NFL Films' 'The Timeline' Explores the Impact and Legacy of the 2 Legit 2 Quit 1991 Atla
'91 Falcons' Premieres Following Saints-Falcons on 'Thursday Night Football'
One-Hour Show Examines the "2 Legit 2 Quit" 1991 Atlanta Falcons' Season & Their Cultural Impact
"Before the '91 Falcons, the South wasn't known to be winners in the NFL. We changed that thing." – Deion Sanders
The third season of NFL Network's Emmy-nominated documentary series The Timeline from NFL Films continues Thursday, December 7 following the New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons Thursday Night Footballgame with '91 Falcons, telling the story of "the most fun team ever in pro football," and how a city and football team forged an identity and created a legacy felt to this day.
'91 Falcons will re-air Friday, December 8 at 10:00 PM ET and Saturday, December 9 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network.
Narrated by actor Keith David, '91 Falcons examines how the Falcons and its stars reflected the style and swagger of the city of Atlanta, culminating in a special season that defined the culture of a city and team. The one-hour show features sitdown interviews with former Falcons players such as Deion Sanders, Brett Favre, Andre Rison and Chris Miller, former Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville, hip-hop artists MC Hammer, Jermaine Dupri, Big Boi and T.I., Basketball Hall of Fame forward for the Atlanta Hawks Dominique Wilkinsand others.
Among the topics discussed in '91 Falcons are:
The Falcons' selecting Deion Sanders in the 1989 NFL Draft and the cultural impact Sanders had on the city of Atlanta
The relationship between Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville and rookie quarterback Brett Favre
How the Falcons attracted the attention of celebrities such as MC Hammer, Evander Holyfield and James Brown
Making the playoffs in 1991 and defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Wild Card
Deion Sanders' return to Atlanta in 1994 with the San Francisco 49ers and his sibling-like clash with former teammate Andre Rison
'91 Falcons includes interviews with the following people and more:
Deion Sanders – Hall of Fame cornerback
Brett Favre – Hall of Fame quarterback
Jerry Glanville – Former Falcons head coach
Andre Rison – Former Falcons wide receiver
Jermaine Dupri – Hip-Hop artist/producer
T.I. – Hip-Hop artist
Big Boi – Hip-Hop artist
MC Hammer – Hip-Hop artist
Travis Tritt – Country singer
Dominique Wilkins – Basketball Hall of Fame forward
Chris Miller – Former Falcons quarterback
Ken Herock – Former Falcons VP of Player Personnel
Michael Haynes – Former Falcons wide receiver
Brian Jordan – Former Falcons safety
Bob Whitfield – Former Falcons offensive tackle
Jamie Dukes – Former Falcons center
Michael Eric Dyson – Sociology Professor, Georgetown University
Terence Moore – Atlanta-based sports journalist
Andrew Young – Former Mayor of Atlanta
Provided below are some select quotes from '91 Falcons:
- "Before the '91 Falcons, the South wasn't known to be winners in the NFL. We changed that thing. The Falcons of the 90s had its own way of doing things. Unapologetically." – Deion Sanders
- "Hip-Hop culture was starting to turn everything around and Deion [Sanders] was at the forefront of that." – Jermaine Dupri
- "Having all of those celebrities on the sideline really challenged the players…Everybody wanted to have a small part in what we were accomplishing because of the fashion that we did it in." – Deion Sanders
- "We didn't have any short routes. We didn't have any West Coast, long handoffs. I'd rather take a stick in the eye than watch Bill Walsh's offense." – Jerry Glanville
- "Overcoming that was probably harder than overcoming the game itself…I was like, 'I don't know how, I don't know where, I don't know when but I will prove this guy wrong.'" – Brett Favre on Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville
- "Atlanta to this day has been just starving for a winner…If you just play your heart out and give it your all, they're going to ride with you." – Deion Sanders
- "I considered myself more than just a fan or friend – I considered myself a part of the team." – MC Hammer
- "I was hurt, because we were best of friends. We had a plan. We had a plan and there were some misunderstandings in between and somewhere got twisted, and I lost a good friend. I lost a good friend and a good teammate. It never was the same really." – Andre Rison on Deion Sanders
- "They didn't win a Super Bowl but they put that city on the map athletically as a football town for the first time." – Michael Eric Dyson
- "The legacy of that team is heart and inspiration – just like the city of Atlanta being able to come from being a doormat as a city. Just being second-fiddle and now becoming prominent. I think we were the ones to light that torch." – Andre Rison
- "It was the right team at the right time in the right town." – MC Hammer
Airing throughout the 2017 season, The Timeline chronicles seminal moments that formed the NFL's storied past, shape the present and, in some cases, set the stage for the future. Among the subjects featured this season are:
The Ice Bowl (Friday, December 29 at 9:00 PM ET) – Explores the most memorable cold weather playoff game in sports history that featured the face-off of two legendary teams: the Dallas Cowboys, led by Tom Landry, and the Green Bay Packers, led by Vince Lombardi
The Helmet Catch (Super Bowl Week; Exact Date TBD) – The story of the moment that New York Giants receiver David Tyree secured a seemingly uncatchable pass that thwarted the New England Patriots' chance at a perfect season that was set to end in a Super Bowl victory. Tyree and Giants quarterback Eli Manning appear in the episode to discuss how this play changed their careers