Ten Worst Atlanta Falcons Draft Picks: Aundray Bruce

by Dave Choate on Apr 13, 2011 10:00 PM EDT in Editorial

In this series of sponsored posts, we'll be looking at the ten worst and ten best Atlanta Falcons draft picks of all time. Let's start with the worst. Today's choice is former linebacker Aundray Bruce.

The Aundray Bruce Experiment might have turned out differently had he not been the first pick in the 1988 draft.

Bruce came out of Auburn with the weight of expectations heavy across his shoulders. The team was banking on him bringing his freakish physical talent to bear on unsuspecting running backs and quarterbacks the world over, and for one season it seemed like it would happen.

In 1988, Bruce posted six sacks and started every game, but problems began to manifest immediately. His remaining three years in Atlanta were a sharp downward trend, and the Falcons weren't shy about criticizing him for mental lapses, failure to pick up the playbook and routinely being out of position. By 1990, he was alternating between linebacker and tight end, and not doing well at either. The team lost faith with him, and after four seasons, he was gone.

The Falcons managed Bruce's career poorly, but it's equally true that he lacked motivation and never displayed the prowess that defined his college career. There's guilt on both sides, but it became apparent by his third season that Bruce was never going to become a star. A sobering truth, to say the least.

Given the struggles he overcame, it's sad that Bruce was never able to become the superstar many thought he would be. Bruce was serviceable over the course of an 11-year career, but he never approached the promise that comes attached to the first overall pick, and he was especially forgettable for the Falcons.

Given that, he's our second biggest draft bust of all time. Talk about Bruce here, and check out our sponsored message after the jump.

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He sure was!

by Caviarhound on Apr 13, 2011 10:03 PM EDT reply actions

Hate to keep bringing up old man tales

here but this pick is one that still bothers me a lot. Looking back on it he probably should have been tested for reading disabilities but it was ‘88. The Falcons took another “stud” linebacker at the top of the second round – USC’s Marcus Cotton. Of course both guys were busts, “turrible” busts. The guy who picked him was Marion Campbell was in his second term (I’m gonna be sick here) as Falcon coach. Dan Henning had been the coach coming off of his “genius” term as Redskins OC.

Rankin Smith was just hopeless and helpless as an owner. Don’t know how many people know this but he’d not hired Dan Reeves before Reeves went to Denver. Anyway overmatched again as usual hired Campbell again after firing Henning. Turns out the Redskins real genius was some guy named Gibbs.

So "stankin’ Rankin fires Campbell for the second time (he actually allowed Campbell to coach more games than he did the first time around. Hired Jerry Glanville to replace him. I was on a Delta flight before he hired Glanville and there was a passenger on who was a real history buff and we started talking Pearl Harbor. I see Bill Walsh on NBC after Glanville’s hiring. He was asked about it and said that he’d recommended that Atlanta hire one of his young guys. The history buff on the plane who’d been going to interview for the Falcon job which I wasn’t even interested in because you guys just can’t imagine what a F’ed up organization that was then. WAY WORSE than the Raiders are now. The guy Walsh said to hire? Some guy named Holmgren. Think I’ll go have that stroke now!

by FrozenFinger on Apr 13, 2011 10:40 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

The concensus first pick in 1988 was to be Tim Brown from Notre Dame.

He told reporters that he would not play for the Falcons, so they left him on the vine. The press for three years kept reporting this fact.

For the record, I was the one saying Aundray Bruce is the right guy in the right place at the rign time! His first few games he wore a collar to protect his neck from all the big hits he was going to deliver. Sigh

Who remembers the source of the quote, “Where’s my hat. I can’t shoot him without my hat”?
—AOb

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

by AnOldBird on Apr 14, 2011 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions