The Atlanta Falcons are basically a factory for producing running backs in a way that would make Willie Wonka proud. You obviously have Bijan Robinson, and from there, the number of productive NFL running backs get less flashy, but it doesn't take away from the lineage the Falcons produced.
Devonta Freeman had a couple of good years, Michael Turner was a stud, and as we continue going backwards, Warrick Dunn, Jamal Anderson, Gerald Riggs, and William Andrews had their good seasons as well. But one of the most intriguing RBs in team history came before any of these guys.
Dave Hampton was a running back for the Falons in the 1970s, but he's also part of one of the wildest stories in franchise history. Hampton was with the team from 1972 to 1976, and was knocking on the door of 1,000 rushing yards multiple times, and that story has an ending Mike Lupica couldn't write.
Dave Hampton has one of the most intriguing stories in NFL history
The Falcons acquired Hampton from the Green Bay Packers in September of 1972, and quickly became their starting running back. In his first season in Atlanta, he recorded 995 rushing yards and led the NFL with 1,780 all-purpose yards, but the sad part of this story comes in their final game.
In 1972, Hampton was in line to become the first player in franchise history to surpass the 1,000-rushing yard threshold. In fact, he briefly did do so in their final game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs, but his place in the Dirty Birds' record books was unfortunately very short-lived.
In Week 14 against the Chiefs, Hampton was presented a trophy as the Falcons Player of the Year at halftime, but he didn't get to 1,000 rushing yards until early in the fourth quarter. When he did so, the game was paused, the crowd gave him a standing ovation, and teammates came out to honor him.
However, the field was icy that day, and he lost his place in franchise history just as quickly as he earned it. On his next rushing attempt, Hampton was tackled for a six-yard loss on his final carry of the game. So instead of his 1,000 rushing yards, he finished the season stuck at 995 rushing yards.
In the next season in 1973, the same story went down. In the Falcons' final game of the season against the New Orleans Saints, the Wyoming product needed 15 rushing yards to get to 1,000 on the year. And with less than two minutes left in the game, they tried to get him to break the milestone.
Atlanta consistently handed the ball to Hampton, but the Saints knew what was coming and keyed in on stopping him. He was still able to gain 12 yards, getting to 997 rushing yards on the season, but for the second straight season, Dave Hampton fell short of 1,000 rushing yards by the skin of his teeth.
The next season, his numbers were cut in half, but thankfully, this story does have a happy ending. In 1975, Hampton cleared a long-overdue hurdle and made Falcons franchise history, rushing for an impressive 1,002 yards and five scores, receiving the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Dave Hampton fought tooth and nail to make team history, and finally, after losing it all, his story with the Falcons ended the one way he'd hoped: with a place in the record books.
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