1966 NFL expansion draft
The 1966 NFL expansion draft was a National Football League (NFL) draft in which a new expansion team, named the Atlanta Falcons, selected its first players. On June 30, 1965, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle awarded the first NFL franchise in the Deep South to the city of Atlanta, Georgia and granted ownership to Rankin Smith Sr.[1]
So that the Falcons could become competitive with existing teams, the league awarded the Falcons the first pick in the 1966 NFL Draft, supplemented with the final pick in the first five rounds.[1] The NFL also gave the new team the opportunity to select current players from existing teams. That selection was provided by the expansion draft, held on February 15, 1966.[1] In this draft, held six weeks after the regular draft, the existing franchises listed players from which the Falcons could select to switch to the new team.
Player selections
Player | Position | College Team | Original NFL Team |
---|---|---|---|
Roger Anderson | Defensive Tackle | Virginia Union | New York Giants |
Larry Benz | Safety | Northwestern | Cleveland Browns |
Lee Calland | Defensive Back | Louisville | Minnesota Vikings |
Dennis Claridge | Quarterback | Nebraska | Green Bay Packers |
Junior Coffey | Fullback | Washington | Green Bay Packers |
Ed Cook | Offensive Guard | Notre Dame | St. Louis Cardinals |
Dave Crossan | Center | Maryland | Washington Redskins |
Perry Lee Dunn | Half back | Mississippi | Dallas Cowboys |
Bobby Franklin | Safety | Mississippi | Cleveland Browns |
Dan Grimm | Offensive Guard | Colorado | Green Bay Packers |
Alex Hawkins | Flanker | South Carolina | Baltimore Colts |
Ralph Heck | Linebacker | Colorado | Philadelphia Eagles |
Bob Jencks | Tight End- Kicker | Miami (OH) | Washington Redskins |
Bill Jobko | Linebacker | Ohio State | Minnesota Vikings |
Rudy Johnson | Half back | Nebraska | San Francisco 49ers |
Frank Lasky | Offensive Tackle | Florida | New York Giants |
Danny Lewis | Fullback | Wisconsin | Washington Redskins |
Errol Linden | Offensive Tackle | Houston | Minnesota Vikings |
Bill (Red) Mack | Flanker | Notre Dame | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Frank Marchlewski | Center | Minnesota | Los Angeles Rams |
Billy Martin | Tight End | Georgia Tech | Chicago Bears |
Dale Memmelaar | Offensive Guard | Wyoming | Cleveland Browns |
Dale Messer | Flanker | Fresno State | San Francisco 49ers |
Max Messner | Linebacker | Cincinnati | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Dennis Murphy | Defensive Tackle | Florida | Chicago Bears |
Neal Petties | Split End | San Diego State | Baltimore Colts |
Tim Powell | Defensive End | Northwestern | Los Angeles Rams |
Dave Recher | Center | Iowa | Philadelphia Eagles |
Guy Reese | Offensive Tackle | SMU | Baltimore Colts |
Bob Richards | Defensive End | LSU | Philadelphia Eagles |
Jerry Richardson | Defensive Back | West Texas State | Los Angeles Rams |
Marion Rushing | Linebacker | Southern Illinois | St. Louis Cardinals |
Bob Sherman | Defensive Back | Iowa | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Chuck Sieminski | Defensive Tackle | Penn State | San Francisco 49ers |
Carl Silvestri | Defensive Back | Wisconsin | St. Louis Cardinals |
Jim Simon | Offensive Guard-Tackle | Miami | Detroit Lions |
Ron Smith | Defensive Back | Wisconsin | Chicago Bears |
Don Talbert | Offensive Tackle | Texas | Dallas Cowboys |
Ernie Wheelwright | Fullback | Southern Illinois | New York Giants |
Bob Whitlow | Center | Arizona | Detroit Lions |
Sam Williams | Defensive End | Michigan State | Detroit Lions |
Maury Youmans | Defensive End | Syracuse | Dallas Cowboys |
See also
- Pro Football Hall of Fame – 1966 Draft
- Dbasefootball – 1966 Draft
- 1966 American Football League Draft
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "1966 NFL Draft". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
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