The Scale of Falconliness, Inside Linebackers Week: Jessie Tuggle

by Jason Kirk on Sep 7, 2010 1:00 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. The rule: minimum of three seasons with the Falcons for coaches, five seasons for players.

If the Spirit leads you to vote 9, that's between you and the Spirit. But don't vote Hammer a 9 just because you know who's on deck for Thursday. Vote with your heart.

Jessie Tuggle, Inside Linebacker (1987 - 2000)

Falconly

Unfalconly

14 years as a Falcon, 209 games played -- both third all-time and first among non-offensive-linemen. Until his last season, missed only three games.
Five Pro Bowls, tied for second among all Falcons.
1997 Falcons Player of the Year.
More tackles than any other Falcon of the recorded-tackles era. 694 more, in fact, but recorded tackles from the early '90s need to be taken with a grain of stat salt. More sacks and forced fumbles than any Falcons non-lineman, and at least those stats are hard to screw up. Three more defensive touchdowns than any other Falcon -- second all-time among all NFL players in fumble return touchdowns. Three different sites claim he holds the NFL record for most tackles in a decade, but I don't know about all that. Holds the top five single-season tackle totals in Falcons history, if you're into that kind of thing.
#58: retired. Inaugural Ring of Honor member. Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
1998 NFC Champion, 1991 .
In 2000, the Packers offered him a larger contract than the Falcons did, but he chose to retire in Atlanta. (See, this is why I put stuff like "Played for the Packers for one year" in the right column on all these things.)
Born in Griffin, Georgia. College Hall of Famer at Valdosta State -- in fact, he's the best athlete in the history of Valdosta, Georgia, which was named the winningest sports town in America by ESPN (see Hammer presenting/accepting the trophy made up by the Mothership for whatever this contest was all about).
Lives in Duluth, Georgia. I think. Still hangs around Valdosta for stuff like this and the Branch for stuff like this. Does Atlanta charity stuff. Attended Friday Night Lights a few weeks ago with Ball Hawk and me. That last sentence was worded deceptively.
Not afraid to make drastic fashion sacrifices in service of Falcondom.
Debate his Falconliness all you'd like, but you cannot dispute his Atlantaliness. Here he is conducting the pinnacle of all Atlanta activities: complaining about Atlanta traffic to the AJC.
His son Justin briefly started at quarterback for Boston College, which may remind you of somebody.
One year ago, The Falcoholic community voted him the greatest Falcon of all time, which makes this entire thing look kind of redundant, but it's not, and if you have five minutes I can explain why.

Current standings after the jump:

Poll

How Falconly is Jessie Tuggle?

1

5 votes

2

3 votes

3

1 votes

4

0 votes

5

0 votes

6

0 votes

7

1 votes

8

3 votes

9

14 votes

10

278 votes

305 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 29 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

The hammer!

If he played for any other team than he would’ve been a 1st ballot hall of famer.

by muuzilla on Sep 7, 2010 1:15 PM EDT reply actions

Seriously

Having a nickname like “The Hammer” should be worth the requisite votes by itself. I mean, he earned it, and people actually used it when talking about him. That really does say a lot.

by Bronn on Sep 7, 2010 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ve been saying all along that I was saving my “10” vote for Tommy Nobis, but I was wrong. I can’t imagine a more Falconly Falcon.

Also, I want a t-shirt like he’s wearing in the “fashion sacrifices” photo.

by Mad Molecule on Sep 7, 2010 2:12 PM EDT reply actions

My all time favorite Falc...

DAMN any Falcons fan who doesn’t give him at least a 9 and DANG any Falcons fan who doesn’t give him a 10….

I have no vampire experience, but I have hunted werewolves. I shot one once, but by the time I got there, it had turned back into my neighbor's dog.

by Heath13 on Sep 7, 2010 2:22 PM EDT reply actions

About as Falconly as they come

As good a role model as the Falcons have ever had, and one hell of a LB. If Nobis was a 10 in those areas, Jesse was at least a 9.5.

I used to work with his cousin at Home Depot, who had that same huge ear-to-ear smile… :)

by tom slick on Sep 7, 2010 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

Still my favorite Falcon of all time

Perfect 10 for Tuggle.

by Dave Choate on Sep 7, 2010 3:25 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed.

Mine, too. 10.

"You can't print what I said, but they have to catch us." - Chipper Jones

by Jman781 on Sep 7, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Be honest

who flew past the list of achievements and clicked 10 immediately?

by Rummy328 on Sep 7, 2010 3:48 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Me

"You can't print what I said, but they have to catch us." - Chipper Jones

by Jman781 on Sep 7, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Guilty as charged.

I watched him (most) every week. “Achievements? We dont need no stinking achievements!”

How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?

by AnOldBird on Sep 7, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Aww crap!

I thought I was voting him “#1” instead of the scale from 1-10. Just assume that vote for 1 is a vote for 10, because I screwed up.

"I talked about retirement a little bit, but told them I'd be the same ol' grumpy, pissed off guy." --Bobby Cox

MMA For Real

by Anthony Pace on Sep 7, 2010 3:54 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

I'm gonna vote you a "10" for honesty, and a "1" for technical prowess...

I have no vampire experience, but I have hunted werewolves. I shot one once, but by the time I got there, it had turned back into my neighbor's dog.

by Heath13 on Sep 7, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions

me too

"It's here, it's here, it's finally here" :Strongbad on football season

by southman on Sep 7, 2010 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions

lol

He’s always open. He catches a lot of balls. He’s un-guardable, no matter how old he is

by WarWolf on Sep 8, 2010 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Gotta Agree...

With Dave. The Hammer was always my favorite player in the years of his career that I was actually watching and paying attention to football.

Solid 10.

by XBEARDX on Sep 7, 2010 4:15 PM EDT reply actions

my favorite all time falcon

he has perhaps the best linebacker name of all time, except for dick butkus of course

You're a towel

by CoxXx on Sep 7, 2010 4:45 PM EDT reply actions

10

Heart, soul, talent, and the eyes of a killer.

Loved watching 58 knock himself silly.

How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?

by AnOldBird on Sep 7, 2010 4:47 PM EDT reply actions

For those voting 9...

What did he do wrong?

"You can't print what I said, but they have to catch us." - Chipper Jones

by Jman781 on Sep 7, 2010 4:50 PM EDT reply actions

They meant to hit 10

but got so excited about the thought of voting a 10 for The Hammer, it caused them to miss.

"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 Sep 7, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions

he could be the ultimate falcon

so give him a perfect 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"It's here, it's here, it's finally here" :Strongbad on football season

by southman on Sep 7, 2010 5:29 PM EDT reply actions

I keep saying...

…I’ve reserved Tens for three guys. I’ve burned two of them. 9 is not a bad score at all.

by johnnybacardi on Sep 7, 2010 6:25 PM EDT reply actions

Let me guess...

You’re saving #3 for Quentin McCord?

"You can't print what I said, but they have to catch us." - Chipper Jones

by Jman781 on Sep 7, 2010 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions

NO

All right, Harmon Wages. You dragged it out of me.

by johnnybacardi on Sep 7, 2010 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions

The greatest Falcon player ever!

In my opinion and also a great person and father off the field.Will always remember the “Hammer” laying the wood to one of those helpless running backs and watching them wobble after they try to stand up..lol Hope they make a dvd of his greatest hits someday…

by SteveD on Sep 7, 2010 8:22 PM EDT reply actions

He is one of my pre-ordained "10's."

Played here his whole career? Check.
Stuck around afterwards to be falconly? Check.
Hardly ever missed a game? Check.
Made opponents cry because of his awesomeness? Check.

Bart, Nobis, Tuggle, Kenn. Hell – William Andrews gets an honorable mention since he did everything except last a long time.

My son has just started playing football. I need to collect Tuggle tapes to show him how a tackle is made.

by Mnemonic on Sep 8, 2010 12:05 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Tuggle was a good one

He’s always open. He catches a lot of balls. He’s un-guardable, no matter how old he is

by WarWolf on Sep 8, 2010 7:14 PM EDT reply actions

ive been waiting and now i get to give my sole 10

by JustJones on Sep 8, 2010 11:24 PM EDT reply actions

This poll wasn't even needed

Your post could have been titled: “Jessie Tuggle” The body: “10.” No one would have argued.

"Everybody talks about SEC speed. The 27 fastest guys at the (NFL) combine, how many of them were from the SEC? Three. But if you say it enough, everybody will believe it."
-CPJ

"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.

by Jesse28 on Sep 9, 2010 7:39 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs