1980, Humphrey sacked 15 and he and the Eagles were on their way to the Super Bowl, which they lost to Oakland. So, in the end, the Falcons share Humphrey with the Eagles in his quest for a place in Canton.
There are two in the Hall of Fame who did time with the Falcons, but in the mop-up stage of their careers. Tommy McDonald led Falcons receivers in 1967, his final season, with 33 catches, and Eric Dickerson gained 91 yards in 1993 on his way to sunset. But after all these seasons, the Falcons have only one they can claim as their own to reach this stage, and this is Humphrey’s last time around before he passes on to the Veterans Committee. There have been preliminary nominees before, Tommy Nobis, Mike Kenn and Jeff Van Note, and Dan Reeves as coach, but neither survived beyond that stage.
It’s an illustrious cast of linemen that Humphrey faces in the Detroit election, L.C. Greenwood, Russ Grimm, Bob Kuchenberg and Gary Zimmerman, all who have been there a number of times before; the late Reggie White, making his first appearance, and Rayfield Wright, the veteran Dallas Cowboy from Griffin, making his last as the choice of the Veterans Committee. Offhand, White, Greenwood and Wright would appear to be at the head of the class with impressive postseason credentials.
It might not be considered easy for a coach to speak favorably of a player who walked out on him, but Leeman Bennett still regards Humphrey as “as good a defensive end as I ever saw.” That puts the final verdict in the hands of the 36 delegates who go to the polls on Super Bowl eve.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Furman Bisher
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By Scott
January 28, 2006 06:40 PM | Link to this
I think Humphrey deserves to be voted in. I watched him for years and he was just good.
On a side note I recently saw you Furman Bisher at a book signing in Lenox Square.
Enjoy your writings over the years.
Always respectable and intelligent sports thoughts.
By Matthew
January 28, 2006 06:49 PM | Link to this
I could have been an NFL Hall of Famer if I hadn’t hurt my knees.
If he never won a Super Bowl how can he be all that great or deserving of a spot in the Hall Of Fame. Claude Humphrey is nothing but the Dan Marino or Peyton Manning of defensive linemen. A good player but one who can’t do it in the big game when it counted. The obly way I could have been an NFL Hall of Famer if I hadn’t hurt my knees.
The only way Claude Humphrey would deserve to be in the Hall of Fame would be if he was cleaning the windows.
By larry w.
January 28, 2006 09:24 PM | Link to this
Last time I checked, winning super bowls was not a prerequisite to being voted into the hall. I watched every game that Humphrey played as a Falcon, and he was one of the two best defensive ends in pro football(Deacon Jones being the other) in his time. Throughout the history of the Falcons, ther are four players that I feel are deserving of Hall of Fame status. Tommy Nobis, Claude Humphrey, Jeff Van Note, and Mike Kenn. These four guys were all in the top two or three at their positions when they played.
By Kevin
January 29, 2006 12:34 AM | Link to this
The person who needs be in Hall of fame is tommy nobis……he done more for people here in area of state n find jobs. he the Original falcon so Nobis be in football hall of fame.at least he no do drugs Like L.T. Taylor u know coke he did…he not be in hall …
By Falcon 4 LIFE
January 29, 2006 01:26 AM | Link to this
Matthew you have no clue what you are talking about. I wish you would just STOP with your “no it all” negativity.
By Falcon 4 Life
January 29, 2006 01:28 AM | Link to this
I mean to say “KNOW IT ALL” not “no it all” but I guess that would have been corrected.
By T 2 the D
January 29, 2006 07:26 AM | Link to this
Claude was dominating on that ‘77 team that holds the record that will never be broken.HOF’er? Nah.
By taco slammer
January 29, 2006 08:00 PM | Link to this
Both Humphrey and Nobis should be in. They shined continuously on miserable teams. Fact is the organization they played with are costing them a seat in the Hall. Had either been with the Steelers or Cowboys, they would both be in.