Claude Humphrey, one of the premier pass rushers of the 1970s, answers the call to Canton on August 2nd.
Sacks were not a statistic when Claude Humphrey played football, but his unofficial numbers rank him among the greatest pass rushers in NFL history.
Accomplishments: 6 Pro Bowls, 4 All-Pro selections, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1968), NFC Champion (1980), unofficially credited with 122 sacks
Why He Is Deserving: Humphrey is hard to identify as a great pass rusher because sacks were not a statistic when he played. However, he unofficially led his teams in sacks in 9 out of his 14 seasons. He was just as devastating to opposing QBs at age 24 (rookie season) as he was at age 36 when he recorded 14.5 sacks for the Eagles en route to a Superbowl appearance.
Most Incredible Season: 1976. After a season ending injury suffered the previous year, Humphrey returned to the Falcons in ’76 and led the team with an unofficial 15 sacks and a Safety. Humphrey was named Team MVP for his efforts.
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