What he did: Drafted in the seventh round with the 237th pick overall, Todd McClure never was supposed to be that good, especially after missing his entire rookie season when he tore his ACL in his right knee.
But for more than a decade, McClure was a warrior up front for the Falcons, taking over the center position his second season in 2000 and missing one game until he retired in 2012.
From Baton Rouge, La., McClure played at Central High School with his two brothers (Trey and Tanna). Two of those seasons his father (Leo) was his head coach and he played both tight end and defensive end. But he was told his only chance to play in college was at center so to get the tape for recruiters, McClure would start every game and play a series at center and then go back to his other positions.
McClure stayed very close to home for his four college years, going to LSU and saying, “I grew up a big LSU fan, and the only other college I would have gone to is Notre Dame, and they didn’t offer me.’’
His first three years with the Tigers were good ones for the team, with LSU going 7-4-1 in 1995, 10-2 in ’96 and 9-3 the following season. But as McClure became one of the top centers in the country his senior season, the team struggled under coach Gerry DiNardo. LSU finished 4-7 in ’98 and 2-6 in the SEC for the second consecutive season, McClure was named first-team All-SEC and also was tabbed as an All-American by the American Football Coaches Association as well as making the Outland Trophy watch list.
In the ’99 NFL Draft, he was expected to go as early as the third round, but fell to the Falcons in the seventh. Then he reported to training camp and on his third day tore his ACL and thought his career may be over.
But while his rehabilitation was long and tedious, McClure made it back in 2000 and midway through the season got his first start at center and would never look back, starting 195 games in 14 seasons for the Falcons.
One of his more memorable moments came in postseason of the 2004 season, when he anchored an offensive line that collected 327 rushing yards in a win over St. Louis. It was the fourth-highest total for postseason rushing yards in NFL history.
McClure’s last win as a Falcon came in the memorable playoff victory over Seattle in 2012 at the Georgia Dome before the final game of his career the next week in the NFC Championship game, a loss to San Francisco. The Falcons then decided to go with the recently drafted Peter Konz at center and McClure retired and during his news conference, owner Arthur Blank said he looked forward to seeing No. 62 some day join the Falcons’ Ring of Honor.
Where he lives: McClure, now 38, lives in Baton Rouge with his wife, Heidi. They have been married 17 years and have four children: Maverick (14), Ryann (12), Riley (11) Madden (8).
What he does now: McClure owns a construction company and raises bucking bulls on his ranch outside Baton Rouge.
On playing for his father in high school: "My father had been coaching college and came back and coached me my freshman and sophomore years. My brothers and I were all playing football, basketball and baseball and while he was tough on us, he knew how to get the best out of us. I remember a college coach going to my father and telling him the only way I was going to play college football was at center, and in high school I was a tight end and defensive end. So to make it happen and get the tape I needed to go to college, I would start every game at center, play one series and that was it. It worked.''
On playing at LSU: "It was really a no-brainer considering how big a fan I was. I did love Notre Dame though. The thing about LSU was I really believe our group was the one that started getting the program going in the right direction. When I left, Nick Saban came in and then took it to the next level. I played with a lot of good players there, including Booger McFarland.''
On being a seventh-round draft pick: "I thought I was going higher, but I think what it came down to was my height. Being 6-1 and three-quarters certainly didn't help me.''
On tearing his ACL in his training camp: "I really thought I was done, but I had a lot of support from the team and made it through. It was very difficult.''
On missing only one game in 13 seasons: "I will tell you why I think I was able to do that. It was all about staying away from the weight room when the season was over. I didn't touch a weight until I came back to training camp. Now, I was on my ranch doing a lot of manual labor, but I really believe your body can only take so much.''
On snapping to Michael Vick: "The thing about Michael was there were a lot of times when he made us look good, especially when we missed a block because he was gone. But there were a lot of times where you couldn't figure out where he was in the pocket.''
On his most memorable moments in Atlanta: "The win at Green Bay in the playoffs (2002) had to be one. We were the first (visiting) team to win a playoff game at Lambeau Field. The other has to be the Seattle victory in 2012. We came back and won that one, and I remember the city going crazy.''
On the championship-game loss to the 49ers: "It really hurt because it was my last game in the NFL, and we were what, 10 to 12 yards away from the Super Bowl?''
On retiring: "I wanted to play one more season, but the Falcons wanted to go with youth and Peter Konz. I could have played for another team, but I didn't want to pack up my family. I wasn't going to play for a paycheck and was satisfied with having played my entire career with the Falcons. A lot of players can't say that.''
On Blank's comment that he will eventually go into the Falcons Ring of Honor: "I look up at those jerseys hanging at the Dome and think if that happens it will be very special.''
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