Falcons’ Legend Shares Thoughts on Michael Penix Jr.

By the late 90s, the sports talk radio format had taken off, and I was right there as a producer for a well-known national radio network. The highlight of that job was traveling to the Super Bowl every year and broadcasting live from the host city. It was a regular occurrence to see the game's legends at our set—Namath, Emmitt, Marino, Sayers, Bradshaw, and Swann, just to name a few. However, for me, the day I eagerly marked on my calendar was when Ray Buchanan was set to make an appearance.

In my thoughts, it seemed like everyone else was in coach while Ray enjoyed his solitude in first class. Our common Chicago background, similar ages, and Ray's radiant smile that could brighten up a whole convention center contributed to this feeling. Additionally, it was Ray's unwavering consistency and determination that shone through every game day. It was truly a privilege to reconnect with one of the all-time greats of the Falcons, who is an even more remarkable person outside of football.

Craig: I want to start at the end. Remind me, why in the heck did you retire? Your final season, you put up some nice stats.

Ray: (laughs) That's a funny question. I've been asked by outside sources and by my family the same thing. I knew it was pretty much that time to step aside. I could've played another two or three years easily, but I didn't feel I was at my peak level. What happened was I fractured my ankle about three weeks before training camp. Once that happened, I decided to retire.

Craig: You mention that injury, but you had a career filled with durability. Are you most proud of that, the fact that coaches could pencil you in every week as a starter?

Ray: I played with tenacity and preparedness. I studied a ton of film, I knew my opponents and I took care of my body and my offseason training allowed me to play so many games.

Craig: Do you replay that Super Bowl loss to Denver in your mind ever?

Ray: I can't help but think about it all the time. I was so close to having a ring. I feel like Patrick Ewing or Charles Barkley or something like that (laughs). It's a total team effort of course and we had a special group of guys that made it there. Once we had beaten the Vikings in the NFC Championship in Minnesota, we felt like we had just beaten the best team in the NFL. That's just how we felt. We didn't overlook Denver, but I thought we'd have an edge going into that game. It left a sour taste in my mouth.

Craig: Are you a fan of Michael Penix Jr.?

Ray: I saw his ability in college. He can throw every pass. He's not at a Patrick Mahomes level just yet, but you can tell that with the weapons surrounding him he can be the guy. He can throw into tight windows, read coverages, and he understands how to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. These are all things that great quarterbacks make happen. This kid has that juice. I think he's going to be the future of Atlanta.

Craig: On the defensive side of the ball, I really liked their draft. What did you think, I love those rookie selections to beef up the secondary in particular.

Ray: Atlanta's secondary has had the capability the past couple of years to make big plays, but it takes the front seven pressuring the quarterback to make it easier to pick off passes. They have some great players. I think now that defense is going to start using some exotic blitzes and let that secondary eat.