He Found a Way Out : Bruce Says Falcons Kept His Potential Unfulfilled

When linebacker Aundray Bruce left for the Atlanta Falcons’ training camp four years ago, they held a parade in his honor as part of Aundray Bruce Day in Montgomery, Ala.

Bruce conducted an anti-drug rally that day at the housing projects in West Montgomery, where he grew up with six brothers and seven sisters.

The first player selected in the 1988 NFL draft, Bruce apparently had a bright future, having signed a four-year, $3.4-million contract after a great college career at Auburn.

Named to the NFL all-rookie team after compiling the second-best rookie sack total, Bruce played his best game in a 12-6 victory over the Raiders, recording two sacks, two quarterback hurries, four tackles and an interception while covering former Auburn teammate Bo Jackson. Bruce also set up the game-winning touchdown when he sacked Steve Beuerlein at the Raider 12-yard line and recovered Beuerlein’s fumble.

But Bruce never fulfilled his promise in Atlanta.

Although they acknowledged him as a gifted pass rusher, the Falcons complained that he was weak against the run and often disappeared in games. They gave up on him last season, moving him to tight end, a position he hadn’t played since high school, and leaving him unprotected as a Plan B free agent.

Bruce signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Raiders last spring.

“You could say he saw an opportunity to re-establish himself on the Island of Lost Souls, or whatever you want to call it,” a Raider executive said of Bruce.

After starting 29 of 32 games at linebacker in his first two seasons, during which he had 12 sacks, Bruce started only three of 16 games after Coach Jerry Glanville took over in 1990. He started twice at tight end last season.

Perhaps the expectations of Bruce were too high. At any rate, he took the blame when the Falcons compiled records of 5-11, 3-13 and 5-11 in his first three seasons.

“The fans expect (the No. 1 pick) to be Superman right away,” said Ken Herock, Atlanta vice president of player personnel. “I don’t think he performed well his second year in a couple of games, and he was one of the guys that got the brunt of the criticism.”

Herock said Bruce wasn’t suited to Glanville’s “fly-to-the ball” defensive scheme.

“He just didn’t fit into what Jerry was doing. He wasn’t getting much playing time as a linebacker, and our tight end got hurt and we moved him there.”

What went wrong?

“The system was not suitable for me,” Bruce said. “I was playing over the tight end most of the time, and it was something I wasn’t accustomed to doing out of college. I was used to playing outside and coming off the corner and rushing.

“It got very, very frustrating because it felt like I was caged. And it just got worse. When Jerry came in, I thought everything was going to be fine because he had an attack defensive scheme that I thought would fit me perfectly.

“But my playing time dwindled from starting to nothing. I didn’t argue when they switched me to tight end, but I knew I had to get out.”

Bruce didn’t care for Glanville, perhaps the NFL’s most controversial coach.

“I’m just glad to be out of the circus,” Bruce said. “What he’s doing will catch up with him. And when it does, he’ll realize his errors and close his mouth.”

What didn’t Bruce like about Glanville?

“The Elvis thing (Glanville regularly leaves tickets for the late Elvis Presley at will call) . . . the cowboy hat and the cowboy boots and the language he uses about other teams,” Bruce said. “The Falcons have no tradition, and he’s basically trying to build one now. But it will crumble.”

Bruce said he was overjoyed to join the Raiders, his favorite team as a youth.

“This has been like a breath of fresh air for me,” he said. “The situation I was in previously was not for me. I’ve been a fan of the Raiders ever since I was 7 years old. When I was drafted, I wanted to come here, but it didn’t work out.”

Bruce, who has been used at outside linebacker and defensive end in training camp, has impressed Raider defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham.

“From what I’ve seen, he’s got great work habits,” Cunningham said. “He works hard every play. He’s playing linebacker and defensive end, and he gets more (work) than anybody in practice and he’s never worn down.

“It’s hard for me to answer what happened to him in Atlanta. I ask him the same question. But since he’s been here, he’s everything you would expect.”

Coach Art Shell also is pleased with Bruce.

“We like what we see so far,” Shell said. “I don’t try to get into why other organizations do things. We were just fortunate to have the opportunity to get him.”

All-state in football and basketball in high school, Bruce could have wound up in the NBA.

A 6-foot 5-inch, 195-pound center, Bruce was named the Alabama prep MVP in basketball after averaging 24 points and 16 rebounds in leading Montgomery Carver to the state title in 1980.

He considered playing both basketball and football at Auburn, where Bo Jackson played football and baseball, but said football was too demanding.

So he concentrated on football. The defensive MVP of Auburn’s Citrus Bowl victory over USC as a junior, Bruce recorded 14 sacks and 176 tackles--22 behind the line of scrimmage--in his final two seasons.

So, it seemed as if Bruce’s future was assured when he was picked first in the draft.

There has been a detour, but both Bruce and the Raiders are hoping the big linebacker is back on the right road.