No former Falcons make the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists

Mike Kenn. Jeff Van Note. Jessie Tuggle. Tommy Nobis. Heck, throw in Scott Case if you like.

These are just a few of the historically great Falcons we’d consider for the Hall of Fame, if we have the power to nominate. Year after year, though, these players get snubbed, and the 2018 class will apparently be no exception. There is not a single former Falcon on the list, best I can tell. The closest is Bobby Beathard, the former absurdly successful Redskins and Chargers general manager who served as a Falcons scout for four seasons. I guess that counts.

I’ve said this in years past and will say so again: It’s an injustice that Mike Kenn and Tommy Nobis aren’t in the Hall of Fame, and the Falcons fan in me wants to say the same for the likes of Tuggle (my all-time favorite player) and Van Note. Kenn was simply one of the greatest and most durable tackles in NFL history, while Nobis was one of the most feared and dominant players in the NFL in the 60s and 70s. Maybe someday they’ll get their due, but if not, we can continue to recognize their greatness in our little corner of the Internet.

That said, this is a class with some truly terrific players. Tony Boselli was a great tackle (although not as good as Kenn), Steve Atwater and Brian Dawkins were two of the greatest safeties in NFL history, and Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Brian Urlacher are living legends, all. We’ll see who makes it in, but it’s a shame Atlanta won’t be well-represented.