The Scale of Falconliness: Claude Humphrey

by Jason Kirk on Jun 23, 2010 1:21 PM EDT in The Scale of Falconliness

Who's the ultimate Falcon? And who's the ultimate anti-Falcon? That's what we're going to find out with our summer project: the Scale of Falconliness. We'll rate former Falcons on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most Falconly.

Quite frankly, there's a LOT going on around here at the moment -- podcast episodes, fantasy leagues, the SB Nation Atlanta launch (and launch party), interviews, and recovering from USA-Algeria (GOAAAAAAAL!) plus our regularly scheduled programming -- so I'm going to throw out another easy one.

Claude Humphrey, DE (1968 - 1978)

Falconly

Unfalconly

Ten seasons as a Falcon.
1968 Rookie of the Year, recording 11.5 sacks.
Five-time first-team All Pro, three-time second-team All Pro, six-time Pro Bowler -- all with the Falcons.
Five consecutive Pro Bowls, the most in team history.
In his first seven seasons, only missed two games.
1976 Falcons team MVP, recording 15 sacks after missing entire 1975 season.
Team-leading pass rusher for nine of his 13 NFL seasons.
Guest-starred in an episode of Dukes of Hazzard.
Georgia Sports Hall of Famer.
Falcons Ring of Honor member.
94.5 sacks, the all-time Falcons leader.
Credited with 126.5 total sacks, more than any two other Falcons combined, and good enough for 12th in league history. (Though sacks weren't an official stat until after he retired -- so he may have had even more than 126.5.)
Four-time Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.

Played last three years for the Eagles, and played very well. (In his defense, he was traded to Philadelphia.)
EDIT 6/23 7:30pm: "'Being with the Eagles was the way I thought football was going to be,' says Humphrey. 'I played in a game where I got four sacks in Atlanta and nobody said anything about it.'" Via this, via zooker.

Current standings after the jump:

Poll

How Falconly is Claude Humphrey?

1

7 votes

2

1 votes

3

1 votes

4

1 votes

5

4 votes

6

1 votes

7

25 votes

8

29 votes

9

53 votes

10

87 votes

209 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Voted him a 9. Would’ve been a 10 but for two things:

First, he played for another team. Not his fault, but still.

Second, 10 is reserved for Tommy Nobis.

by Mad Molecule on Jun 23, 2010 3:19 PM EDT reply actions

Before my time but

I gave him a 9 simply due to the fact he was on an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard.

If I had a nickel for everytime someone told me I should shutup, I'd probably have 5 or 6 bucks.

by pchaucer on Jun 23, 2010 3:39 PM EDT reply actions

Were you planning on giving him a 1?

You’re right – Dukes of Hazzard does rock!

"It's called Thanksgiving for a reason. If I can give and people thank me for it, that's kind of the thing that makes me feel great inside." - Dunta

by TomQ on Jun 23, 2010 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Well

Claude was a beast. The one guy on the team you didnt want to be hit by. He would take your head off if you gave him the chance. Especially if you were a QB. My only problem is that once he was traded to the Beagles that he started making negative comments about being in Atlanta and even that the fans were not behind him while he was here. I have to call total BS on that one Claude. I was a kid, but I was there and the fans were behind you 100 percent.

Life is a garden. Dig it!

by Hardcore Falcon on Jun 23, 2010 4:03 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah I loved Claude as a kid

but soured on him after he left. This quote is from the where are they now article on the Eagles website

“Being with the Eagles was the way I thought football was going to be,” says Humphrey. "I played in a game where I got four sacks in Atlanta and nobody said anything about it. And then I got up to Philadelphia and got in a game and got four sacks and got the game ball, got my picture on the front of the paper, got to go out to eat dinner for being player of the week.

“The people in Philadelphia, I thought they loved me. In Atlanta, shoot, people didn’t even hardly know who I was and I was going out and getting two or three sacks a game and picking up fumbles.

by zooker on Jun 23, 2010 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Claude Who???

Van Damme was a Falcon?

by Falcons1133 on Jun 24, 2010 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

A 9

Based primarily on the fact that he played for the eagles….

by mc29012 on Jun 23, 2010 7:59 PM EDT reply actions

This one is so a no brainer.

by DavidMB on Jun 23, 2010 8:18 PM EDT reply actions

Here are my 10's

Claude Humphrey, Jeff Van Note, Steve Bartkowski, Tommy Nobis and Jessie “The Hammer” Tuggle!!!!
On a side note, the least Falcony person in the entire world is Jim Mora Jr.!

by FalconsFan721 on Jun 23, 2010 8:53 PM EDT reply actions

Nice

I would add Terrance Mathis to that list. He is only the teams leading reciever in just about every category.

Life is a garden. Dig it!

by Hardcore Falcon on Jun 24, 2010 7:06 AM EDT up reply actions

what about MV7?

Live, .... for the possibility

by brotherbrown on Jun 25, 2010 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions

I gave a 9

I’ll be interested to see what happens with some polarizing candidates in the future, like say Dan Reeves.

by Dave Choate on Jun 23, 2010 9:11 PM EDT reply actions

Or Chris Chandler

by Jman781 on Jun 24, 2010 7:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I have a brand new Chandler away jersey!!!

I only wiped my rear with it a handful of times… anyone want it?

Life is a garden. Dig it!

by Hardcore Falcon on Jun 24, 2010 7:10 AM EDT up reply actions

others

Keith Brooking
Jeff George (stop gap)
Glanville (both stints) and June Jones
Harvey Dahl (in the future)
JA32
JA55
The notorious MeAngelo Hall (-9000)
Among others…

Live, .... for the possibility

by brotherbrown on Jun 25, 2010 1:21 AM EDT up reply actions

That quote by Humphrey makes me so sad. Someone so great that played for us didn’t even hardly get any recognition. There’s not really a whole lot to say about that other than it makes me sad. It’s a shame he feels that way about us. He’s in our Ring of Honor, isn’t he? We’ve at least given him SOME recognition now.

"Ryan, under center. Single receiver set, to either side. Ryan, gonna throw. First professional pass.....CAUGHT!! Jenkins! 30! 25! 20! 15! 10! 5! He lives in Atlanta!!!" -Wes Durham

by Zippo729 on Jun 24, 2010 3:16 AM EDT reply actions

true

I feel sorry for him that he didnt recognize how loved he was as a Falcon. I find it rather odd that he felt that way too based on what I saw on Tv and at the few games I got to go to.

Life is a garden. Dig it!

by Hardcore Falcon on Jun 24, 2010 7:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I think that perception is changing

I haven’t been around long enough to really know, but it seems to me that even the Falcons themselves underrated the Atlanta fanbase for years.

by Dave Choate on Jun 24, 2010 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I would agree with that

Life is a garden. Dig it!

by Hardcore Falcon on Jun 24, 2010 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions

7

Loved watching him play as a teen, but I do remember him mouthing off like the quote above after he went to Philly. Can’t say that I blame him all that much, I’m sure it was frustrating, and I’d bet he wishes he could take that back now…but he still said it, and that diminishes him somewhat to me.

by johnnybacardi on Jun 29, 2010 9:57 AM EDT reply actions