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).
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
John Antonio Abraham is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. Abraham also played for the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. A seven time All-Pro and five time selection for the Pro Bowl, Abraham is often regarded as one of the greatest defensive ends of the 2000s, and universally cited as one of the greatest defensive linemen in the history of the New York Jets.
Duce Staley is an American football coach and former player who is the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served in the same capacity with the Detroit Lions during the 2021 and 2022 NFL seasons, and with the Philadelphia Eagles in various assistant coaching roles from 2011 to 2020.
Willie Dunta Robinson is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at South Carolina and was selected by the Houston Texans with the 10th overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft. Robinson also played for the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs.
Maurice Hicks is a former American football running back. He was originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at North Carolina A&T.
Junius H. Rose High School is a public high school in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Pitt County Schools district.
James Elijah Saxon is an American football coach and former fullback. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills.
The 1980 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina as an independent during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Jim Carlen, the Gamecocks compiled a record of 8–4. South Carolina was invited to the Gator Bowl, where they lost to Pittsburgh, 37–3. Gamecocks running back George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy.
Jasper Jerrell Brinkley is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of South Carolina. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of 2009 NFL Draft. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
Jadeveon Davarus Clowney is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of South Carolina, where he won the Ted Hendricks Award, and was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL draft. Clowney was a member of the Texans for five seasons, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections during his final years with the team. Following his departure from Houston, he played with the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.
William Hayes is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He retired as the athletic director at Winston-Salem State University in 2014. Hayes served as the head football coach at Winston-Salem State from 1976 to 1987 and at North Carolina A&T State University from 1988 to 2003, compiling a career college football record of 195–104–2. In 27 seasons as a head coach, Hayes has the distinction of being the winningest coach at both football programs. He is an alumnus of North Carolina Central University.
Mike Davis is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football at South Carolina, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Davis also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, and Baltimore Ravens.
Pharoh Cooper is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at South Carolina, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants.
Christian Jackson McCaffrey, known by the initials CMC, is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Carolina Panthers eighth overall in the 2017 NFL draft. As a sophomore in 2015, McCaffrey was named AP College Football Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He holds the NCAA record for most all-purpose yards in a season (3,864).
Saquon Rasul Quevis Barkley is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to entering the NFL in 2018, Barkley played college football at Penn State, where he set several school records for his offensive production over three seasons, before forgoing his senior year to enter the NFL.
Tyshun Raequan "Deebo" Samuel Sr. is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. In 2021, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and received first-team All-Pro honors.
Javon Kinlaw is a Trinidadian professional American football defensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Rico Sharod Dowdle Jr. is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina.
Spencer Michael Rattler is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and South Carolina Gamecocks. Rattler was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
