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The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons were founded on June 30, 1965, and joined the NFL in 1966 as an expansion team, after the NFL offered then-owner Rankin Smith a franchise to keep him from joining the rival American Football League (AFL).
Morten Andersen, nicknamed "the Great Dane", is a Danish-born former football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Following a career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen holds the NFL record for regular season games played at 382. He also ranks second in field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). In addition to his league accomplishments, he is the Saints all-time leading scorer at 1,318 points. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Along with Jan Stenerud, he is one of only two exclusive kickers to receive the honor.
Sharod Lamor "Roddy" White is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UAB Blazers, and was selected by the Falcons in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft.
The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four member clubs: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints.
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the first season in which the Super Bowl was played, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, making a bye necessary one week for each team.
Matthew Thomas Ryan is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. Nicknamed "Matty Ice", Ryan spent his first 14 seasons with the Falcons and holds the franchise records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts, completions, passer rating, and wins. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles, winning the Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior. He was selected by the Falcons with the third overall pick of the 2008 NFL draft. He is currently an analyst for CBS Sports.
Michael David Haynes is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 1988 NFL draft. He played college football at Northern Arizona after attending Eastern Arizona College. Haynes also played for the New Orleans Saints.
Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He is regarded as one of the greatest receivers of the 2010s.
The 2005 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 40th in the National Football League (NFL). It began with the team trying to defend their NFC South division title and 11–5 record in 2004. The Falcons started 6–2, but injuries on defense caused them to finish the second half 2–6 to finish the season .500. Bright spots included the Falcons ending their Monday Night Football jinx by going 3–0, and on Thursday, November 24, the Falcons played on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in franchise history with a 27–7 victory over the Detroit Lions. On the next-to-last game of the regular season, the Falcons were eliminated from postseason contention with a 27–24 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons failed to improve over their 11–5 season, therefore finishing 8-8 and once again failed to attain back-to-back winning seasons.
The 1977 Atlanta Falcons season was the team's 12th year in the National Football League. The team finished the season .500, and did not qualify for the playoffs.
The 2003 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League (NFL). It is best remembered for the third preseason game, in which quarterback Michael Vick broke his leg and was done for most of the season. Atlanta had two other quarterbacks take over for a combined 2–10 record. Vick returned in week 14 and ended the season with a 3–1 record.
Robert Alford is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Southeastern Louisiana and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Devonta Cornellius Freeman is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft.
Jalen Carnell Collins, nicknamed "Snacks", is an American professional football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at LSU and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Collins has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Wildcats, Tampa Bay Vipers, Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks.
Keanu Neal is an American football safety who is a free agent. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 17th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He played college football at Florida.
Aundell Terrell Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson and was selected by the Falcons in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Desmond Kelly Ridder is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati, where he was twice-named AAC Offensive Player of the Year before being selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Drake London is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was selected eighth overall by the Falcons in the 2022 NFL draft.
References
- ↑ "1967 Atlanta Falcons draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
