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77* J 1 r uicon nop By Mike Chibbaro Gamecock Staff Writer GREENVILLE ? For the seventh consecutive year, the Atlanta Falcons held their preseason training camp on the campus of Furman University in Greenville. Unlike previous years, however, the Falcons did not arrive in Greenville as the team most likely to finish in the cellar of the NFC's Western Division. Under the direction of second year head coach Leeman Bennett, the Falcons have begun to change their losing ways and emerge as one of the NFC's more respectable teams, as evidenced in their opening day win against Houston. Falcon fans have even begun to dream of the possibility of a playoff berth for their young team. In Bennett's first year at the Falcon helm, his team posted a 7-7 record. The team's defense became one of the most feared in the league, holding their opponents to a modern day record of 129 puiuis. For his efforts in putting the Falcons on the road to respectability, the 39 year-old Bennett was selected as the NFC's Coach of tVta Vnot* U1V Jl VUi . Despite the vast improvement seen in the Falcons last year. Coach Bennett has chosen to keep a low-key approach toward the Falcons' '78 campaign. "I'm confident that we will be a better football team this year but that does not mean our record is going to show it," said Bennett. BENNETT CITES the Falcons' rugged l(i game schedule and his team's lack of proven offensive^ ability as the two main obstacles to the Falcon's success in 1978. o o 4i% A L. 1 ^ ?? ? * ? cmopa me uiggesi surprise in professional football last season was the awesome play of the Atlanta Falcons' defense. Anchoring the Falcons' veteran defensive line is former All-Pro defensive end Claude Humphrey. International Hot 1 031 Assembly St. r? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? j Buttermilk Pan i j (with this coupon - no i I Only at 1031 Assembly Street NkiM <es rest with The 6-5, 260-lb. Humphey and his 1 counterparts, Jim Bailey, Mike J Lewis, and Jeff Merrow sacked s opposing quarterbacks 42 times last season, setting a Falcon team record. j 4 Backing up the Falcon defensive i line are 11-year veteran Greg j Brezina, and four-year veterans Ralph Ortega and Fulton Kuykendall. The Falcons will also 1 rely on rookie Steve Stewart to s provide depth at this position. Ralph Ortega, a former standout t at the University of Florida, is the t only Falcon veteran to experience I trouble in negotiating his contract e with the Falcon front office. Ortega e missed two weeks of training camp c but he credited some personal ( incentive for his decision to return to the Falcons. I "What if the Falcons made the ] playoffs this year? That would ] hflvp hppn Qiufnl if T mac ~* ? * ? ii A *>00 OILLlllg a I home instead of playing," said the 6-2 220-lb. Ortega. ] All-Pro defensive back Roland Lawrence leads the Falcons' secondary,which led the NFL in interceptions last season. Joining Lawrence in the defensive backfield will be Ray Easterling, Rick Byas, and former Lower Richland standout Ernie Jackson. * 1 JACKSON, WHO was acquired from New Orleans in an off season trade, expressed pleasure over the ? trade. "I've always wanted to play for Atlanta," said Jackson with an obvious sense of contentment. "I can sense a winning atmosphere on this team and I'm just happy to be here." With a proven defense, the Falcons must now begin to cure the ailments of their weak offensive attack in order to actualize their dreams of success in the NFT.. The improvement of the Falcon offense will depend greatly on their ability to find a capable quarterback. Battling for the job as the Falcon's number one signal caller is highly taunted but injury ise of Pancahesj Open 24 hours ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? taht* reg $105 \ Now only | tatty outs) \ :i blocks from campus JI . BZEHI /> /) offense plagued Steve Bartkowski, veteran Scott Hunter and preseason standout June Jones. Bartkowski, a number one draft Dick in 1975, has been hampered by ) series of knee injuries that have -estricted his playing time to 21 james in three years. Bartkowski said hopefully, "I'd ike to have a healthy season and see what I can do in this league." THE VICTOR of the preseason ?attle to earn the starting quarerback position, however, was not iartkowski. Instead, June Jones tarned the honor of starting igainst Houston in the Falcon's ipening day victory over the )ilers. Jones earned his starting role after leading the Falcons to their Iwo preseason victories over the New York Jets and the Washington Redskins. John James, one of the NFL's leading punters in 1977, and former Irl or*/^ - 1 L/iiiuauu ivaiucx pitfccMt'Kcr r rco Steinfort provide the Falcons with a solid kicking game. Last year the Atlanta Faicon found an excellent head coach, finished second in the NFC's western division and had the stingiest defense in NFL history. If the Falcon's offense can improve, a playoff berth for the Falcons in the near future is much more than inct o juov ci ui cam. a Pinbi mciunii 4 First Prizes: Full200 Second Prizes: Guess how n are in the jar! Win a fabulous, co BALLY? Galaxy Range ? an action-packed ga play! It's all solid-state. LED scoreboard right c and a dozen tunes n' t( excitement' If you don't flip, yo kicks. Because we're g sewn leather soccer ba ^ SWINP.I IMP ' I There are_ I $&. c ^,,,'iljWKjfcOT^ Important I SMUt^SSm BeT left-hand c I -Vf Name u Address ? 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