Several former Falcons have a chance to wind up in Canton as the Pro Football Hall of Fame named the semifinalists in the ‘Seniors and Coaches/Contributors’ categories for the class of 2023.
In all, 54 individuals make up the list including 25 players chosen by the Seniors Committee and 29 chosen by the Coach/Contributor Committee. As for the former Falcons on the list, the semifinalists are:
- WR Billy ‘White Shoes’ Johnson (1982-87)
- LB Tommy Nobis (1966-76)
- OT Mike Kenn (1978-94)
- OT George Kunz (1969-74)
- Clay Matthews Jr. (1994-96)
- Rich McKay - Team President (2008-present)
- Dan Reeves - Head Coach (1997-03)
While most of the names on this list are more well-known for their time with other franchises, there are a pair of players that Chris Goforth believes deserve to be in Canton for what they accomplished during their time with the Falcons as well as another player who didn’t make the semifinals.
“If you’re going to put another Falcon in the Hall of Fame it’s got to be Tommy Nobis. Tommy Nobis was Mr. Falcon and Tommy Nobis should already be in. Frankly, I think Mike Kenn should be in. I think we need to start a campaign to get Jeff Van Note. I mean, Van Note was just a freaking warrior for the Falcons," he said.
In his rookie season as the Falcons' first-ever draft pick, Nobis set the Falcons’ single season with 294 combined tackles—a record that, while unofficial, still stands as the most tackles attributed to a player in a single season in NFL history. That success continued throughout his career as he racked up five Pro Bowl selections and was twice named All-Pro.
Mike Kenn was known for his productivity and durability, as was Van Note, with both rarely missing any action along the Falcons offensive line. While the team didn't see much success while these standout players were on the roster, Goforth argues they deserve individual recognition and that the Falcons are underrepresented in Canton.
“I understand we're talking about a franchise that does have the past success that say the Steelers, packers, Cowboys or 49ers have, but there need to be more Falcons in the Hall of Fame," Goforth said.
12 Seniors and 12 Coach/Contributors will ultimately make it to the final stage and those results will be revealed on July 27th.
