NFL Atlanta Falcons

The history of the NFL Atlanta Falcons football team dates back to 1965, when then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle awarded a football franchise to the Georgia city and owner Rankin M. Smith Sr. The Falcons struggled early under head coach Norb Hecker, who went 3-11 with the club in his first season and finished his Falcon's career with a 4-26-1 record. He was replaced in the middle of the 1968 season by Norm Van Brocklin, who managed to take the team to their first winning record three years later. In 1977, the team set an NFL record by allowing just 129 total points in a 14-game season, and one season later they reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. During the course of their history, the Falcons franchise has won three division titles, claiming the NFC West in 1980 and 1998 and the NFC South in 2004, and has made one Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Denver Broncos in 1998.

Tommy Nobis: The First Ever Member of the NFL Atlanta Falcons

The first player ever drafted by the NFL Atlanta Falcons was Tommy Nobis, a linebacker from the University of Texas. Nobis is recognized as one of the best linebackers in NCAA history, and one of the greatest players to ever play for the Longhorns. He was a two-time All-American and won several individual honors as a senior, including the Maxwell Award, presented annually to the best player in college football. In 1966, his first year with the Falcons, he was named the National Football League Rookie of the Year after collecting 294 total tackles (still a franchise record). He played 11 seasons with Atlanta, leading the team in tackles nine times and being elected to five Pro Bowls. His No. 60 jersey was the very first number ever retired by the team, and even today many experts are calling for Nobis to become the first Falcon ever enshrined into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.