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).
Thomas Henry Nobis Jr., nicknamed "Mr. Falcon", was an American football linebacker who played for 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, where he played as a linebacker and guard, and won the Maxwell Award in 1965. He was the first overall selection in the 1966 NFL Draft.
Dirk Jeffrey Koetter is an American football coach who most recently served as the interim offensive coordinator at Boise State University. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) from 2016 to 2018 and was the head coach at Boise State from 1998 to 2000 and at Arizona State University from 2001 to 2006, compiling a career college football record of 66–44 (.600). Koetter also served as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, and Buccaneers.
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). It was the final season for coach Chuck Noll. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills, 37–24, at the Metrodome in Minnesota. This was the second of four consecutive Super Bowl losses for Buffalo.
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.
Jerry Michael Glanville is an American football coach. He is the defensive coordinator for Northwestern Oklahoma State University, a position he has held since 2024. Prior to that, was most recently the head coach of the Alabama Airborne of Major League Football (MLFB). He played football at Northern Michigan University in the early 1960s, and is a former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster. He served as head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from 1990 to 1994, compiling a career National Football League (NFL) record of 63–73. From 2007 to 2009, he was the Head Football Coach at Portland State University, tallying a mark of 9–24. Glanville has worked as an analyst on HBO's Inside the NFL, CBS's The NFL Today/NFL on CBS and Fox's coverage of the NFL. He has also raced on the Automobile Racing Club of America circuit. Glanville also briefly served as a consultant and liaison for the United Football League in 2011.
Emmitt Earl Thomas is a former American football coach and cornerback. He most recently served as the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played in college at the now defunct Bishop College. He played professionally for the Chiefs of the NFL. He owns the Chiefs all-time interception record with 58, which places him ninth on pro football's all-time list. Thomas was inducted to the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame after being nominated by the Seniors Committee. He won Super Bowl IV as a player with the Chiefs and Super Bowl XXII and Super Bowl XXVI as an assistant coach with the Washington Redskins.
Mike Smith is a former American football coach. He is a former head coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, a position he held from 2008 to 2014. He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars between 2003 and 2007. During his tenure as the head coach of the Falcons, Smith became the franchise's winningest head coach by number of wins in addition to being the recipient of the 2008 NFL Coach of the Year Award by the Associated Press and was also voted NFL Coach of the Year Award by the Sporting News in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
Richard James McKay is an American football executive who is the CEO of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to joining the Falcons, he was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1994 to 2003 and was a part of their Super Bowl XXXVII-winning season.
Wayne Lamar Gandy is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons. He played college football for Auburn University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, and he also played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.
Michael Allen Booker Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2001. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football.
The 1994 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 29th season in the National Football League (NFL).
The 1975 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's tenth year in the National Football League (NFL). With the first overall pick of the NFL draft, the Falcons selected quarterback Steve Bartkowski out of the University of California. However, the pick would do them no good as the Falcons slumped to another miserable 4–10 record and missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season. This was also the first and only full season for head coach Marion Campbell until the 1980s, as he was hired to coach the final 6 games of the previous season and was fired 5 games into the following season.
The 1976 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 11th year in the National Football League (NFL). The season saw the Falcons attempting to improve on their 4–10 record from 1975. However, they were only able to match the record, as they finished the 1976 season at 4–10 and missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season. After a 1–4 start to the season, head coach Marion Campbell was fired by general manager Pat Peppler, who himself would close out the season as the interim head coach and finish the season with a 3–6 record. The Falcons also suffered the ignominy of being the only established NFL team to lose to one of the league's two expansion teams when they lost 30–13 to the Seattle Seahawks on November 7.
The 1977 Atlanta Falcons season was the team's 12th year in the National Football League. The team finished the season 7–7, and did not qualify for the playoffs.
The 1987 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 22nd season in the National Football League (NFL). The Falcons finished with the worst record in the league, 3–12, and secured the first overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft. Head coach Marion Campbell started his second stint as Falcons head coach in 1987 after previously coaching the team from 1974–1976.
The 1993 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League (NFL). The team finished 6-10 for the second straight season. Following the season, head coach Jerry Glanville would be fired.
Daniel Patrick Quinn is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks from 2013 to 2014, serving as the play-caller for the team's Legion of Boom secondary. Under Quinn, Seattle led the league in defense and made two consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning the franchise's first in Super Bowl XLVIII. This success led to Quinn being named head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he served for six seasons.
Foyesade Oluokun is an American football linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Yale, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He is notable for his proficient tackling ability, leading the NFL in total tackles for two straight seasons.
