Longtime center McClure named to Ring of Honor
The Atlanta Falcons on Thursday announced that center Todd McClure will be the 12th member of the club’s Ring of Honor.
The longtime offensive lineman will be inducted into the Ring of Honor at halftime of the Falcons game against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 30.
McClure was selected by the Falcons with the 237th overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft out of LSU. He spent his entire career, spanning 14 years, in Atlanta where he played in 198 games and made 195 starts. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native was known around the league for his grit, toughness and heady play. He set a franchise record by starting 144 consecutive games between 2001 and 2010. At the time of his retirement following the 2012 season, only fellow Ring of Honor members Jeff Van Note and Mike Kenn had played more seasons and started more games in Atlanta.
The stalwart center had an inauspicious start to his
NFL career, tearing his ACL during training camp and missing his entire rookie season. Despite the injury, McClure fought his way into the starting lineup the following season. By 2001, he had laid claim to the job as he would miss just one game over the next 10 seasons and four total games for the remainder of his career.
Among offensive linemen, there is pride in being unheralded. The less people are talking about you, the better job you are often doing. That was certainly true for “Mud Duck.” He was a twotime selection to USA Today’s “All-Joe Team,” which honored unsung players that were not recognized with Pro Bowl selections each season. An award seemingly created for players like McClure who lacked flash plays or gaudy stats but were integral to their teams’ success.
What he lacked in award recognition; McClure made up for in production as he anchored the offensive line for some of the most prolific units in franchise history. He blocked for three 1,000-yard running backs — Michael Turner (2008, 2010), Warrick Dunn (2004, 2005, 2006) and Jamal Anderson (2000). He was also part of the first offense in NFL history to boast a pair of 1,000yard rushers at quarterback and running back when Michael Vick and Dunn accomplished that feat in 2006.
He helped shepherd the Falcons through a tumultuous time in franchise history and was a core member of the organization’s incredible turnaround in the late 2000s. He saw the team through some of its thinnest years and was there for the greatest run in club annals. During his career, the Falcons posted five 10win seasons, reached the postseason six times and appeared in two conference championship games.
He joins Tommy Nobis, Claude Humphrey, Jeff Van Note, Steve Bartkowski, Mike Kenn, William Andrews, Gerald Riggs, Jessie Tuggle, Deion Sanders, Warrick Dunn and Roddy White as the newest member of the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor.