For longtime Falcons fans, he was the face of the franchise – he was their Bob Lilly, their Dick Butkus, their Chuck Bednarik.
He was Mr. Falcon.
The former Falcons linebacker, and member of the team’s Ring of Honor, passed away on Tuesday night at the age of 74.
Nobis, the first draft pick in the 1966 NFL Draft, provided legitimacy to an expansion franchise in the deep South, a place where the National Football League had no record of success at the time. A star linebacker coming out of the University of Texas, Nobis did just that – providing instant credibility.