Tommy Nobis, former Texas and Falcons great, dies at 74

Tommy Nobis, the former Texas standout who went on to become the first ever pick of the Atlanta Falcons and a five-time Pro Bowl selection, died Wednesday morning, the Falcons confirmed. He was 74.

Known as "Mr. Falcon," Nobis was the first selection of the 1966 NFL draft by the expansion Falcons, though he was also selected No. 6 overall by the AFL's Houston Oilers. While orbiting the Earth in his Gemini spacecraft, astronaut Frank Borman — whose two sons were ball boys for the Oilers — urged Nobis to sign with Houston.

“I hope he comes here,” Borman said as his spaceship flew over Houston during its 59th orbit.

Nobis was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, the first of three consecutive selections, and was named to the NFL's 1960s All-Decade team. As a rookie, Nobis was credited unofficially with a staggering 296 solo and assisted tackles — an average of more than 21 per game. It remains the franchise record, and he would lead the team in tackles a total of nine times. The only exceptions were the 1969 and ‘71 seasons when injuries limited him to a total of nine games.

His No. 60 was the first to be retired by the Falcons.

Nobis finished his career at Texas as one of the Longhorns' all-time greats. A two-time All-American, he was a standout at both guard and linebacker and a starter on the 1963 championship team.

As a senior, he won the Maxwell Award as the best all-around player in college football and the Outland Trophy as the top lineman. He finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting — the top finisher among those who played defense — and appeared on the cover of Life and Sports Illustrated.

"On behalf of the Atlanta Falcons we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the great Tommy Nobis," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. "Tommy's legacy began as the first Falcons player in team history, was built over 40 years with the organization and will love on for years to come in our Ring of Honor. 'Mr. Falcon' is rightfully beloved by generations of Falcons fans and we will always be grateful for his many contributions to our team and community."

After his playing days were over, Nobis had a long career in the Falcons front office and also became well known in the Atlanta area for running a charitable organization that provided job training to people with disabilities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.