4 Falcons Alumni Among HOF Semifinalists
Andrew Hirsh
Throwback Thursday: Falcons Through the Years
This Throwback Thursday, we're taking at look some of the Falcons greats as we continue to celebrate 50 seasons, presented by Equifax.
Wallace Francis (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
William Andrews (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Tommy Nobis (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Steve Bartkowski (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Deion Sanders (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
David Archer (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Claude Humphrey (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Billy "White Shoes" Johnson (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Alfred Jackson (photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
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Earlier this week, the NFL announced that Falcons alumni Morten Andersen, Michael Kenn, Clay Matthews Jr. and Chris Hinton have been named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
Andersen, 56, played 25 years in the NFL and 13 with Atlanta. The Denmark native is best known for his game-winning kick in the 1998 NFC Championship Game, which sent the Falcons to their first Super Bowl appearance. In 2006, during his second stint in Atlanta, he became the all-time NFL leader in points and field goals made. In his final season before retiring at 47 years old, Andersen made 25 of 28 field goals—a 89.3 percent success rate, the best of his illustrious career.
Andersen was named to seven Pro Bowls, six All-Pro teams and the All-Decade teams for the 1980s and 1990s.
Kenn, 60, was drafted by the Falcons in the first round (13th overall) of the 1978 draft. A powerful, consistent offensive tackle, the University of Michigan product spent all of his 17 NFL campaigns with Atlanta and owns the franchise records for most games played and started (271).
Kenn was named to five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. The Falcons retired his No. 78 in 2008.
Hinton, 55, spent 13 years in the NFL and was a Falcon from 1990-93. The Baltimore Colts drafted him No. 4 overall in 1983; he was named to seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams.
Matthews, 60, was a Cleveland Brown from 1978-93 before joining the Falcons for the last three years of his NFL tenure. The hard-hitting linebacker was named to four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. He is the uncle of Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews.