Tag Archives: Keith Brooking

Six to Hawaii

Posted by on 12/21/2005 No comments


Six Atlanta Falcons – LB Keith Brooking, DT Rod Coleman, TE Alge Crumpler, RB Warrick Dunn, CB DeAngelo Hall, and QB Michael Vick – were selected to the NFC’s Pro Bowl squad based on their outstanding individual performances during the 2005 regular season.

Atlanta’s six Pro Bowl selections represented the highest number of Falcons chosen to play in the NFL’s annual all-star game since 1998 when the Falcons also sent six players to Honolulu, Hawaii. The Falcons have had more players selected to the Pro Bowl just two other times in franchise history (seven in 1969 and 1981).

Brooking will make his fifth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl – tying the franchise record held by defensive end Claude Humphrey (1970-74) and offensive tackle Mike Kenn (1980-1984) – after recording 115 tackles through the first 14 games of the season. An eight-year veteran, Brooking also tallied 2.5 sacks, three interceptions and a career-high nine passes defensed.

Coleman, in his seventh NFL season and second with the Falcons, will make his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Coleman leads the Falcons with 9.5 sacks and has recorded 38 tackles and five passes defensed. Coleman registered 12 tackles, four sacks, and two forced fumbles in four games en route to earning NFC Defensive Player for the Month of September honors. Additionally, Coleman was Atlanta’s most sought-after free agent acquisition during the free agency period in the 2004 offseason and the first major free agent signing by President & General Manager Rich McKay and Head Coach Jim Mora.

After being named to the past two Pro Bowls, Crumpler returns to Honolulu for the third straight year after a season in which he broke his own single-season franchise record for the most receptions by a tight end and leads the Falcons in receiving with 58 receptions for 793 yards and five touchdowns.

Dunn was selected to his third Pro Bowl after having a career season. The nine-year veteran from Florida State has rushed 259 times for a career-high 1,328 yards (5.1 avg.) and three touchdowns. The reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year Award honoree, Dunn has also caught 26 passes for 205 yards (7.9 avg.) and scored one touchdown. Of running backs who have carried the ball more than 150 times this season, Dunn ranks tied for first in the NFL in yards per attempt (5.1). Dunn was initially drafted by McKay in Tampa Bay in 1997.

Hall, in just his second NFL season, makes his first trip across the pond to the Pro Bowl after a stellar 2005 season that has seen him tally 64 tackles, five interceptions, and four passes defensed through 14 games. The youngest player on Atlanta’s roster (11-19-83), Hall was McKay and Mora’s first draft selection. He continues to establish himself as one the NFL’s most dominate shutdown cover cornerbacks.

Vick, in his fifth NFL season and third as a full-time starter, will be making his third trip to Honolulu. One of the NFL’s most dynamic players, Vick has won 31-of-49 games he has started in his career, and has been the catalyst behind Atlanta’s move from the worst offense in the NFL two years ago to the League’s 11th best so far this season. Vick has completed 183-of-337 passes for 2,136 yards and 13 touchdowns, while rushing 90 times for 534 yards (5.9 avg.) and six scores in 14 games in 2005.

With five selections last year and two new selections this year (Coleman, Hall), there have been a total seven different Falcons who have earned Pro Bowl trips under McKay and Mora.

4 Falcon Pro Bowlers

Posted by on 12/22/2004 No comments

Four Atlanta Falcons players – LB Keith Brooking, TE Alge Crumpler, DE Patrick Kerney and QB Michael Vick – were named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl squad, according to an announcement by the NFL on Wednesday.

Atlanta’s four Pro Bowl selections represent the highest number of Falcons selected to play in the NFL’s annual all-star game since 1998 when six Falcons players made the trip to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Brooking will be making his fourth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl after leading the Falcons in combined tackles (130) for the fourth consecutive season in addition to tallying 2.5 sacks and tying his career-best in interceptions with two. Brooking has played a central role in the Falcons’ defensive turnaround from last season. In 2004, the Falcons defense has given up 7.4 fewer points per game and 54.5 fewer yards per game than it did after 14 games in 2003. Seven times this season, the Falcons defense has limited the opposition to 17 or fewer points.

After being named to his first Pro Bowl in 2003, Crumpler will be returning to Honolulu for the second straight year after a season in which he broke the single-season franchise record for the most receptions by a tight end (Junior Miller, 46 receptions in 1980). Currently leading the Falcons in receiving with 48 receptions for 774 yards, Crumpler has led the Falcons (or shared the lead) in receiving nine times this season. Twice this season he has eclipsed his career high in receptions. He caught six passes for 82 yards at San Francisco (Sept. 12) and then caught a career-best seven passes for 86 yards at Denver (Oct. 31). Known for his big-play ability, Crumpler has caught 17 passes of 20 or more yards, which leads all tight ends in the NFL. He also leads all tight ends who have at least 30 receptions with a 16.1-yard per-catch average, and has had at least one reception of 20 or more yards in 11 of 14 games this season.

The Falcons most consistent pass rusher the last three seasons, Kerney will be making his first trip to the Pro Bowl following the third double-digit sack season of his career. Earlier this season, the NFL recognized Kerney in naming him the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month (September). Kerney’s play was a key during the season’s opening month as he tallied five sacks in helping the Falcons get off to a 3-0 start. In the Falcons’ 6-3 win against Arizona (Sept. 26), Kerney posted a career-high 3.0 sacks and seven tackles. In a 34-17 win against St. Louis in the 2004 home opener, Kerney posted 2.0 sacks and six tackles, as the defense limited St. Louis to 280 total yards. In addition to leading the team in sacks (10), Kerney is also third on the team in combined tackles (75) and also has three passes defensed and one interception to his credit. Kerney’s 10 sacks have quickly moved him up on the Falcons’ all-time sacks list. At the outset of the season, Kerney was eighth on the Falcons’ all-time list. Kerney needs four more sacks to pass former Falcons DE John Zook (47 sacks from 1969-75) for third on the team’s all-time list.

Vick came out in 2004 and led the Falcons to a 4-0 start despite learning the intricacies of a new offense. Vick’s play would eventually help the Falcons clinch their third division title in team history. Three times this season, Vick rushed for more than 100 yards – 109 vs. St. Louis, 115 yards at Denver, and 104 yards at N.Y. Giants – tying the modern-day single-season record for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback. The three 100-yard outings gave him five for his career, which set a record for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback in NFL history. Currently second on the Falcons in rushing with 889 yards, Vick needs 80 more yards (40.0 yards per game) to set the NFL single-season record for the most yards rushing by a quarterback (Bobby Douglass 968 yards rushing for Chicago in 1972). Twice this season, Vick was named the NFC’s Player of the Week after leading the Falcons to wins vs. St. Louis (accounted for 283 yards in total offense – 174 passing, 109 rushing) and at Denver, becoming the first quarterback ever to throw for more than 250 yards and rush for more than 100 yards in the same game.

In addition, Vick has led the Falcons to comeback victories when they were either tied or behind in the fourth quarter, most recently last week’s 34-31 overtime win over Carolina in which Vick forced an extra period when he scrambled 12 yards for a touchdown on fourth and goal to tie the game at 31-31 with 1:37 remaining. The Falcons are 9-0 in games they have led at the half in 2004, due in large part to Vick’s efficiency. In the first half of games this season, Vick has completed 58 percent of his passes (99 of 171) for 1,223 yards with eight touchdowns and a 81.1 passer rating. In addition, Vick has also rushed 64 times for 524 yards (8.2 avg. per carry) in the first half of games this year.

View the complete Pro Bowl roster for both conferences

Headed to Hawaii

Posted by on 12/18/2003 No comments

Atlanta Falcons LB Keith Brooking and TE Alge Crumpler were named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl squad according to an announcement by the NFL on Thursday.

It represents the third consecutive appearance in the Pro Bowl for Brooking and the first for Crumpler. It also marks the third consecutive year the Falcons will have representation in the Pro Bowl.

After becoming just the fifth Falcons player ever to record more than 200 tackles (212) in a season in 2002, Brooking continued his outstanding play in 2003, accounting for 173 combined tackles, including 105 unassisted stops. Brooking has led the team in tackles nine times in 2003, including a season-high 18 tackles at New Orleans (Nov. 16), and he has also registered double-digits in tackles 11 times. Brooking has started the last 46 games at linebacker for the Falcons, including all 14 this season despite suffering a back injury in the first meeting vs. New Orleans (Oct. 19).

In his first season as a full-time starter, Crumpler has had the best season of his three-year career, setting personal bests in receptions (40), receiving yards (519) and single-game receiving yards (94, at Dallas, Sept. 7). He also tied his single-game career-best of five receptions two times in 2003. Crumpler’s 40 receptions for 519 yards are the most for a Falcons tight end since Junior Miller had 56 receptions for 574 yards in 1980.

Congrats Keith and Alge!!!