The Fans' Favorite Falcon series, presented by Ford, rolls on with our next matchup.
How do you decide between No. 1 Jessie Tuggle vs. No. 16 Morten Andersen?
Jessie Tuggle
Tuggle came to the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 1987 and is now widely recognized as one of the greatest to ever wear the Falcons' uniform. Aptly nicknamed "The Hammer" for his bone-jarring hits, Tuggle finished his career after the 2000 season, logging 14 seasons with the Falcons and an all-time franchise record 2,065 tackles and 12-straight 100-tackle seasons. With five Pro Bowl appearances during his career, Tuggle has always been recognized as a favorite among fans. Quiet and reserved, Tuggle provided the perfect balance to some of his other teammates who thrived on individual attention. Tuggle easily earned the No. 1 seed for his style of play, his back story of being an undrafted rookie and for being the type of player that has resonated with the fanbase even years after he retired.
Morten Andersen
"The Great Dane" is a fan favorite for many reasons, but perhaps most notably for kicking the winning field goal against the Minnesota Vikings in the 1998 NFC Championship game that sent the Falcons to their only Super Bowl to date. In addition to playing for the Falcons for eight seasons, Andersen also suited up for New Orleans for 13 years, the New York Giants for one, Kansas City for two and Minnesota for one. He holds the distinction of being the Falcons' all-time leading scorer, and also holds the same distinction with the Saints.
The Matchup
I don't know that anyone would want to stare down Jessie Tuggle on the other side of any competition. Morten Andersen gets that unenvious honor today. These two players were teammates and each played as much of an individual role in the Falcons taking a trip to the Super Bowl in 1998 as the other. What this matchup could come down to among you, the fans, is the years and type of service. Andersen played for the Falcons for eight seasons, and in that span, became the Falcons all-time leading scorer. His time spent with other franchises, namely 12 years with the New Orleans Saints, might work against him. Tuggle, on the other hand, played 14 seasons in the NFL and all were with the Falcons. Not only that, but Tuggle banged heads from his first game on the field to his last. I think we can all agree that Andersen was a great Falcon and deserves to be in the top 16, but Tuggle's credentials might give him an extremely strong edge in this matchup.
View the results of the first round
