The Fans' Favorite Falcon series, presented by Ford, has all come down to this — the championship matchup.
How do you decide between No. 1 Jessie Tuggle vs. No. 3 Deion Sanders?
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.
Deion Sanders
He is arguably the greatest cornerback to ever play the game, and he got his start with five tremendous seasons with the Falcons. Deion Sanders was drafted in 1989 and almost immediately became the PrimeTime icon we know him as today. Sanders earned Pro Bowl bids in 1991, 92 and 93 before leaving for San Francisco in 1994. During 1992, Sanders high-stepped his way to 1,067 kick return yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Sanders perhaps electrified even more, hauling in 24 interceptions in his five seasons with the Falcons — three four touchdowns. Off the field, Sanders was as flashy a personality as you'll find in professional sports, which gave him that added edge as a fan favorite.
The Matchup
You've made all the decisions up to this point. The votes have been tallied, the favorites have moved on and now we've got two of the greatest Falcons in franchise history vying to become the Fans' Favorite Falcon. It's all up to you and your votes. Is it Jessie Tuggle, who spent more than a decade as The Hammer, wrecking havoc on opposing offenses? Or is it Deion Sanders, the primetime player who electrified every single time he stepped on the field? Voting will continue in this matchup until Aug. 1 and the winner will be announced during the first week of August. The polls are open. Vote now.
Download the entire bracket here. * Visit the Fans' Favorite Falcon main page
