A conversation with Falcons Hall of Famer Humphrey
Claude Humphrey will become the first player to play the majority of his NFL career — 11 of 14 years — with the Falcons to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio.
For Humphrey, 70, the Falcons’ all-time sack leader, it was an uphill climb in part because the team’s history of losing during his era. He retired from the NFL in 1981 and was an unsuccessful Hall of Fame finalist in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and fell short as a senior candidate in 2009.
» Read the exclusive conversation with the Falcons Hall of Famer on MyAJC.com
Humphrey discusses everything from what he expects from the experience Saturday to what position he actually wanted to play on the gridiron.
He also opens up on the evolution of the sack as a key football stat and how the 122 sacks he is credited with may not be accurate.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
