Atlanta Falcons

 

The Atlanta Falcons, a great NFL team that was established in the early 60’s; in 1966 to be exact. They are part of the South Division in the National Football Conference, or just NFC. They are headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia, but they play all of their home games at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. Even though they play at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons are likely to start construction on their new stadium in 2014, and hopefully start playing in it by 2017. It is always exciting to see your home team expand and improve. Their team colors are Red, Black, White, and Silver, and their mascot is Freddie Falcon; a large falcon that has entertained fans for more than 35 years.

 

Falcons Brief Team History

As mentioned before, the Atlanta Falcons were first established in 1966. The team joined the NFL in 1965, and before long the Falcons were on their way to being a great franchise. The franchise itself was started by Rankin Smith Sr., along with a few other business owners that wanted to see a professional football team in their State. This would mark the 15th franchise to join the NFL, along with several other perks, like getting first and last round picks during their debut in 1966. The first stadium that they played at was the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium until 1991, where they then moved to the current home stadium, the Georgia Dome.

They have had several playoff appearances, totaling 11 times, and the last appearance was in 2011. With their current lineup of players, and with their strong leadership, they will most definitely continue to make it into the playoffs. The Falcons have been unable to win a Super Bowl, despite their best efforts.

 

Notable Falcons Figures

The Falcons have had a shorter history than some NFL teams, but regardless of this they have had some very important members of their team. With the present Falcons team, and the way they are playing, it isn’t surprising they have many key members.

 

Past Falcons Figures

 

Deion Sanders started out his amazing career with the Atlanta Falcons after being picked 5th during the first round of the NFL draft in 1989. He played for the Falcons for just 4 years, but during his time with the Falcons he showed all of his immense talent and skill, getting the Falcons back on the radar.

 

Dan Reeves was the Falcons head coach from 1997 to 2003, where he caused a huge improvement in the team, especially during the 1998 season. During this aprticular season, the Falcons had the best performance to date, and were even able to have their first Super Bowl appearance ever; sadly they lost against the Denver Broncos. Who said coaching doesn’t win games.

 

Michael Vick was the quarterback for the Falcons from 2001 to 2006, and he indeed left a big impact on the team and the NFL. Vick was never regarded as a passing quarterback, but more along the lines of a rushing quarterback. He did a good job at opening the NFL to quarterbacks that could be as dynamic as a running back.

 

Present Falcons Figures

 

Matt Ryan started out as the Falcons quarterback in 2008, after being picked during the first round of the draft, and has been filling the role of QB quite impressively. He has been able to set various different single season records for the Falcons. He got the most Pass attempts and Pass completions in 2010, and during the 2011 season, he managed to get most passing yards totaling 4,177. During the 2012 season, he has continued to show how much experience and skill he has been able to gain by leading the Falcons successfully.

 

Michael Turner has been playing since 2004, but started as a Falcon Running Back in 2008. He has gotten an impressive 52 rushing touchdowns during his career and even set a single season record by scoring 17 of those touchdowns in 2008.

 

Roddy White is yet another impressive player on the current roster on the Atlanta Falcons. This Wide Receiver started playing in 2005, and has been able to post more than 1,000 yards consecutively each year since 2007; this has gotten him over 7,618 receiving yards during his career.

 

These three players have been able to make the offensive side of the Falcons into an unstoppable force. They are able to balance between rushing and passing, which is why they are a powerhouse this 2012 NFL season.

 

Present Team Personnel

It is a weird setup, but the Falcons are 90% owned by Arthur Blank, and the remaining 10% is owned by the State of Georgia. This is a great guarantee that the team cannot be sold or moved to other State’s as easily. The CEO and president of the franchise in Rich McKay, who used to be the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Current head coach of the Falcons is Mike Smith, with his career starting with the Falcons in 2008, where he received the NFL Coach of the Year award. Great coaching, management, and a great team roster are what will make the Falcons strong Super Bowl contenders for seasons to come.