Former Falcons defensive end Claude Humphrey will become the first player to play the majority of his career — 11 of 14 seasons — with team to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio.
For Humphrey, 70, the Falcons’ all-time sack leader, the decades-long wait finally is over.
It was an uphill climb for Humphrey, in part because the Falcons’ 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 in 2009 as a senior candidate.
The enshrinement will be bittersweet for Humphrey because his wife, Sandra, died and won’t be there to see the enshrinement, but he’s all ready to put on his yellow jacket.
“Whatever you say about Claude is not enough,” said Jerry Glanville, who was an assistant coach for the Falcons during part of Humphrey’s career.
“Really, because what he was as a player, he was even greater as a person. And what he was, with his greatness as a person and a player, his wife was even better. They were a heck of a combination.”
Here’s the second installment of a two-part conversation with Humphrey:
Q: What was your fondest memory from your days with the Falcons?
A: Well, I remember that the best thing to ever happen to the Falcons was Jerry Glanville coming there. I didn't understand him when he first arrived. It took a little while for me to get into coach Jerry Glanville, but he made us win. They talk about Buddy Ryan, but Glanville was the first one to load the box. He put six guys in the box and all of that. Buddy Ryan took his team (1985 Bears) to the Super Bowl, and of course he got all of the publicity for it. But Jerry Glanville was doing that stuff in the '70s. … We'd put more players up there than the other team could block.
Q: Was that style of defense fun to play?
A: We'd just run through there and get on the quarterback. It was a fun season for me until he made me start dropping off to cover the tight end. It was a fun thing for me. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed playing in the system for him. They finally ended up naming it "The Grits Blitz." That's some that Georgia stuff. I didn't get that, but what can I say.
Q: Do you follow the game today? Do you like how they play the defensive ends in today’s game?
A: You know, I've got to be prejudice because I think during our time, it was tougher because they could double-team you. Sometimes, they'd even triple-team you. Sometimes, they'd have a tight end block down on you, a tackle block you and then the running back would come and cut you. They had all of these different methods to block you to keep you off balance. Now days, it's just the offensive tackle against the defensive end. They don't try to double-team him. A guy blocking can't come off and block somebody else. He has to stay with the person that he's blocking. Man, I would have had a field day. That would have been like recess. It would have been great. Things have changed. I see it a little bit differently from the way other people see it. I understand that. That's just the way it is. It just seems like it's easier now to get to the quarterback than it was back in my day.
Q: What about all of the running quarterbacks now?
A: I wouldn't mind that. Only Fran Tarkenton had a way of getting around me. All the rest of the quarterbacks, I didn't care if they tried to run or not. It would be better for me if they ran.
Q: Who are some of your favorite old Falcons teammates?
A: Ken Reaves was my first roommate that I had with the Falcons. Then of course, Jim Mitchell and I were great roommates together. George Kunz and I used to have great battles out there. All of those guys. Ray Brown later on in my career.
Q: What were you like in the locker room?
A: I think I got along with everybody. Even with the guys on the offense. … I didn't have any kind of problems with my teammates. I think I pretty much got along with everybody. When Jim Mitchell and I got together as roommates, we didn't have any problems with anybody.
Q: What are your thoughts on your wife, Sandra, not being able to witness this moment?
A: It will be emotional. It’s been emotional since the day that they told me that I’d made the Hall of Fame. She was my inspiration. She was my (public relations) person. She was my wife. A mother for my children. She was just everything in the Humphrey household. I just miss her tremendously. It’s going to be hard. I’m going to try to maintain myself up there when talking about her, but it’s going to be hard. I met Mrs. Humphrey when she was a sophomore and I was a junior in high school. We’ve been together since. There has not been a separation. The only thing that separated us is that she went to be with the Lord.
