Several Falcons on Gosselin’s all-time special teams unit

Bethel, Andersen, Shelley, Johnson, Hester make the cut
Morten Andersen (left) gives Elbert Shelley a high five after Shelley made a big hit on special teams in 1995. (AJC photo/Jonathan Newton)

Credit: JONATHAN NEWTON

Credit: JONATHAN NEWTON

Morten Andersen (left) gives Elbert Shelley a high five after Shelley made a big hit on special teams in 1995. (AJC photo/Jonathan Newton)

Before the NFL butchers its kickoff-return rules and forever alters the way the game is played at the league owner's meeting, which will be held Monday through Wednesday in Atlanta, let's look at Rick Gosselin's all-time special teams unit. 

Gosselin has covered the NFL for 44 years, including stints reporting on the Lions, Giants, Chiefs and Cowboys. He has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter since the 1980s and won the Dick McCann Award in 2004 for “long and distinguished reporting on professional football.”

He does an annual special-teams rankings that is respected league-wide. He recently compiled the all-time list for the Talk of Fame Network. 

The Falcons have spent a great deal of time analyzing how to improve their special-teams units this offseason after they finished 22nd in the rankings last season and ranked last in kickoff coverage.

Cornerback Justin Bethel, who signed in free agency, is the cornerstone of that revitalization project. 

--Bethel made the second team on Gosselin's all-time special-teams unit.

Coverage: Justin Bethel. Sixth-round draft pick. Seasons: 6 (2012-current). Teams: 1 (Arizona). Three-time Pro Bowl special-teams ace. Bethel has 88 career special-teams tackles, forcing four fumbles and recovering three others. He also has blocked three field goals and an extra point. He returned one of those blocked field goals 82 yards for a touchdown in a 2016 game against Chicago.

Bethel who played at Presbyterian, made it to the Pro Bowl from 2013-15.

Bethel, 27, is listed at 6-foot and 200 pounds. He’s played in 96 games with 14 starts. He has four career interceptions and 116 tackles.

--Hall of Famer Morten Andersen made the first team for his kickoffs.

--Raiders legend Ray Guy, who was born in Swainsboro and grew up in Thomson, made the first team as the punter.

--Former Falcons’ 11-round pick Elbert Shelley made the first-team as a coverage guy.

Here’s what he wrote about Shelley:

Coverage: Elbert Shelley. 11th round draft pick. Seasons: 10 (1987-96). Teams: 1 (Atlanta). A four-time Pro Bowl special-teams ace. One of the NFL's earliest and most proficient gunners on the punt team. He retired with 156 special-teams tackles — and paid a stiff price for his success in the kicking game. "After boxing and wrestling, getting double-teamed on special teams is probably the third most legal butt-whipping you're ever going to get," Shelley said.

--Devin Hester, who played for the Falcons for two seasons, made the first-team as the punt returner and Billy “White Shoes” Johnson was the second-team punt returner.

Here’s what Gosselin wrote about Johnson:

Punt returner: Billy "White Shoes" Johnson. 15th round draft pick. Seasons: 14 (1974-88). Teams: 3 (Houston Oilers, Atlanta, Washington). Member of the NFL's 75th anniversary team and also the NFL all-decade teams of both the 1970s and 1980s. Three Pro Bowls. White Shoes led the NFL in punt returns for the Oilers in both 1975 with a 15.3-yard average and 1977 with a 15.4-yard average. He returned six career punts for touchdowns and two kickoffs. Johnson also was an accomplished receiver, leading the Falcons with 64 receptions for 709 yards and four touchdowns in 1983 and then catching 62 more passes for 830 yards and five touchdowns in 1985. He was among the first NFL players to celebrate touchdowns with dances. He dubbed his the "Funky Chicken."

--Patrick Mannelly, who played at Marist High School and Duke before 16 seasons in the NFL, made the second-team as the long snapper.

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Credit: AJC file photo

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