Joe Hawley, who was drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round in 2010, was understandably emotional when the new regime released him.
He was coming back from knee surgery and needed a few more weeks to recover.
The Falcons decided to go with Mike Person, who had never played center in an NFL game, and backup James Stone. When they picked up center Gino Gradkowski on waivers, they released Hawley on Sept. 6.
He didn’t stay unemployed long as Tampa Bay, where former Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter landed, picked him up.
Hawley has started 9 of 10 games he’s played for the Bucs.
After five years of service, Hawley was stunned when he was released. He started 23 games and played in 57 for the Falcons.
Hawley feels the Falcons didn’t give him enough time to recover from his knee injury and compete for the starting job.
“I think they kind of used it as an excuse,” he said. “When I got here, I wasn’t 100 percent yet. But they gave me a chance.”
Hawley, who’s aware of the snapping issues that Person and Stone have had this season, was elated when the Bucs dumped the Falcons 23-20 in overtime at the Georgia Dome on Nov. 1.
“That was a great feeling,” he said. “That was my first time back in the Dome. Coming away with the (win), beating the team that let me go, that felt really good.”
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