Professional Career
Hampton was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the ninth round of the 1969 NFL Draft, in what turned out to be Vince Lombardi's last official function with the club before becoming coach and general manager of the Washington Redskins. Hampton was expected to fill the shoes of retired legends Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, but in three years with Green Bay, he, along with the rest of the Packers' aging offense, struggled.
His best success came with the Atlanta Falcons, where he was traded prior to the 1972 season. In his first year with the team, Hampton surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing yard mark during the Falcons' final game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he was tackled for a six-yard loss on the following play and ended the season with 995 yards. In 1973, he had another chance to get a 1,000-yard rushing season, but he ended up three yards shy. After missing most of the 1974 season due to injury, he rushed for 1,002 yards in 1975 and received the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
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