When it comes to the running back position, greatness and sadness are closely entwined in Falcons history.
There has not been a single player in Atlanta’s annals that has managed to achieve truly sustained greatness at the position in the way that, say, Walter Payton managed for the Bears, Adrian Peterson managed for the Vikings, and so on. The Falcons have, I firmly believe, had talent of that caliber multiple times in the past, but injury and/or rapid declines have robbed franchise legends of the longevity needed to be mentioned in the same breath as those players.