Tag Archives: Atlanta Falcons

NFL, University of Texas

Nobis, Tommy “Mr. Falcon” (1943-2017)

udlgd97 nobis to78 nobis

Cards: Topps 1971, Topps 1977, Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 1/2    Received : 3/6 (58 days)

Tommy Nobis is considered one of the greatest linebackers in the University of Texas’ history winning the Outland and Maxwell trophies in 1965 as the best all around linebacker in the country. (What was even more amazing was that Nobis also was the offense’s starting guard as well.) A proven star against big name talent, Nobis helped the Longhorns win the 1963 Cotton Bowl for the college’s first College Football National Championship against Roger Staubach and Navy. Nobis later helped the Longhorns defeat famed quarterback Joe Namath and Alabama in 1965 in the Orange Bowl.

Tommy was wooed by both the NFL and the AFL after the 1965 season. In one of his more grander schemes during the AFL’s renegade days, Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams courted Nobis on board an airplane flight over Texas. Nobis was the #1 overall pick of the NFL Atlanta Falcons, and the #5 pick overall of the AFL Houston Oilers. Tommy opted to sign with the Falcons, becoming their first ever draft choice and earning his nickname, “Mr. Falcon”.

to71 nobisNobis immediately made an impact for the team, recording an unofficial and unprecedented, 294 tackles his rookie season, and earning NEA NFL Rookie of the Year honors.  A lone bright spot on a very lousy team, Tommy had a motor that just wouldn’t quit, and he anchored the Falcons defense down almost single-handedly in those early years. He actually understood and could call defensive formations, covered the run or pass with ease, and hit like a Mack truck. Tommy finished his NFL career with 5 Pro Bowl nominations and one AP nod. He retired after the 1977 season. Tommy’s numbers are all the more impressive considering that he had 2 seasons fairly marred by knee injuries.  Very few football fans talk about Nobis on the measure of the other greats of the late 60s, but during that time, he was considered one of the best in the business. What guys like Butkus had over Nobis was big market exposure, and despite Mr. Falcon’s efforts, he has never gotten into the NFL Hall of Fame. In fact Butkus and Nobis had very similar numbers, and played for astonishingly equal bad teams. Punishing runningback Larry Czonka once even stated, “I’d rather play against Dick Butkus, than Tommy Nobis.”

Nobis’ number 60 is officially retired at the University of Texas alongside Earl Campbell‘s number 20. It comes out of retirement semi-periodically when the team has had an outstanding talent at the position that they wish to honor, such as Britt Hager during the late 80s and Derrick Johnson more recently during the early 2000’s. A member of the NFL All-1960s team, Tommy has also been honored by the Atlanta Falcons as well, and worked in their front office for many years.

Tac  1183      Sac N/a     Fum 13       Int 12     Yds 182   Avg     Td 2    Lg  41

UPDATE 12/13/17- Tommy Nobis passed away today at the age of 74. No immediate cause of death was provided.

NFL

Montgomery, Alton

aprks90 montgomeryCards: Action Packed Rookies 1990, Score Supplemental 1990, Score 1990
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent:  1/22     Received: 1/31  (9 days)

Alton Montgomery played collegiately for the University of Houston during the final years of the SWC, garnering a reputation as a physical headhunting defender, and earning a nomination for the Jim Thorpe Award. A first team SWC choice in 1988 and 1989, he played his first two years at Northwest Missississippi Junior College where he made 14 interceptions. Montgomery is well remembered for the curbstomping that Houston inflicted on the University of Texas that year; A game in which he recorded 10 tackles, 4 sacks, and 4 hits behind the line in a 47-9 drubbing. He also had a memorable 72 yard interception return of a Timm Rosenbach pass in the 1988 Aloha Bowl against Washington State.

Montgomery parlayed his accolades into a late second round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 1990 draft. The pick seemed a slightlysco90 montgomery odd one, as the team was already set with Dennis Smith and Steve Atwater playing safety, so the team listed him as ‘defensive back’ initially before officially giving him a cornerback designation. Montgomery’s combine results showed that he had great change of direction, which led scouts to peg him as an excellent man to man defender. He came along quickly as a rookie, as he racked up 37 tackles, and intercepted 2 passes to tie for the team lead. Montgomery also saw some spot time at returner, averaging 20.4 yards on 14 returns, including a 59 yarder. Over the next two seasons the team used him sparingly at defensive back and more for the return game.  As the team cleaned house after the departure of Dan Reeves in 1992, Montgomery hit the free agency market and signed with the Atlanta Falcons, playing there through 1995.  He is best known by Falcons fans, for returning a Scott Mitchell interception 71 yards for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions as the team won 34-22 in his final season in the league. Currently, he lives in the greater Atlanta area and works in human resources.

sco90sup montgomeryAlton is another member of the Action Packed Rookies 1990 club that I was after. I was pleased to add Montgomery to the Hall in a very short amount of time. An absolutely marvelous photo of the safety probably doing punt return duties, the autograph really shows up well on the embossed and dark canvas. The Score 1990 card shows him in his college threads, and while it is not in an action pose, it still resonates a strong presence with Montgomery’s stance. Alton’s Score Supplemental 1990 card is an exciting one, and easily stood out from what felt like an inferior Pro Set offering.

G/Gs  68/6     Tac  114    Sac 3.0   Int 3     Yds 114    Avg  38.0      Td   1    Lg 71t
Kr  65        Yds  1351         Avg 20.8        Td 0       Lg 64

 

CFL, NFL

Johnson, Billy “White Shoes”

 

udlg97 ws johnson udlg97 ws johnson BCard: Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: 11/23/2012, Fiterman Autograph Event
Failure: 2010, C/o Home

Billy Johnson, played for tiny Widener college in Pennsylvania. Going unnoticed- despite his white shoes and penchant for big plays, numbers, and great speed, the Oilers said, “Why not?”, and drafted White Shoes in the 15th round of the 1974 draft. There the fan favorite Johnson lit the NFL on fire with his breathtaking speed at returner and his entertaining end zone celebration called ‘The Funky Chicken’. (Johnson’s dance, is still celebrated today as one of the first, and was the Granddaddy to such dances as: Ernest Givins‘ “Electric Slide”, Ickey Woods‘ “Ickey Shuffle”, and Jamaal Anderson’s “Dirty Bird”.)  White Shoes played during the heyday of the Luv’ Ya Blu era in Houston, alongside Dan Pastorini, Ken Burrough, and Earl Campbell. He set an NFL record in 1975 by returning 3 punts for touchdowns in a single season. Not to be outdone that year, he also had a kick return as well, earning him AP honors and the Pro Bowl MVP after the season. White Shoes continued to set the standard for electrifying play throughout the 70s and the crowd always held their breath with excitement when he took the field. He again won AP honors topping his 15.3 YPR average from ’75 with a 15.4 YPR average in 77, with 539 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a kick returner he was also equally amazing, scoring another touchdown there as well.  A catastrophic knee injury wrecked his 1978 and 79 seasons. After a final season in Houston in 1980, White Shoes travelled north to the CFL for a year doing everything for the Montreal Alouettes.

The Falcons gave him a shot in 1983, and Johnson not only made the roster of the team, he had also matured as a receiver. Although he only started one game that season, Billy had 709 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns, (both career highs,) and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. In ’83 he scored another touchdown on a punt return, and was named AP and back to the Pro Bowl again for a 3rd time. He posted career highs again in 1984 in receiving with 830 yards and 5 touchdowns. Playing one final season in Atlanta, White Shoes went on to Washington and retired after the 1987 season. He’s been named to the NFL 75th Anniversary team and also the All-Decade Team of the 1980s.

It took me some time to get my autographs back from the Fiterman event but I finally did get my cards back some 3 weeks after the event. The company did apologize and adjusted their time-frame for delivery expectations for TTM on their website. I like to have my cards autographed on the front, but based on the report from Fiterman, White Shoes apparently refused to do so because he was not wearing white shoes on the front of this card. Still I am happy to knock out an elusive signer, after a previous attempt and failure.

G  143       PR 282         Yds 3317            Avg  11.8           Td 6         Lg 87t
Kr 123       Yds 2941          Avg 23.9         Td 2          Lg 81t
Rec  337       Yds 4211     Avg 12.5          Td 25       Lg  71t
Rush 56        Yds 316       Avg 5.6             Td 2         Lg 61

Highlight reel of Johnson and.. the Funky Chicken: