What Calais Campbell's 100 Sacks Represent for Atlanta Falcons

How Calais Campbell getting 100 sacks impacted the Atlanta Falcons locker room.

Dreams can come true. The Atlanta Falcons may have lost against the Washington Commanders, but on an individual scale, defensive end Calais Campbell accomplished something he’s worked over 16 years in the NFL to accomplish...getting 100 sacks.

“I love this game with all of my heart,” Campbell said. “Every time I play, I go out there and give it my heart, and to be able to go down in the history books that one hundred sack club is a cool thing I’ve dreamed about for a long time, to go and get 50 different quarterbacks too, that’s pretty surreal.” 

Since joining the league in 2008, Campbell has played at least 12 games every season and had just three seasons with less than five sacks total. Now, at the age of 37, he finally joined the illustrious club and is one of six active players with at least 100 sacks.

As for those 50 different quarterbacks he’s sacked, he’d like to retire their names in his trophy room.

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell has sacked 50 quarterbacks en route to his 100 career sacks / USA Today Sports

“It is cool to be able to spread out the physicality with all of the quarterbacks,” Campbell said. “I probably have to get a little thing set up when I get all of them. I can send them a jersey and see if they’ll sign it for me.”

Campbell is now tied for the 40th most sacks all time, a tremendous feat that included numerous accomplishments on the way, such as winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, being named a Pro Bowler six times, and being a three-time All-Pro.

“I think the best part about it was the genuine happiness all of my teammates had for me,” Campbell said. “Running around seeing how hype everybody was and coming to the sideline and literally everybody coming and dapping me up and just giving me some love, that’s a good feeling. We’d love to win the game, and then we’d have a better reason to celebrate.”

Although Atlanta couldn’t celebrate a victory, players such as fellow All-Pro defender Jessie Bates III were happy to celebrate Campbell’s historic milestone.

“It means a lot,” Bates said. “To see it first-hand, all of the work and success that he’s had over his career. Just to be close to that player and say that I had a little piece or part of his career that I played with him and to be on the team when he accomplished that, it means a lot.”

Now that Campbell has etched his name into history, all that’s left to focus on this season is team goals such as making the playoffs. Next week, the Falcons will travel to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a divisional matchup with playoff implications.