Who are the four greatest performers in the history of the Atlanta Falcons?
It’s a football franchise that began its on-the-field journey in 1966. The Atlanta Falcons began play four years before the AFL-NFL merger on the field and one year before New Orleans Saints joined the league. Those two teams make up one of the unsung rivalries in the NFL.
These days, the team is under the guidance of head coach Dan Quinn. He’s had an up-and-down tenure with the club since being hired in 2015. The club was in Super Bowl LI and came up short after owning a huge lead. A year later, the Falcons were back in the playoffs. The past two seasons have resulted in 7-9 finishes.
Historically, there have been some great players. Tight end Tony Gonzalez concluded his Hall of Fame career with this franchise, while wide receiver Roddy White made his mark. Talented running backs William Andrews and Jamal Anderson deserve a mention, as do longtime center Jeff Van Note and tackle Mike Kenn. On the other side of the ball, there is Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Claude Humphrey, and linebackers Keith Brooking and Jessie Tuggle.
So when it’s all said and done, who were the choices (in alphabetical order) when it came to the franchise’s four figureheads? A couple are still doing their thing in the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons Mount Rushmore: WR Julio Jones
He has already been named to a franchise-record seven Pro Bowls and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. In nine NFL seasons and a total of 126 regular-season outings, Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Julio Jones has put up amazing numbers, especially the past six years. The franchise orchestrated quite the trade in 2011 to move up to the sixth spot in the draft to grab the former University of Alabama product.
The current resume reads an impressive 797 catches for 12,125 yards and 57 scores. But since 2014, he has earned six straight Pro Bowl invitations and a pair of All-Pro nods. There have been 623 receptions, good for 9,388 yards (15.1 average) and 37 touchdowns. He and former Steelers’ wideout Antonio Brown led the NFL with 136 grabs in 2015. That same year and in 2018, Jones paced the league in receiving yards. Three times in the past six seasons the nine-year pro has hauled in at least 100 passes.
The 31-year-old offensive weapon has often been in the discussion when it comes to the best wide receiver in the National Football League at the moment. It’s hard to argue against the case against Jones, who still has a lot of football ahead of him.
Atlanta Falcons Mount Rushmore: LB Tommy Nobis
He’s one of the original members of the franchise that as previously mentioned, entered the NFL in 1966. And with the first overall pick in the draft, the Atlanta Falcons opted for University of Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis. It is also worth noting that the Houston Oilers opted for the former Longhorn with the fifth overall selection in the 1977 AFL Draft.
Nobis would play for the NFL’s newest expansion franchise and for quite some time, he was the team’s biggest star. He would spend 11 seasons with the organization, was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and earned All-Pro accolades in ’67.
All told, the rangy performer had a nose for the ball and whatever opponent had it. There would be a dozen interceptions and 13 opponent fumble recoveries. The Falcons never reached the playoffs while Nobis was with the team and only posted two winning seasons during his tenure.
In a game that has seen its share of star at the middle linebacker position such as Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Joe Schmidt and Jack Lambert – all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – some feel that Nobis is an obvious omission. Will his time ever comes when it comes to having a bust in Canton?
Atlanta Falcons Mount Rushmore: QB Matt Ryan
The first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft was University of Michigan tackle Jake long. However, the first quarterback selected that year was Boston College University standout Matt Ryan. It’s safe to say that 12-year veteran has enjoyed a very successful career to date, although the critics would cite the team’s postseason record and Ryan’s early playoff failure with the franchise.
Now 12 seasons into his NFL career, the talented performer has worked his way up the all-time passing charts. The 35-year-old signal-caller ranks 11th in league annals with 321 touchdown tosses and 10th with 51,186 yards through the air.
In 2016, he enjoyed a magnificent season in which he connected on 69.9 percent of his passes and came up with career highs in passing yards (4,944) and touchdown throws while tying his personal-best mark with only seven interceptions. Ryan was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and he and the team reached Super Bowl LI.
Steve Bartkowski (1975) and Michael Vick (2001) were both the first overall selections in their respective drafts and both made their mark with the franchise. But Ryan, a four-time Pro Bowler who has missed only three games in 12 seasons, has been just a bit better and who knows how the story will end.
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 5: Cornerback Deion Sanders
Atlanta Falcons Mount Rushmore: CB Deion Sanders
He was the fifth overall pick in 1989, an NFL draft that produced three fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers before he was chosen.
The Dallas Cowboys opted for quarterback Troy Aikman, the Packers took tackle Tony Mandarich, the Detroit Lions elected to pick explosive running back Barry Sanders and the Kansas City Chiefs added University of Alabama pass rusher Derrick Thomas. Unfortunately for Green Bay, the former Michigan State offensive lineman never really panned out.
Of course, it was the Atlanta Falcons who chose Florida State University defensive back Deion Sanders after Thomas. He would actually play only five seasons for the club that drafted him but he left a definitive impression with the team and for other four franchises (49ers, Cowboys, Redskins and Ravens) he suited up for. He left Atlanta for San Francisco in 1994 and helped the team win a championship, then jumped to Dallas in ’95 and was part of that franchise’s last Super Bowl title squad.
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In just his five seasons with the Falcons, there were 30 takeaways – including 24 interceptions, three returned for scores. He also took back a pair of punts and three kickoffs for touchdowns. He was “Primetime” in every sense of the word and instant excitement once he joined the franchise.