Events in Sport
Sports History
1965-06-30 NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle grants ownership of the Atlanta Falcons to Rankin Smith Sr., Executive VP of Life Insurance Company of Georgia; Rankin pays then-record $8.5 million
- 1965-11-27 1966 NFL Draft: University of Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis #1 pick by Atlanta Falcons
- 1973-12-09 NFL St. Louis Cardinal Jim Bakken kicks 6 field goals vs Atlanta Falcons
- 1975-01-28 1975 NFL Draft: Steve Bartkowski from University of California first pick by Atlanta Falcons
- 1981-09-13 Atlanta Falcons tie record of 31 points in 4th quarter (vs Green Bay)
- 1987-09-13 Tampa Bay quarterback Steve DeBerg establishes a franchise record with 5 touchdown passes in the Buccaneers 48-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons
- 1988-04-24 NFL Draft: Auburn tight end Aundray Bruce first pick by Atlanta Falcons
Sports History
1992-10-11 Deion Sanders, plays for Atlanta Falcons (NFL) & Braves (Baseball)
- 1994-02-06 NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: NFC beats AFC, 17-3; MVP: Andre Rison, Atlanta Falcons, WR
- 1995-09-03 Carolina Panthers lose their debut NFL game in overtime 23-20 to the Atlanta Falcons in front of 58,808 fans at the Georgia Dome
- 1996-09-01 The Carolina Panthers outgun the Atlanta Falcons 29-6 in their first regular season NFL game at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
- 1999-01-17 NFC Championship, Metrodome, Minneapolis: Atlanta Falcons beat Minnesota Vikings, 30-27 (OT)
Super Bowl XXXIII
1999-01-31 Super Bowl XXXIII, Pro Player Stadium, Miami, FL: Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons, 34-19; MVP: John Elway, Denver, QB
- 2001-04-21 NFL Draft: Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick first pick by Atlanta Falcons
- 2005-01-23 NFC Championship, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Eagles beat Atlanta Falcons, 27-10
- 2013-01-20 NFC Championship, Georgia Dome, Atlanta: San Francisco 49ers beat Atlanta Falcons, 28-24
- 2017-01-22 NFC Championship, Georgia Dome, Atlanta: Atlanta Falcons beat Green Bay Packers, 44-21
Super Bowl LI
2017-02-05 Super Bowl LI, NRG Stadium, Houston, TX: New England Patriots defeat Atlanta Falcons, 34-28; MVP: Tom Brady, New England, QB
- 2018-05-03 Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan becomes NFL's first $30m per season player after agreeing to $150m contract extension
Rodgers Breaks Brady Record
2018-12-09 Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers breaks Tom Brady's NFL record with his 359th straight pass without an interception during Packers 34-20 win over Atlanta Falcons; finishes game with streak intact at 368
Birthdays in Sport
- 1926-03-15 Norm Van Brocklin, American Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (NFL MVP 1960; First-team All-Pro 1960; 9 × Pro Bowl; LA Rams, Philadelphia Eagles) and coach (Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons), born in Parade, South Dakota (d. 1983)
- 1943-09-20 Tommy Nobis, American College Football HOF linebacker (Uni of Texas; #1 pick NFL Draft 1966 Atlanta Falcons; NFL Rookie of the Year 1966; First-team All-Pro 1967; 5× Pro Bowl), born in San Antonio, Texas (d. 2017)
- 1944-01-19 Dan Reeves, American football coach (AP NFL Coach of the Year 1993 NY Giants, 1998 Atlanta Falcons; Denver Broncos), born in Rome, Georgia (d. 2021)
- 1944-06-29 Claude Humphrey, American Pro Football HOF defensive end (6 × Pro Bowl, 5 × First-team All-Pro Atlanta Falcons; Philadelphia Eagles), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2021)
- 1950-01-18 Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 2019)
- 1950-03-01 Nick Mike-Mayer, American NFL and USFL football placekicker, 1972-88 (Pro Bowl 1973; Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills), born in Bologna, Italy
- 1956-03-15 Clay Matthews, NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1960-05-31 Norm Johnson, American football place kicker (First-team All-Pro 1984; Pro Bowl 1984, 93; Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Inglewood, California
- 1960-08-19 Bobby Hebert, American sportscaster and NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons), born in Cut Off, Louisiana
- 1960-08-19 Morten Andersen, Danish Pro Football HOF placekicker (5 × First-team All-Pro; 7 × Pro Bowl; NO Saints, Atlanta Falcons; NFL record most games played: 382), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- 1961-08-02 Ed West, American NFL tight end (Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons), born in Colbert County, Alabama
- 1962-01-01 Pierce Holt, American NFL defensive lineman (Pro Bowl, All-Pro selection 1992; San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons), born in Marlin, Texas
- 1962-01-16 Kevin Ross, American NFL safety (Atlanta Falcons, KC Chiefs), born in Camden, New Jersey
- 1962-02-20 Adam Schreiber, NFL center/guard (Atlanta Falcons, NY Giants)
- 1964-12-24 Elbert Shelley, NFL cornerback (Atlanta Falcons), born in Trumann, Arkansas
- 1965-02-09 David Brandon, American NFL linebacker (San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- 1965-02-14 Jessie Tuggle, American College Football HOF linebacker (Valdosta State University; Pro Bowl 1992, 94, 95, 97, 98 Atlanta Falcons), born in Griffin, Georgia
- 1965-05-15 Dan Stryzinski, NFL punter (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1965-06-16 J. J. Birden, American NFL wide receiver (Atlanta Falcons), born in Portland, Oregon
- 1965-08-25 Cornelius Bennett, American NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills), born in Birmingham, Alabama
- 1965-10-12 Chris Chandler, American NFL quarterback (Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons), born in Everett, Washington
- 1965-11-30 Mike Zandofsky, NFL guard (Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles)
- 1966-02-19 William White, American NFL safety (KC Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons), born in Lima, Ohio
- 1966-02-22 Brad Edwards, American football safety (Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons) and executive (AD Newberry College, AD Jacksonville Uni, AD George Mason Uni), born in Lumberton, North Carolina
- 1966-07-14 D. J. Johnson, American NFL cornerback (Atlanta Falcons), born in Louisville, Kentucky
- 1966-09-26 Craig Heyward, American NFL fullback (Pro Bowl 1995; New Orleans Saints), born in Passaic, New Jersey (d. 2006)
- 1967-02-26 Roman Fortin, American NFL center (Atlanta Falcons), born in Columbus, Ohio
- 1967-03-29 Brian Jordan, American baseball outfielder (MLB All-Star 1999 Atlanta Braves; LA Dodgers, St Louis Cardinals) and NFL defensive back (Atlanta Falcons 1989-91), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- 1967-06-07 Terance Mathis, American football wide receiver (Pro Bowl, All-Pro 1994; Atlanta Falcons), born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1967-06-27 Lester Archambeau, American NFL defensive end (Atlanta Falcons), born in Montville, New Jersey
- 1967-12-08 Jeff George, American NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- 1968-01-23 Eric Metcalf, American football running back (Atl Falcons, San Diego Chargers), born in Seattle, Washington
- 1968-01-27 Anthony Pleasant, NFL defensive end (Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons)
- 1968-04-29 Browning Nagle, American NFL quarterback (NY Jets, Atlanta Falcons), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1968-08-10 Moe Gardner, American NFL football defensive nose tackle, 1991-96 (Atlanta Falcons), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- 1968-11-14 Bob Christian, NFL running back (Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons)
- 1969-01-21 Matt Willig, NFL tackle/guard (Atlanta Falcons, NY Jets)
- 1969-02-09 Jeff Pahukoa, NFL guard/tackle (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1969-03-15 Louis Riddick, American NFL safety (Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons) and broadcaster (ESPN MNF), born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
- 1969-08-12 Lincoln Coleman, NFL running back (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1969-12-21 Chuck Smith, NFL defensive end (Atlanta Falcons), born in Athens, Georgia
- 1970-03-06 Robbie Tobeck, NFL guard/center (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1970-03-20 Ron George, NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1970-05-13 Mitch Lyons, NFL tight end (Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers)
- 1970-10-01 Ronnie Bradford, American NFL defensive back and coach (Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos; La. Tech., USC), born in Minot, North Dakota
- 1970-10-26 Bert Emanuel, American NFL wide receiver (Atlanta Falcons), born in Kansas City, Missouri
- 1971-01-12 Shane Dronett, American NFL defensive end (Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos), born in Orange, Texas (d. 2009)
- 1971-02-09 Jim Miller, NFL quarterback (Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars)
- 1971-03-13 Tony Vinson, American NFL running back, 1997-99 (Baltimore Ravens), born in Frankfurt, Germany
- 1971-03-25 Perry Klein, NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons, 1994-96), born in Santa Monica, California
- 1971-09-14 Mario Henry, American NFL wide receiver (Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons), born in Erie, Pennsylvania
- 1971-09-16 Derrell Mitchell, American NFL/CFL wide receiver (Atlanta Falcons, Argonauts), born in Miami, Florida
- 1971-10-08 Nate Miller, American NFL and WLAF guard (Frankfurt Galaxy, Atlanta Falcons), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- 1971-10-18 Bob Whitfield, NFL tackle (Atlanta Falcons), born in Carson, California
- 1972-03-06 Jamal Anderson, American football fullback who was First-team All-Pro & Pro Bowl 1998; Atlanta Falcons, born in Newark, New Jersey
- 1972-04-19 Eric Jack, American NFL cornerback (Atlanta Falcons), born in Dallas, Texas
- 1972-05-17 John Burrough, NFL defensive tackle (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1972-06-06 Gary Downs, running back (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1972-06-23 Roell Preston, NFL wide receiver (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1972-08-03 Travis Hall, NFL defensive tackle (Atlanta Falcons), born in Sodoltna, Alaska
- 1972-09-18 Richard Huntley, American NFL running back (Atlanta Falcons), born in Monroe, North Carolina
- 1972-12-06 Gary Bandy, American NFL defensive end (Atlanta Falcons), born in Kansas City, Missouri
- 1973-04-22 Scott Fields, NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1973-08-06 Robert Lee, NFL cornerback (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1973-12-23 Tony Graziani, American football quarterback (Atlanta Falcons), born in Las Vegas, Nevada
- 1974-01-31 Lorenzo Styles, American football linebacker (Atlanta Falcons), born in Sharon, Pennsylvania
- 1974-04-04 O. J. Santiago, American football tight end (Atlanta Falcons), born in Whitby, Ontario, Canada
- 1974-10-28 Henri Crockett, NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons)
- 1975-04-27 Michael Booker, American football cornerback (Atlanta Falcons), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- 1976-01-23 Byron Hanspard, American NFL running back (Atlanta Falcons), born in Dallas, Texas
- 1978-11-07 Coy Wire, American NFL football player (Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons), and TV sports broadcaster (CNN), born in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania
- 1980-06-26 Michael Vick, American football player (Atlanta Falcons), born in Newport News, Virginia
- 1981-11-02 Roddy White, American NFL wide receiver (Pro Bowl 2008-11; Atlanta Falcons), born in Charleston, South Carolina
- 1982-11-04 Devin Hester, American Pro Football HOF wide receiver (First-team All-Pro 2006, 07, 10; Pro Bowl 2006, 07, 10, 14; Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons), born in Riviera Beach, Florida
- 1985-05-30 Sam Baker, American NFL football tackle, 2008-14 (Atlanta Falcons), born in Tustin, California
- 1989-02-08 Julio Jones, American football receiver (First-team All-Pro 2015, 16; 7 × Pro Bowl; Atlanta Falcons), born in Foley, Alabama
- 1991-03-17 Cordarrelle Patterson 'The Flash', American NFL player (Atlanta Falcons), born in Rock Hill, South Carolina
- 1992-04-03 Damien Williams, American NFL player (Atlanta Falcons), born in San Diego, California
Weddings in Sport
- 2011-11-11 TV personality Kim Zolciak (33) weds Atlanta Falcons football player Kroy Biermann (26) in Roswell, Georgia
Deaths in Sport
- 1983-05-02 Norm Van Brocklin, American Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (NFL MVP 1960; First-team All-Pro 1960; 9 × Pro Bowl; LA Rams, Philadelphia Eagles) and coach (Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons), dies from a heart attack at 57
- 2017-12-13 Tommy Nobis, American College Football HOF linebacker (Uni of Texas; #1 pick NFL Draft 1966 Atlanta Falcons; NFL Rookie of the Year 1966; First-team All-Pro 1967; 5× Pro Bowl), dies at 74
- 2018-05-03 Dan Grimm, American football player (Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons), dies of Parkinson's disease and dementia at 77
- 2019-12-01 Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), dies from cancer at 69
- 2021-12-03 Claude Humphrey, American Pro Football HOF defensive end (6 × Pro Bowl, 5 × First-team All-Pro Atlanta Falcons; Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 77
- 2022-01-01 Dan Reeves, American football coach (AP NFL Coach of the Year 1993 NY Giants, 1998 Atlanta Falcons; Denver Broncos), dies from complications of dementia at 77