It’s time to honor the past this weekend as the Falcons play gracious hosts for their annual “Alumni Day” at the Georgia Dome. This year is even more special than normal as they’ve invited members of the first team from 1966 to the game against the Carolina Panthers. Twenty players from the original team are slated to be back in town for the festivities.
Falcons fans of all ages should stand up and applaud these players when they are announced at halftime. The ’66 Falcons were the first professional football team in the Southeast. The Falcons were the 15th NFL team and the 23rd pro team at any level. (There were eight teams in the old American Football League prior to merging together in 1970.) These ’66 birds filled a huge void in the sports landscape in the Southern region of the United States at the time.
The new birds of prey that descended upon Atlanta gave the city, the state and the region prestige and civic pride. It enhanced their reputation nationwide as a big-time player in the sports world. It placed Atlanta among the upper echelon in the sports psyche in the minds of people throughout the country. No amount of money could buy those kinds of footprints implanted on a community.
You could call these first Falcons pioneers for being part of history and bringing the burgeoning, popular sport of pro football to life in the South’s key city of Atlanta.
When you hear the names of players such as Hawkins, Calland, Coffey, Nobis, Riggle, Reaves and Barnes recognized at halftime on Sunday, think about the impact these players had on Atlanta, not only just on the field, but off it as well.
Here are some interesting facts about the Falcons first team in 1966.
- The $8.5 million franchise fee paid by Rankin Smith on June 30, 1965 was the largest sum at that time paid for an NFL team.
- At training camp in Black Mountain, North Carolina, 130 players showed up to try to make the first team.
- One of the training camp’s first visitors was famous Reverend Billy Graham.
- A Randy Johnson to Gary Barnes touchdown strike of 53 yards in the second quarter in the season opener at old Fulton County Stadium was the first official Falcons six-pointer. Barnes will be in attendance at Sunday’s game.
- Nine players who started in that first game ever in team history will also be on hand on Sunday.
- On December 11, 1966, the birds tied an NFL record for an expansion team by winning their third game of the season (vs. St. Louis).
- The ’66 team became the first expansion team to not finish in last place. Atlanta ended up in seventh place in a field of eight teams in the NFL’s Eastern Conference.
2 Comments
Wow. From $8.5 million in 1966 to $500 million in 2003.
The mind reels.
As a twenty-something, I was working for the Southern Regional YMCA in 1966, and I was lucky to be at the Black Mountain, NC, YMCA facility for a Hi-Y/Tri-Hi-Y conference for teens during most of the FALCONS original training camp. I was working during the week days so didn’t get to watch their practices very much. The FALCONS had their meals before any other lodge guests were fed, so mealtimes were not opportunities to observe the players. But after supper each evening interested fans (like me) devoted their time to watching all those football players wandering around the lodge facilities and grounds. One could sit on the huge front porch furnished with dozens of great rocking chairs and watch the sun set over the spectacular mountain scenery while trying to identify the various players who strolled by or were sitting in nearby rockers.
One of the players (I think it was Randy Johnson, but don’t quote me on that) brought his boxer dog with him to training camp. That dog followed his master everywhere and waited quietly and patiently at his side while teens with stars in their eyes requested autographs or practiced their flirting; or while adult fans talked football with him.
There was a lot of hype about the Friday night “Scrimmage” during training camp this year. Well, let me assure you that the very FIRST offensive vs. defensive FALCONS scrimmage happened one Saturday evening at a high school stadium in Black Mountain, NC. Yes, I was there along with a group of other YMCA employees who had the evening off. We had a great time, too, screaming and yelling our heads off. Unfortunately, I don’t remember whether the offense or the defense won that scrimmage.
I remember briefly meeting Coach Norb Hecker, Randy Johnson, Tommy Nobis, and Alex Hawkins that summer, as well as some players who were there for training camp but did not make the final team. Many fans know of Hawkins’ reputation as a “talker,” as well as his propensity for collecting people around him the way a burning candle attracts moths. One of my fondest memories of that summer was watching Hawk “hold court” in the Lodge great room each evening. He would be sitting in the middle of the longest wall of the room and would be surrounded by people of all ages, genders and races, some in chairs others on the floor at his feet, all hanging on his every word. They would talk about football, about politics, about life, about ANYTHING until Hawk had to return to his room in time for the FALCONS players curfew. He always had a difficult time getting away from the fans, but he always did it with supreme grace.
Now I am sixty-something, still a rabid fan, and so very proud of this wonderful FALCONS team, of Coach Smith and his great coaching staff, and of Mr. Blank, the owner who has made it all possible. Thank you!
GO FALCONS!!!