Falcons Uniform History: #43 is Hard Luck Hampton

Dave Hampton got so close to 1,000 rushing yards in 1972 and 1973 while wearing #43.

There were a handful of candidates for the best Falcons player in team history to wear the number 43, but one stood out both in terms of productivity and the challenges he faced on the field in his first couple of seasons.

Running back Dave Hampton played for Atlanta from 1972 through 1976, and he was very productive over that time. As a matter of fact, Hampton passed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the last game of the 1972 season. On the next play, however, he was stopped for a loss of five yards, making his final rushing total for the season 995 yards. Hampton also had six touchdowns that season.

Hampton's…