Claude Humphrey Sacks New All-Time Falcons Record

Sacks were never counted before 1982, but there's an unofficial tally that is starting to look official. That's good news for Atlanta Falcons Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey.

The NFL didn't keep the sack as an individual statistic until 1982, but Pro Football Reference did the leg work to tally sacks back to 1960. Many of history's greatest pass rushers are now getting their due, including the Atlanta Falcons' Claude Humphrey.

Humphrey played for the Falcons from 1968 until 1978. He is a member of the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor, but because sacks weren't being counted as an individual stat, it was hard for younger Falcons fans to quantify just how good he was.

With Pro Football Reference making that possible, Humphrey vaulted to No. 1 on the Atlanta Falcons all-time sacks leaderboard. A six-time Pro Bowler, Humphrey had 99.5 sacks with the Falcons. Next on the list is John Abraham with 68.5.

Humphrey was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2014.

John Zook, who played for the Falcons from 1969 to 1975, also gets his due at No. 3 with 61 sacks. Chuck Smith and Patrick Kerney round out the top five with 58.5 and 58.0 respectively.

Player	Total Sacks
Claude Humphrey	99.5
John Abraham	68.5
John Zook	61.0
Chuck Smith	58.5
Patrick Kerney	58.0

Obviously it wasn't just the Falcons who were affected by the additional years. Al "Bubba" Baker's unofficial total of 23 sacks his rookie season in 1978 now stands as the record for sacks in a season, besting Michael Strahan's total of 22.5 in 2001.

Many remember Brett Favre taking a dive, giving Strahan the record. That act generated controversy at the time, but it is now a footnote for what will be looked at as the second-best single season sack total.

Grady Jarrett is the Falcons current sack leader with 25. A seven-sack season in 2021 would move him into the top 10 on the Falcons leaderboard.

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