Atlanta Falcons great Tommy Nobis deserved to be enshrined

Former Atlanta Falcons great Tommy Nobis was up to be elected to the Hall of Fame and once again, he wasn’t selected.

The original Atlanta Falcons draft pick, Tommy Nobis, was one of the best defensive players of his time and was revered by former players such as Dan Reeves and Larry Csonka. It’s a travesty that Nobis wasn’t already in the half of fame especially since his career ended over 50 years ago.

Last Wednesday the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their special class of inductees that included former coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson, yet Tommy Nobis is being punished, not because of his play, but for the Atlanta Falcons lack of success during his era.

His numbers speak for him. Here is a player who once recorded 294 tackles in a season, made five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams over the course of 11 years in the NFL.

While this is a disappointment to all Atlanta Falcons fans, this should not be a surprise. This is the same Hall of Fame panel that hasn’t given Roger Craig his green jacket. It took Terrell Owens three years to get elected to the Hall of Fame and regardless of his antics on and off the field; this guy still ranks third in receiving yards and third in touchdowns.

There are guys in the Hall of Fame right now that didn’t have any business getting in before Nobis. Joe Nameth comes to mind, if we’re being honest, he only got in because he made a guarantee to win Super Bowl III and he did it.

Not to take away anything from him but making a guarantee to win a game does not justify having him in the Hall of Fame before Nobis.

It a shame that an all-time great won’t be in the Hall of Fame and there’s no telling when they will finally put him in there. There needs to be justice for one of the All-time greats of his era. He more than deserves to be in Canton.