FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Former Falcons running back Gerald Riggs will be inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Feb. 16, at the Emory Conference Center Hotel, becoming the latest Falcons great to earn this distinct recognition.
Riggs was drafted by the Falcons with the ninth overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft and started 66 games for Atlanta during his seven seasons with the team. During his run with the Falcons, Riggs carried the ball 1,587 times for 6,631 yards and 48 touchdowns, adding an additional 1,384 receiving yards.
Riggs' 6,631 rushing yards are the most in Falcons history. Michael Turner is second with 6,081 rushing yards.
Riggs was selected to three straight Pro Bowls from 1985-87 after gaining more than 1,300 rushing yards in each of those seasons.
The best year of his career came in 1985, when Riggs led the league with 397 carries for 1,719 yards and 10 touchdowns. He added an additional 267 receiving yards, giving him a total of 1,986 yards from scrimmage that season, which remains the fourth-most in a single season in Falcons history.
The Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2018 also includes former Georgia Tech quarterback, Joe Hamilton, former Georgia Tech basketball coach John Hyder, former Atlanta Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone and former Atlanta Braves outfield Andruw Jones.
Riggs will join several other former Falcons in the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, including:
- Steve Bartkowski
- Leeman Bennett
- Keith Brooking
- Claude Humphrey
- Mike Kenn
- Tommy Nobis
- Deion Sanders
- Jessie Tuggle
- Jeff Van Note
