Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are an American football team playing in the NFC South division of the National Football League. The team is based in Atlanta, Georgia and their home games have been played in the Georgia Dome since 1992. Prior to 1992, they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The Falcons joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1965.

After the stadium was built 2 groups of individuals started the process to get a major league football team to play in it. One group was pushing for an AFL team while the other was looking to the NFL. When Pete Rozelle, the NFL Commissioner heard about this he quickly flew to Atlanta and forced an immediate decision by the city, which resulted in the franchise being awarded to the NFL. Ownership of the team was granted to Rankin Smith Sr., an American businessman and philanthropist who was a long time Atlanta resident. The first pick in the 1966 NFL Draft was awarded to the Falcons along with the final pick in each of the first five rounds. All-American Linebacker Tommy Nobis who had played for the University of Texas was the first pick of the draft, making him the first ever member of the falcons.

The Falcons won the NFC conference championship in 1998. They won the NFC West division championship in 1980 and again in 1998. They won the NFC South division championship in 2004. They made appearances in NFL playoff games in 1978, 1980, 1982, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2008. The Falcons only appearance in a Super Bowl ended in defeat, in 1999, to the Denver Broncos.

Although two Pro Football Hall of Fame members, Eric Dickerson and Tommy McDonald, played briefly for the Falcons, there have been no inductees based substantially on their time with the Falcons.

The current head coach of the Atlanta Falcons is Mike Smith. In 2008, his first season with the Falcons, he was awarded the NFL Coach of the Year Award by the Associated Press. Smith coached college football from 1982 thru 1988 advancing to the NFL in 1999. Under the guidance of Mike Smith, the Atlanta Falcons team including players Erik Coleman, Jason Elam, Jerious Norwood, Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White, are working towards a winning season.