4 Falcons, including Matt Ryan, to be honored for impact off the field

He snapped at veteran teammates. He told Roddy White to pipe down. He commanded the huddle — and hadn’t even gone through rookie hazing. Matt Ryan’s training camp — and first-play touchdown pass — in 2008 proved to Ovie Mughelli he was different.

Now, some 18 years later, they’ll be two of four honored Sept. 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the Pro Football Retired Players Association will hold its third annual banquet to recognize athletes who continue to make positive impacts, along with others who make significant contributions within the former player community.

“He’s got the heart of a champion,” Mughelli said about Ryan on Wednesday. “He’s a warrior. He never wanted to let us down, and I appreciated and respected that. And he does the same thing with his work in the community, his work in charity.”

Ryan and Mughelli join Falcons director of youth football and legends community Pedro Salgado and former Falcons safety and Braves outfielder Brian Jordan in Atlanta’s inaugural class.

“It’s a pretty tremendous group,” PFRPA board chair Darrell Thompson said.

The PFRPA, which has over 10,000 members, creates benefits, programs and initiatives for retired NFL players.

Part of the PFRPA’s efforts is the Greater Good Fund, a charitable foundation that provides dental and vision insurance, something Mughelli said has made a significant impact on his and his wife’s lives.

“Most athletes have that bravado to where, ‘I’m fine. I’m good, I can do it,’ and they won’t take the help, especially if that help is something that’s an extra cost or burden,” Mughelli said. “But the fact PFRPA rolls it out for players, it’s so powerful because it says, ‘All right, well, I got to use it.’

“They do a great job of outreach as well, because if the guys don’t know it exists, then they can’t use it. So, they have a product. They’re doing the outreach, and they’re helping players be the best version of themselves.”

The PFRPA started doing banquets in 2024, designed to spread awareness to its mission and the value of its benefits for players. Green Bay hosted the first banquet two years ago and Houston held the second edition, honoring figures from the Packers and Texans organizations, respectively.

Now, it’s Atlanta’s turn. The city has the second-largest concentration of PFRPA members in the country, which Thompson said made it an appealing attraction for a tour that figures to, in the years ahead, make stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and more.

“Atlanta is one of the hubs for former players,” Thompson said.

PFRPA’s banquet, which takes place three days before the Falcons’ regular-season home opener, is open to the public. Tickets and additional information are available on the organization’s website, and proceeds from the banquet go to support the PFRPA Greater Good Fund.

“If there’s people that want to come that know any of the folks that are on our award list, or they just want to learn a little bit more about what we’re doing, we’d love to have them,” Thompson said.

Meet the honorees

Ryan started 222 regular-season games at quarterback across 14 seasons with the Falcons. Drafted No. 3 overall in 2008, he arrived with lofty expectations and left as the franchise’s all-time leader in all major passing categories. He’s now the Falcons’ president of football.

Off the field, Ryan, along with his wife, Sarah, founded ATL: Advance The Lives in 2020. According to PFRPA’s release, the program is designed to “alleviate structural barriers to Black youth success by working with after-school programs to increase the social capital of Black youth and their families.” Their primary target is Atlanta’s south and west sides.

Mughelli was the Falcons’ defending Walter Payton Man of the Year recipient when the team drafted Ryan. They were teammates for Ryan’s first four years in the NFL, a span in which Mughelli watched Ryan ascend not only to being a franchise quarterback but also a man well suited to make an impact off the field.

“He donated so much money, but it’s not just about the money,” Mughelli said. “It’s about his intention and his ability to bring people together.”

Mughelli played nine seasons in the NFL, including his final five in Atlanta. Across 107 regular-season games and 51 starts, he caught 62 passes for 490 yards and six touchdowns while rushing 42 times for 120 yards and an additional score.

A pre-med student when he attended Wake Forest, Mughelli’s initiatives center around healthcare, education and the environment. He’s on the boards of Communities In Schools of Atlanta, the Northside Hospital Foundation and the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Advisory Board.

When the Falcons needed 1 yard, they’d give the ball to Mughelli. They knew he leaned into adversity and contact and wanted the weight on his shoulders. He’s carried the same mentality into his life after football.

“That’s how I live,” Mughelli said. “Leaning into things that other people have trouble with so I can help.”

Jordan played for the Falcons from 1989-91 before spending 1992-2006 in MLB, a stint that included five years with the Braves. He made the MLB All-Star Game in 1999.

In 1998, Jordan launched the Brian Jordan Foundation in metro Atlanta, designed to help children grow both their minds and bodies. For local youth who are economically disadvantaged, the BJF gives access to education, literacy awareness, health education and financial assistance.

“Brian Jordan played baseball and football, which is — in high school, I was playing football, ran track, and did a little bit of basketball, too. But it’s a whole different thing to do it at the professional level,” Thompson said. “And also having his own foundation, his commitment to the community, we feel like he’s very, very deserving.”

Salgado holds a leadership role in supporting the Falcons’ retired players through initiatives geared toward strengthening engagement and opportunities. He also helps expand football access to youth and improves the team’s relationship within the youth and high school football community.

“I don’t think there’s anyone that’s more important to those coaches and the directors that run youth football in those leagues,” Thompson said.

Mughelli agreed.