Falcons great Jeff Van Note dies at 80

Jeff Van Note, the center who spent all 18 seasons of his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons and was selected to six Pro Bowls, has died at 80, the team announced Friday, October 2. The Falcons did not disclose a cause of death. Van Note played 246 games for Atlanta before retiring after the 1986 season. He was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2006. Team owner Arthur Blank said in a statement that Van Note had dedicated 18 seasons to the franchise and was respected by generations of Falcons fans. The Falcons selected Van Note in the 11th round of the 1969 NFL draft, listing him as a linebacker. Coach Norm Van Brocklin moved him to center, and Van Note earned the starting job in 1970. His first Pro Bowl selection came in 1974, followed by five more. He was named a second-team Associated Press All-Pro in 1979 and 1982. The team’s career statistics in the reports differ slightly: one account says Van Note started 226 of 246 games, while another credits him with 225 starts. The Falcons also credit him with a franchise-record streak of 155 consecutive appearances and say he missed four games over his career.