pencilpusher. just because Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 It seems to me Gerald Riggs is really under-rated to fans as far as the history of the Falcons. I lived in Ga in his time and that was pretty much the main team they televised in North Ga so I watched what NFL I could watch. I just remember this dude being a tough tough runner in the mid eighties. But I never hear him mentioned here. What do some of you old heads think of when you remember him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadyman Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 yeah, he was a big back and could run over people, He had most single game rushing yards record until Turner broke it in his first game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brassmonkey Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 I remember Gerald as a very good running back. Big, powerful and fast. He won a Super Bowl with the Redskins after leaving Atl. He was doing sport talk radio a few years ago and may still be doing that. On a side note, his son, Gerald Riggs Jr. was a great high school running back who went on to play at the University of Tennessee. I would imagine the main reason he's forgotten (or not mentioned all that much) was that he followed William Andrews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vabchbirdlover Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 (edited) It seems to me Gerald Riggs is really under-rated to fans as far as the history of the Falcons. I lived in Ga in his time and that was pretty much the main team they televised in North Ga so I watched what NFL I could watch. I just remember this dude being a tough tough runner in the mid eighties. But I never hear him mentioned here. What do some of you old heads think of when you remember him?What an old TATF head like yourself never seen us talking about him. Cmon man! Edited November 20, 2010 by vabchbirdlover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karst41 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Riggs is great.He does the post game show which airs like 11pm.My favorite Riggs moment was in 2008.Turner smashed his single game record, and Riggs was seen in the Booth waving a white flag.A class act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Riggs had the misfortune of playing for Falcons teams that had either mediocre QBs or in the case of Chris Miller, a rookie QB. Also, the coaching situation was very very unsettled. The Falcons simply were not a good team when Riggs played. During that time Riggs was basically the Falcons offense...and he still managed to get his yards.I do think Riggs is one of the best RBs to ever play in the NFL. If I had to pick I would choose Riggs over William Andrews, just barely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdbob Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Riggs had the misfortune of playing for Falcons teams that had either mediocre QBs or in the case of Chris Miller, a rookie QB. Also, the coaching situation was very very unsettled. The Falcons simply were not a good team when Riggs played. During that time Riggs was basically the Falcons offense...and he still managed to get his yards.I do think Riggs is one of the best RBs to ever play in the NFL. If I had to pick I would choose Riggs over William Andrews, just barely.Riggs was good; BUT, Williams Andrews was the best running back in Falcons history.My top 3 Atlanta Falcons running back would be: (1) William Andrews, (2) Gerald Riggs, (3) Jamal Anderson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.F.W.O. Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 He is on the HOF ballot as we speak. Last I checked, he was 100.I just wish I knew about the voting before last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Rob 64 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 If I had to pick I would choose Riggs over William Andrews, just barely.That would be a huge mistake. Riggs was perhaps as good a runner as Andrews--- but maybe not--- but was definitely nowhere near the blocker nor the receiver that William Andrews was. William Andrews was one of the best all-purpose backs to EVER play the game before he got hurt. SI even listed him ahead of Walter Payton for two years as an all-purpose back. Gerald Riggs was a superb runner. He was in the shadow of William Andrews, was an incomplete back, played on bad teams, and left us to have success elsewhere (I don't hold that against him at all, but many probably do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rounz Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Yeah, I have to agree with some of you.If Andrews hadn't been his predecessor, I probably would hold Riggs higher than I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Templar Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 William Andrews was one of the best all-purpose backs to EVER play the game before he got hurt. Quoted for F'in Truth! Just ask Ronnie Lott about the hardest hit he ever took. He was trying to tackle Andrews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rightsaidfred Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 I feel bad for him when I remember the season he topped 1000 yds rushing in the final game of the season, only to get tackled for a loss later and end up with like 997.He was a workhorse, for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasbirdfan Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 and the answer to the op question is this:He played the last 3 seasons for a different NFC rival Washington then went away so no ed of career love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCFalconfan Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Quoted for F'in Truth! Just ask Ronnie Lott about the hardest hit he ever took. He was trying to tackle Andrews.Here is the play you are talking about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mastershake Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Quoted for F'in Truth! Just ask Ronnie Lott about the hardest hit he ever took. He was trying to tackle Andrews.I could be wrong but I thought that was Riggs that ran Lott over and gave him a concussion. Anyway I think that Anderson would have been our best back ever if he didn't blow out his knees. He made some incredible runs with little or no blocking. Hard to say, we've had some good backs. I remember JA making one of the best runs I've ever seen. It was like a 30 yrd TD with like 3 stiffarms and I think he ran over the same dude twice. Andrews was awesome though. He is the first Falcons back I remember. He and Lynn Cain and I still got both of their cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karst41 Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Here is the play you are talking about...WTG NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannonballsghost Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Andrews was maybe the most complete back of his time. Had he not blown out his knees he would be in the HOF in my opinion good out of the back field and good blocker as well; Riggs spent his time here in the old H back formation that was famous from washington he got a lot of yards but for some reason we never seemed to take advantage of it sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REV.2000 Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 I REMEMBER RIGGS VERY WELL. HE WAS THE BACKBONE OF OUR TEAM AT THAT TIME. HE WAS HARDLYEVER TACKLED FOR A LOSS. HE WAS ONE OF THOSEBACKS THAT WHEN YOU MADE CONTACT WITH HIM, HE'DTAKE YOU TWO OR THREE MORE YARDS. HE WAS A VERYTOUGH RUNNING BACK. HE WAS GOOD. HE WAS VERY GOOD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mastershake Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 WTG NC I stand corrected. You wouldn't happen to know bout the Anderson play i'm thinking of would you? I think it was SF and Tim Mc Giver (sp) or highway22 that he ran over twice. Once again, I could be wrong. Thanks for the research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Lets see...Riggs had better seasons running the ball, plus owned a 202 yard day the first game he started after Andrews was injured during training camp. Riggs also went one entire season with over 300 carries with NO fumbles.However Andrews had better overall seasons yardage wise, catching passes and in combined yards rushing receptions. Andrews best rushing day was his first game ever, 157 yards vs the Saints.I saw both of em play...Riggs was probably the better pure running back, while Andrews was the more complete back. Really you could not go wrong with either one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rounz Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Here is the play you are talking about...I can only shake my head and grin Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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