Tommy Nobis Thomas Henry Nobis , Jr . ( born September 20 , 1943 in San Antonio , Texas ) is a former American football player . He attended Thomas Jefferson High School ( San Antonio , TX ) where he was an all - state offensive end and middle linebacker . He played college football for the University of Texas at Austin and professionally , in the National Football League , for the Atlanta Falcons . Nobis was the # 1 overall pick in the 1966 NFL Draft . College years . Tommy Nobis is one of college football ’ s all - time greatest linebacker s . In his tenure with the Texas Longhorns ( 1963 – 1965 ) he averaged nearly 20 tackles a game and , as the only sophomore starter , was an important participant on the Longhorns ’ 1963 National College Football Championship team , which defeated Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach in the Cotton Bowl Classic . Nobis was a two time All - America n and made the All - Southwest Conference team three times . In the 1965 Orange Bowl , Nobis made one of the most famous tackles in the game ’ s history . On fourth - and - inches , and clinging to a 21 - 17 lead , he led his teammates to a game saving halt of top ranked Alabama ’ s QB Joe Namath . Tommy Nobis was an iron man , playing ( and starting ) on both defense and offense for his entire college career . Aside from being an All - American linebacker , he also played guard on the offensive side of the ball and was often the primary blocker on touchdown runs . Famed Texas coach Darrell K . Royal called him " the finest two - way player I have ever seen . " A knee injury slowed him during the latter part of his senior season , but he still was able to perform at a high level and won a number of major individual awards including the Knute Rockne Award , best lineman , the Outland Trophy , best interior lineman , and the Maxwell Award for college football ’ s best player . Nobis also finished seventh in the Heisman voting to USC ’ s Mike Garrett . He appeared on the covers of " LIFE " , " Sports Illustrated " and " TIME " magazines . NFL career . In 1965 , Tommy Nobis became the first player ever drafted by the expansion Atlanta Falcons as well as the second linebacker to be chosen first overall when he was taken with the # 1 pick in the 1966 NFL Draft on November 27 , 1965 . The Houston Oilers also drafted him in the American Football League Draft . This presented a dilemma and also sparked a debate that reached as far as outer space when Frank Borman , an astronaut aboard Gemini 7 , talked back to earth with the message , " tell Nobis to sign with Houston . " Tommy Nobis instead signed with Atlanta on December 14 , 1965 and became the first ever member of the Atlanta Falcons . This culminated in the nickname " Mr . Falcon " . Tommy Nobis joined the Falcons for their inaugural season in 1966 . That season he won the league ' s NFL Rookie of the Year , was voted to the Pro Bowl and amassed an unprecedented 294 combined tackles which still stands today as the team ' s all - time single - season record , and is unofficially the most tackles ever credited to one player , in a season , in NFL history . In eleven professional seasons he led the Falcons in tackles nine times , went to five Pro Bowls ( one in 1972 after two knee surgeries ) , was named All - Pro twice and was chosen for the NFL ' s " All - Decade Team " for the 1960s . Miami Dolphins great , running back Larry Csonka commented , " I ' d rather play against Dick Butkus than Nobis , " and Falcon ' s coach Norm Van Brocklin once pointed to Nobis ' locker and proclaimed , " There ' s where our football team dresses . " Nobis is a member of the Atlanta Falcons ' Ring of Honor and his # 60 was the first number retired by the team . No other Falcons player has ever worn the number . Nobis enjoyed a successful NFL career that many believe is worthy of Pro Football Hall of Fame induction . Former NFL player and coach Dan Reeves , while head coach of the Falcons , remarked , " As a running back for eight seasons in the NFL , I certainly took my share of hits . Unfortunately I remember some of them , particularly the ones from Falcons linebacker Tommy Nobis . ' Mr . Falcon , ' as he is known in this part of the country , should be considered a worthy candidate for the Hall of Fame . ” Reeves based his assertion on the fact that while playing in Atlanta , prior to the days of mass media coverage , Nobis was overlooked because of the “ Falcons lack of success during his tenure ” . He states , “ I played and coached on some great teams while I was with Dallas . Those teams consisted of Hall of Fame members like Bob Lilly , Roger Staubach and Tom Landry . I feel that Nobis ' contributions on the field merit those of the Cowboys Hall of Fame players . ” " Atlanta Journal - Constitution " columnist and Hall of Fame voter Furman Bisher wrote , " There isn ' t much more one can say about Tommy Nobis . In the glow of a winning team , where he would have been a star on the isolated camera , he would already have been residing in Canton . It ' s not a Falcons thing , it ' s a Nobis thing , and here is a man who lives up to all the ideals I would establish for admission to the Pro Football Hall of Fame . " After the NFL . Number 60 is also revered at Texas where it was offered only to the best of linebackers . All American Britt Hager wore # 60 during his senior season , as did All American Brian Jones . In 2004 , another Longhorn All - American linebacker , Derrick Johnson , decided to wear the jersey in his final collegiate home game to honor Nobis . The number has recently joined Earl Campbell ' s # 20 , Bobby Layne ' s # 22 , Ricky Williams ' # 34 , Vince Young ' s # 10 and Colt McCoy ' s # 12 as UT ' s only retired numbers . Tommy Nobis was inducted into the Texas Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1976 . He was named to " Sports Illustrated " ’ s All - Century Team ( 1869 – 1969 ) and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame , the State of Texas Hall of Fame , the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame , the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame , and the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame . In May 2007 , he was inducted as a charter member into the Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Hall of Fame . Tommy Nobis is currently retired from the Falcons after 40 years as a member of the organization , in the front office and on the field . Apart from football Nobis is the founder and a Board of Directors member of the Tommy Nobis Center that began in 1975 . The center provides youth and adults , with disabilities , job training and employment services . He won the Joseph P . Kennedy , Jr . award for his work with the Georgia Special Olympics and has been named the NFL Man of the Year .