ring of honor
The Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor pays tribute to retired players who made significant contributions to the Atlanta Falcons during their playing careers; that is why, tonight on Thursday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints, the Falcons will induct former Falcons running back, Warrick Dunn, into the Ring of Honor. Dunn will be the 10th member selected to this exclusive club.
“It is an honor to be able to induct Warrick Dunn into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor. All nine current members of the Ring of Honor are excellent reflections of the Atlanta Falcons organization and Warrick is no exception. Over the course of his career, Warrick has continued to represent all of our core values – from his days on the field, to the work he does in the community and as one of our Limited Partners.” - Arthur Blank
Career
Warrick Dunn was originally selected 12th overall in the 1997 Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Florida State. Dunn was a part of a group of players drafted and signed by Falcons President – then Buccaneers General Manager – Rich McKay that were selected to 41 Pro Bowls between 1997 and 2002, which were the most in the NFL.
atlanta falcons
(2002-07)
In 2002, Dunn was signed by the Atlanta Falcons where he spent the next six years of his career. Dunn posted 5,981 rushing yards – fourth on the franchise’s all-time list – in 90 games for the Birds.
Dunn was also a dynamic receiver out of the backfield, his 204 receptions are second on the franchise’s all-time list among running backs and his 1,635 receiving yards ranks third on that list. In 2005, Dunn was selected to his third career Pro Bowl – first with the Falcons – after posting his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season (1,416 yards) and catching 29 passes for 220 yards and tallying four total touchdowns.
In 2006, Dunn had his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season (1,140) with the team and joined his teammate QB Michael Vick, who also had 1,000 yards rushing (1,039) that year as well. They became the fourth duo in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards – only two other pairs of teammates have done it since 2006. It also marked the first time in NFL history that a quarterback and running back from the same team each rushed for over 1,000 yards.
community INVOLVEMENT
Dunn is the founder of Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc., a nonprofit organization that improves lives through innovative programming inspired by his life journey. He has received local and national recognition for his philanthropic work off the field including the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2005, the 2010 Heisman Humanitarian Award, the 2011 Jefferson Humanitarian Award for Public Service, along with many others.
Limited partner
"During his tenure with the Falcons and throughout his NFL career, Warrick represented the highest of NFL standards on and off the field. Warrick has a special affinity for the Falcons, as we do for him, and we are very happy he will be back in the Falcons family representing our club as a limited partner." - Arthur M. Blank
Dunn became the fifth person to have minority ownership in the Falcons and hopes that his role as a limited partner can help younger players if they need advice or if they just want to talk. He wants to be that ear or that voice of reasoning because he understands both sides of the game.
