Age: 26
5th
season in pro football & with Falcons
College: Oklahoma
Height: 6’0” Weight: 178
Prelude:
Case starred
as a free safety at Northeastern Oklahoma A & M, which won a national
junior college championship during his freshman year, and transferred to
Oklahoma, where he was shifted to cornerback and intercepted eight passes as a
senior in 1983. He was chosen by the Falcons in the second round of the ’84 NFL
draft and moved into the starting lineup at strong safety in his second year,
intercepting four passes and gaining credit for 95 tackles. Case moved to
cornerback in 1986 with good results, displaying savvy and toughness if not
great speed. After four seasons with the Falcons, he had intercepted nine passes
and accumulated over 250 tackles.
1988 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Interceptions
– 10 [1]
Most
interceptions, game – 2 vs. Green Bay 11/6, vs. Tampa Bay 11/27
Int. return
yards – 47
Most int.
return yards, game – 13 (on 2 int.) vs. Tampa Bay 11/27
Int. TDs – 0
Sacks – 1
Fumble
recoveries – 0
Tackles – 65
Awards &
Honors:
2nd
team All-NFL: AP
1st
team All-NFC: UPI
Pro Bowl
Falcons went 5-11
to finish fourth in the NFC West.
Aftermath:
Following a
lesser season in 1989 due to nagging injuries, Case moved back to free safety
in ’90 and continued to overachieve until diminishing skills, especially speed
in pass coverage, cost him his starting job in 1994, his last year with Atlanta
when he was used primarily as a nickel back. Case spent one last season with
the Dallas Cowboys in ’95, ending his career with a Super Bowl appearance.
Overall, he played in 178 games, starting 124 of them, and intercepted 30
passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Case also recovered seven
fumbles and was credited with 7.5 sacks as well as over 900 tackles. 1988
remained the only season in which he received postseason honors.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were first-team
All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following
statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
