Ken Reaves should be inducted into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor
By Joe Beasley
The Atlanta Falcons greats continue to be ignored locally and nationally.
The Atlanta Falcons have had their fair share of studs on the defensive side of the ball. Names like Tommy Nobis, Claude Humphrey, and Jessie Tuggle come to mind.
One that is often ignored is Atlanta Falcons great Ken Reaves.
The former Atlanta Falcons defensive back was a star in his own right. Reeves made only one Pro Bowl in his career which is a shame because he had multiple seasons in which he recorded at least six interceptions.
One of those seasons was his second year in the league, his first as a full-time starter with a career-high seven interceptions.
Reaves was apart of the Falcons inaugural draft class in1966, the same draft in which the Falcons selected Nobis. Reeves was a fourth-round pick and even in today’s age, he would have been a steal.
Before Humphrey came along, Reaves was the first African American superstar the Falcons had, leading the way for the likes of Humphrey, Tuggle, Deion Sanders, and Ray Buchanan
It’s easy to forget about such a great player like Reaves because not only was he overshadowed by both Nobis and Humphrey but the Falcons weren’t the best team in the league during those days. The Falcons only won 39 games during his eight years with the franchise. Reaves was a key part of three defenses that were top 10 in the league and at the time the saving grace for the early Atlanta Falcons.
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Players like Gerald Riggs and William Andrews are in the Ring of Honor based off of a few great seasons. That’s not a jab at them because they were both great players. Reaves was as consistent as they come during the early years for the Atlanta Falcons and should be the 12th person inducted into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor.