Falcons Uniform History: The fruit of #17

Before Steve Bartkowski, there simply were not many good quarterbacks playing in Atlanta. Bob Berry might have been the closest thing to competence the Falcons had in that dark era, and he's clearly the best player to wear #17.

Berry arrived in Atlanta back in 1968 and served as the team's on-again, off-again starter for five seasons. His best run by far was a seven game stretch in 1969 where he tossed ten touchdowns against just two interceptions, which earned him a Pro Bowl berth. All told, he threw for 8,489 yards and 57 touchdowns in Atlanta, guiding the Falcons through a period of decent if not great play. He left after the 1972 season when the Falcons swapped him to the Vikings, and Bart would follow within three years.

Considering the era in which he played and the consistently mediocre teams surrounding him, Berry did a solid job for these Falcons, and certainly is light years beyond what they were consistently trotting out during the earliest epoch of Falcons football. Considering his biggest competition is Devin Hester (a fine 2014 season), Scott Fulhage (a solid punter who spent four years in Atlanta) and the immortal Tim Toone, he's the easy choice for #17.

Remember Bob Berry? Share your thoughts on his quarterbacking.