One of the more storied careers in Falcons’ lore has come to an end.
Center Todd McClure, who labored in the trenches of the NFL for 13 seasons and 197 games, plans to file his retirement papers with the league office.
“It’s going to be different not putting on cleats, the shoulder pads and going out there on the field, but it’s something that I’m looking forward to,” McClure told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. “I’ve got four kids and my wife. It’s time to move on to the next chapter.”
He will announce his retirement at a news conference after the league owner’s meeting March 17-20. Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted to make sure that McClure and his family could attend his official send-off.
“That made me feel really good,” McClure said.
McClure was drafted in seventh round (237th overall) of the 1999 draft. He missed his rookie season with a knee injury, but in 2000 he cracked the starting lineup.
McClure, an Alex Gibbs disciple, won battle after battle to retain his job and stayed as the center through four coaching administrations, playing for coaches Dan Reeves, Jim Mora, Bobby Petrino and Mike Smith.
He was one of the more popular Falcons because of his gritty style of play.
“Man, that’s going to be the hardest part, missing the guys in the locker room I formed relationships with, and at times we’ve been as close as brothers because you’re out there with them five or six days a week,” McClure said. “The conversations that you have with those guys, while you’re sitting around the locker room after a practice or after a game is what I’m going to miss the most.”
McClure reflected on some of the highlights of his career.
“For me, I guess my first big highlight was when we went up to Lambeau Field and we beat the Packers (in the 2002 season), when it had never been done before in the playoffs,” McClure said. “We went up there and beat them. That was pretty big and special.”
The Falcons went to the NFC Championship game in the 2004 season.
“Then the game against the St. Louis Rams that got us into the NFC Championship game with coach Mora,” McClure said. “We had a ton of yards rushing on the ground that game, that was pretty special.”
In 2010, McClure made his 129th consecutive start, breaking a club record held by linebacker Keith Brooking, who made 128 consecutive starts for Atlanta before moving on to Dallas after the 2008 season.
McClure signed a modest one-year contract to continue playing last season. He started 17 of 18 games and helped the Falcons reach the NFC championship for the second time during his tenure.
“Beating Seattle to get to the NFC championship game again and the fashion that it happened and the way we did it, has to be in the top highlights for me,” McClure said. “The feeling after that game was just unbelievable.
McClure is still trying to come to grips with the 28-24 loss to San Francisco in the NFC championship game on Jan. 20.
“I still haven’t gotten over this last game,” McClure said. “It was real tough for me to take. It’s still going to be a while before I get over it.”
The Falcons have drafted centers Joe Hawley and Peter Konz in recent drafts. Konz, a second-round pick in 2012, served as McClure’s main backup last season and figures to takeover.
McClure believes the Falcons, who have reached the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, will continue to thrive.
“I think with the right moves and the right people being brought in, that team will be ready to go back (to the playoffs),” McClure said.
McClure has been preparing himself for retirement. In addition, to playing taxi driver for the kids, he raises bucking bulls and has an interest in a construction company.
“There’s always something to do there,” McClure said of the bucking-bull farm. “We have a construction company that I’m part owner in that’s really taken off for us here lately. Between that and taking the kids to school and baseball practice and football and basketball, I’m going to be pretty busy.”
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