Claude Humphrey got head start to Hall of Fame at TSU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Playing for Tennessee State gave Claude Humphrey a head start on what turned out to be a legendary NFL career.

The preparation from TSU coach John Merritt and his staff left the 6-foot-4, 252-pound defensive end with little to learn after the Atlanta Falcons made him the third overall pick of the 1968 draft.



So began a run that would last 14 years and include the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, five first-team All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowls. The 70-year-old Humphrey will receive his greatest honor on Saturday with enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Everything I did my first year in professional football was stuff I had learned at Tennessee State," Humphrey said. "I did it in a Falcons uniform and a Falcons helmet, but it was all Tennessee State. The stuff that I was learning at Tennessee State, the pros hadn't caught onto it yet."


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