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1966 Atlanta Falcons

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Record: 3-11-0, Finished 7th in NFL East Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 204 points (14.6/g), 15th of 15 in the NFL.
 Allowed 437 points (31.2/g), 14th.
 Differential of -233 points (-16.6/g), 14th.
 Expected W-L: 2.0-12.0.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -12 (-0.9/g), 12th.

Coached by Norb Hecker (3-11-0)

1966 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees

Starters

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters Complete Team Stats
QB Randy Johnson 22 Rook 11 129 for 295, 1,795 yards, 12 td, 21 int, & 35 rushes for 142 yards and 4 td

Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 16th pick / 1966
Denver Broncos / 4th / 27th pick / 1966

HB Junior Coffey 24 1 0 199 rushes for 722 yards, 4 td, & 15 catches for 182 yards and 1 td

Green Bay Packers / 7th / 94th pick / 1965
Houston Oilers / 16th / 122nd pick / 1965

FB Ernie Wheelwright 27 2 0 121 rushes for 458 yards, 3 td, & 15 catches for 137 yards and 3 td
FL Alex Hawkins 29 7 0 44 catches for 661 yards, 2 td

Green Bay Packers / 2nd / 13th pick / 1959

SE Vern Burke 25 1 0 28 catches for 348 yards, 1 td

San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 64th pick / 1963
Oakland Raiders / 15th / 113th pick / 1963

TE Bill Martin 24 2 0 29 catches for 330 yards, 0 td

Kansas City Chiefs / 2nd / 10th pick / 1964
Chicago Bears / 2nd / 21st pick / 1964

LT Don Talbert 27 4 12 2 fumbles recovered

Houston Oilers / 34th / 271st pick / 1962
Dallas Cowboys / 8th / 100th pick / 1961

LG Ed Cook 34 8 14
C Frank Marchlewski 23 1 14 1 fumble recovered

Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 60th pick / 1965
Buffalo Bills / 19th / 152nd pick / 1965

RG Dan Grimm 25 3 0

Green Bay Packers / 5th / 70th pick / 1963
Denver Broncos / 20th / 157th pick / 1963

RT Errol Linden 29 5 14 1 fumble recovered

Detroit Lions / 10th / 135th pick / 1961
Houston Oilers / 29th / 232nd pick / 1961

 Defensive Starters
LDE Bobby Richards 28 4 0 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Oakland Raiders / 32nd / 249th pick / 1962
Philadelphia Eagles / 15th / 210th pick / 1961

LDT Karl Rubke 31 9 12 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 56th pick / 1957

RDT Chuck Sieminski 26 3 14

San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 46th pick / 1962
Boston Patriots / 14th / 110th pick / 1962

RDE Sam Williams 35 7 14

Los Angeles Rams / 24th / 288th pick / 1956

LLB Marion Rushing 30 7 0 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered
MLB Tommy Nobis* 23 Rook 0 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 1st pick / 1966
Houston Oilers / 1st / 5th pick / 1966

RLB Bill Jobko 31 8 0 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Los Angeles Rams / 7th / 80th pick / 1958

LCB Ron Smith 23 1 14 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered
RCB Lee Calland 25 3 14 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered
LS Jerry Richardson 25 2 14 5 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 35th pick / 1964
Denver Broncos / 7th / 54th pick / 1964

RS Bob Riggle 22 Rook 0 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Atlanta Falcons / 20th / 291st pick / 1966

 Special Teams Starters
K Lou Kirouac 26 3 0 9 of 18 field goals & 19 of 24 extra points
P Billy Lothridge 24 2 0 73 punts for a 40.7 average, 0 blocked

Dallas Cowboys / 6th / 73rd pick / 1964
Oakland Raiders / 12th / 95th pick / 1964

PR Ron Smith 23 1 14 11 punt returns for a 7.3 average and 0 td
KR Ron Smith 23 1 14 43 kick returns for a 23.6 average and 0 td

Roster

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
Taz Anderson 28 TE 8 0 220 6-2 Georgia Tech 11/15/1938 5

Cleveland Browns / 7th / 80th pick / 1960

Gary Barnes 27 WR 9 0 200 6-4 Clemson 9/13/1939 4

Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 41st pick / 1962
New York Titans / 9th / 69th pick / 1962

Vern Burke 25 SE-TE 14 0 215 6-4 Oregon State 4/30/1941 1

San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 64th pick / 1963
Oakland Raiders / 15th / 113th pick / 1963

Lee Calland 25 DB 14 14 190 6-0 Louisville 9/14/1941 3
Dennis Claridge 25 QB 7 3 220 6-2 Nebraska 8/18/1941 1

Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 39th pick / 1963
Oakland Raiders / 26th / 201st pick / 1963

Junior Coffey 24 RB 14 0 215 6-2 Washington 3/21/1942 1

Green Bay Packers / 7th / 94th pick / 1965
Houston Oilers / 16th / 122nd pick / 1965

Angelo Coia 28 SE-WR 6 0 195 6-3 Citadel,USC 4/21/1938 6

Chicago Bears / 20th / 237th pick / 1960

Ed Cook 34 T-G 14 14 245 6-2 Notre Dame 6/29/1932 8
Perry Lee Dunn 25 RB 14 0 210 6-2 Mississippi 1/20/1941 2

San Diego Chargers / 3rd / 24th pick / 1964
Dallas Cowboys / 4th / 45th pick / 1964

Glenn Glass 26 DB-WR 3 0 205 6-1 Tennessee 2/16/1940 4

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 12th pick / 1962
Chicago Bears / 17th / 231st pick / 1962

Dan Grimm 25 G 14 0 245 6-3 Colorado 2/7/1941 3

Green Bay Packers / 5th / 70th pick / 1963
Denver Broncos / 20th / 157th pick / 1963

Alex Hawkins 29 HB-FL-WR 12 0 190 6-0 South Carolina 7/2/1937 7

Green Bay Packers / 2nd / 13th pick / 1959

Ralph Heck 25 LB 14 0 230 6-1 Colorado 11/6/1941 3

Philadelphia Eagles / 11th / 144th pick / 1963

Tom Hutchinson 25 TE-WR 5 0 190 6-1 Kentucky 6/15/1941 3

Cleveland Browns / 1st / 9th pick / 1963
Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 12th pick / 1963

Bill Jobko 31 LB 14 0 224 6-2 Ohio State 10/7/1935 8

Los Angeles Rams / 7th / 80th pick / 1958

Randy Johnson 22 QB 14 11 205 6-3 Texas A&M-Kingsville 6/17/1944 Rook

Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 16th pick / 1966
Denver Broncos / 4th / 27th pick / 1966

Rudy Johnson 25 HB 1 0 190 5-11 Nebraska 8/12/1941 2

San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 57th pick / 1964
New York Jets / 12th / 91st pick / 1964

Jerry Jones 22 T-DE-DT 7 0 260 6-4 Bowling Green 2/14/1944 Rook

Atlanta Falcons / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1966
Denver Broncos / 7th / 53rd pick / 1966

Lou Kirouac 26 G-T-K 14 0 248 6-3 Boston College 5/17/1940 3
Dick Koeper 23 T 3 0 260 6-4 Oregon State 7/23/1943 Rook

Green Bay Packers / 6th / 74th pick / 1965

Errol Linden 29 T 14 14 258 6-5 Houston 10/21/1937 5

Detroit Lions / 10th / 135th pick / 1961
Houston Oilers / 29th / 232nd pick / 1961

Billy Lothridge 24 DB-P 14 0 194 6-1 Georgia Tech 1/1/1942 2

Dallas Cowboys / 6th / 73rd pick / 1964
Oakland Raiders / 12th / 95th pick / 1964

Red Mack 29 TE-WR-HB 1 0 180 5-10 Notre Dame 6/19/1937 5

Pittsburgh Steelers / 10th / 131st pick / 1961
Buffalo Bills / 23rd / 179th pick / 1961

Frank Marchlewski 23 C 14 14 240 6-2 Minnesota 10/14/1943 1

Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 60th pick / 1965
Buffalo Bills / 19th / 152nd pick / 1965

Bud Marshall 25 DT-DE 6 0 270 6-4 Baylor,Stephen F. Austin 9/12/1941 1

Green Bay Packers / 10th / 136th pick / 1965

Bill Martin 24 TE 14 0 238 6-4 Georgia Tech 10/27/1942 2

Kansas City Chiefs / 2nd / 10th pick / 1964
Chicago Bears / 2nd / 21st pick / 1964

Larry Morris 33 LB-FB-HB 12 0 226 6-2 Georgia Tech 12/10/1933 11

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 7th pick / 1955

Tommy Nobis* 23 LB 14 0 240 6-2 Texas 9/20/1943 Rook

Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 1st pick / 1966
Houston Oilers / 1st / 5th pick / 1966

Nick Rassas 22 DB 8 0 190 6-0 Notre Dame 1/13/1944 Rook

San Diego Chargers / 2nd / 16th pick / 1966
Atlanta Falcons / 2nd / 17th pick / 1966

Ken Reaves 22 DB 14 0 210 6-3 Norfolk State 10/29/1944 Rook

Atlanta Falcons / 4th / 49th pick / 1966

Ron Rector 22 RB 4 0 200 6-0 Northwestern 5/29/1944 Rook

Green Bay Packers / 9th / 138th pick / 1966

Guy Reese 27 DT 2 0 258 6-5 SMU 9/22/1939 4

Dallas Texans / 11th / 83rd pick / 1962
Dallas Cowboys / 15th / 200th pick / 1962

Bobby Richards 28 DE-DT 14 0 245 6-2 LSU 10/2/1938 4

Oakland Raiders / 32nd / 249th pick / 1962
Philadelphia Eagles / 15th / 210th pick / 1961

Jerry Richardson 25 DB 14 14 190 6-3 West Texas A&M 11/13/1941 2

Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 35th pick / 1964
Denver Broncos / 7th / 54th pick / 1964

Preston Ridlehuber 23 RB 3 0 217 6-2 Georgia 11/2/1943 Rook

San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 166th pick / 1966
New York Jets / 19th / 168th pick / 1966

Bob Riggle 22 DB 14 0 200 6-1 Penn State 2/5/1944 Rook

Atlanta Falcons / 20th / 291st pick / 1966

Karl Rubke 31 LB-C-DT-DE 14 12 240 6-4 USC 12/6/1935 9

San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 56th pick / 1957

Marion Rushing 30 LB 14 0 223 6-2 Southern Illinois 9/3/1936 7
Charlie Scales 28 HB-FB 5 0 210 5-11 Indiana 1/11/1938 6
Bob Sherlag 23 WR 9 0 195 6-0 Memphis 4/19/1943 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 5th / 41st pick / 1966
Philadelphia Eagles / 6th / 84th pick / 1966

Jimmy Sidle 23 RB 6 0 215 6-2 Auburn 2/7/1943 Rook

Dallas Cowboys / 4th / 47th pick / 1965
New York Jets / 9th / 68th pick / 1965

Chuck Sieminski 26 DT 14 14 270 6-5 Penn State 7/3/1940 3

San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 46th pick / 1962
Boston Patriots / 14th / 110th pick / 1962

Carl Silvestri 23 DB 3 0 195 5-11 Wisconsin 3/27/1943 1

St. Louis Cardinals / 16th / 222nd pick / 1965

Jim Simon 26 G-T 14 2 240 6-4 Miami (FL) 3/22/1940 3

Boston Patriots / 9th / 71st pick / 1963
Detroit Lions / 15th / 208th pick / 1963

Steve Sloan 22 QB 3 0 185 6-0 Alabama 8/19/1944 Rook

Atlanta Falcons / 11th / 156th pick / 1966

Ron Smith 23 DB-WR 14 14 195 6-1 Wisconsin 5/3/1943 1
Joe Szczecko 24 DT 12 0 245 6-0 Northwestern 8/25/1942 Rook
Don Talbert 27 T-LB 12 12 255 6-5 Texas 3/1/1939 4

Houston Oilers / 34th / 271st pick / 1962
Dallas Cowboys / 8th / 100th pick / 1961

Tommy Tolleson 23 WR 8 0 195 6-1 Alabama 1/30/1943 Rook

New York Jets / 17th / 150th pick / 1966
Atlanta Falcons / 15th / 216th pick / 1966

Wade Traynham 24 K 2 0 218 6-2 Frederick Community College (MD) 2/3/1942 Rook
Ernie Wheelwright 27 RB 14 0 235 6-3 Southern Illinois 11/28/1939 2
Bob Whitlow 30 C 11 0 236 6-2 Arizona,Indiana 2/15/1936 6
Sam Williams 35 DE-E-LB 14 14 235 6-5 Michigan State 3/9/1931 7

Los Angeles Rams / 24th / 288th pick / 1956

Bill Wolski 22 FB 2 0 203 5-11 Notre Dame 5/23/1944 Rook

Atlanta Falcons / 5th / 65th pick / 1966
New York Jets / 10th / 87th pick / 1966

Team Total 25.7 14 220.4 6-2.0 2.8