Through the best and worst seasons, Gordon Lee Whaley was known as one of the Atlanta Falcons’ most loyal fans.
In 49 seasons, he missed only four games – all of them because he had surgery. His fan fervor earned him a spot in the 2001 class of Visa Ultimate Fans.
“This is the biggest thing that ever happened to me in my life,” he said in a 2002 news article about the fan induction ceremony at the NFL Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Whaley of Grayson, who had a heart condition, died July 18 at Eastside Medical Center in Snellville. He was 75. His memorial service was July 22 at First Baptist Church of Snellville.
Born on April 21, 1940, the Atlanta native played football in high school.
After serving in the U.S. Navy, Whaley worked as a route supervisor for Sunbeam Bread Co., but he quit in 1979 after his boss refused his request for time off to go to a Falcons game in New Orleans, said his wife, Barbara Herring Whaley.
Whaley then took a job at Golden Flake Chip Co. and retired as a district manager in 2003. He later worked for 12 years as a greeter at Sam’s Club.
In his spare time, his passion was Falcons football. He had been a Falcons season ticket holder every year since the franchise’s inception in 1966.
“He loved football. He loved his work and he loved people,” his wife said.
When he and Barbara married in 1971, she said she initially had no interest in football until her husband won her over. “He explained the game to me and helped me to like football,” she said.
They both began saving vacation days to follow the Falcons on the road. Over the years, they visited every NFL stadium and met many Falcons coaches and players.
“We were the No. 1 fans. We would meet the team at the airport, win or lose,” his wife said.
Whaley’s devotion to the team has been featured in books and news articles. He’s among the NFL enthusiasts profiled in the book “Pro Football’s Most Passionate Fans.”
The couple often appeared on former coach Leeman Bennett’s Monday night show. Former team owner Rankin Smith gave Whaley and his wife ramp passes to visit the team after games. Smith also provided team draperies to decorate the Falcons room at his home, which also has been featured on television and in publications.
In 1977, defensive coach Jerry Glanville asked Whaley to come up with a name for the Falcons defense, his wife said. The Falcons defense that year held teams to a league-leading 129 points in a 14-game season. Whaley chose “The Grits Blitz.” Glanville liked the name and started using it in news interviews, his wife said.
The nickname was a hit among fans as well, Barbara said. “We sold caps and T-shirts with Grits Blitz. A lot of stores carried them. Sales were great,” she said.
In 1986, Whaley was among the fans profiled in a Falcons football program. In 2002, he became a member of the Pro Football’s Ultimate Fan Association after his induction into the Visa Hall of Fans a year earlier.
“I can say Gordon was a very dedicated Falcons fan that loved the team no matter if they were losing or winning,” said friend and neighbor Paul Jenkins of Grayson. “His legacy he leaves behind for me will be what a true fan, husband, friend, neighbor should be, in that he never gave up on you. No matter how hard or bad times were, Gordon would be right there cheering you on.”
In addition to his wife Barbara, Whaley is survived by his brother Steve Whaley of Oregon and his sisters Helen Walker of Locust Grove and Mary Barlow of Covington.
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