Two former Atlanta Falcons stars are headed to Canton.
Wide receiver Devin Hester and defensive end Dwight Freeney were named to the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024 on Thursday night.
Hest was a finalist for a third straight year, while this marked Freeney's second.
But they both finally got the call.
Hester played eight seasons with the Chicago Bears before joining the Falcons during free agency in 2014. He's best known in Atlanta for logging his 20th career non-offensive touchdown, breaking a record previously held by Deion Sanders. Hester also earned a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts that season. The Falcons released him in 2016 after he missed most of the 2015 season with a toe injury.
Hester played 11 seasons in the NFL and still holds the record for kick return touchdowns (19), punt return touchdowns (14) and total return touchdowns (20).
He was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro.
Similar to Hester, Freeney also spent a short time in red and black but made it impactful.
He played a pivotal role in the Falcons' 2016 Super Bowl run that resulted in a devastating blow to the New England Patriots. However, he was credited with a sack on Tom Brady in the 34-28 loss and totaled 10 tackles, four for a loss, three sacks, and 10 QB hits for the Falcons that season.
Freeney did get a Super Bowl LXI win with the Indianapolis Colts, whom he spent 11 years with before coming to Atlanta.
He finished his 16-year NFL career logging 125.5 sacks, 148 QB hits, 128 tackles for a loss and 47 career forced fumbles. His outstanding efforts earned him seven Pro Bowl selections and first-team All-Pro honors.
Hester and Freeney, along with the rest of the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Class, will be enshrined into the Canton, Ohio museum on Aug. 5.
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