Jeff Van Note
| No. 57 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Center | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | February 7, 1946 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | South Orange, New Jersey | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 247 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Kentucky | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1969 / Round: 11 / Pick: 262 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Jeffrey Aloysius Van Note (born February 7, 1946[1]) is a former American football center who played for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played college football for the University of Kentucky. The Atlanta Falcons picked him in the eleventh round of the 1969 NFL Draft.
College career
Van Note enrolled in the University of Kentucky, where he was a running back and defensive end for the Kentucky Wildcats football team from 1966 to 1968.
Professional career
Van Note was drafted as a linebacker by the Atlanta Falcons in the 11th round—the 269th overall pick of the 1969 NFL Draft. During the 1969 season, he played minor league football with the Alabama (Huntsville) Hawks of the Continental Football League.
Van Note soon moved to center by Falcons head coach Norm Van Brocklin. Despite his modest draft status and lack of experience in the position, Van Note established himself as one of the finest centers in the NFL, making five Pro Bowls and helping the young Atlanta franchise to some of the greatest seasons in team history. His 18-year tenure with the Falcons is one of the 25 longest in NFL history and is the second longest while staying with the same team. He played in 246 games over this stretch, and his 225 games started as a Falcon is second in team history to Mike Kenn. Van Note missed a mere four games in his entire NFL career.
The Falcons retired Van Note's jersey number 57 on December 15, 1986, at halftime of his final home game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and presented him a 57 Chevy prior to the game. He would also be voted by fans as the franchise's favorite player during the Falcons' 25th Anniversary season in 1991. Van Note would be inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Broadcasting career
After retiring from professional football, Van Note served as color commentator on the Atlanta Falcons and University of Kentucky football broadcasts through the 1990s. Throughout this period, he would also frequently be heard on Atlanta airwaves as a sports-talk radio host.
Van Note also spent time alongside Joe McConnell as the color commentator for the Tennessee Oilers in 1997.
Van Note gave up his commentator positions with both teams following the 2003 season, but was called back into regular duty when Georgia Tech football analyst Kim King was unable to call games and later died in the fall of 2004. Van Note has served as color commentator for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football (alongside play-by-play man Wes Durham) from 2004 to the present.
Though no longer occupying the Falcons' play-by-play booth, he has continued to appear weekly on the Falcons' radio broadcasts, hosting a studio pre-game show and taking calls following the game.
Van Note called the University of Kentucky/Middle Tennessee State game with Tom Leach on UK radio in September 2008, filling in for regular commentator Jeff Piecoro.
Falcons Ring of Honor
Jeff Van Note was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor on October 1, 2006. Van Note was selected by fan vote and joined the four inaugural members of the Ring of Honor, Tommy Nobis, Steve Bartkowski, William Andrews, and Jessie Tuggle. The Falcons Ring of Honor was established in 2004 to honor retired players who made significant contributions to the Falcons during their playing careers. Many long time Falcons fans were surprised that Van Note was not among the inaugural inductees, but are pleased that he has now received this well-deserved honor.
Honors
- All-NFC (UPI) - 1980
- 6 time Pro-Bowler - 1974-75, 1979–82
- 2nd Team All-Pro (AP) - 1982
- Induction into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame - 1984[2]
- Participant in the collegiate Blue-Gray All-Star game
- Falcons Ring of Honor - 2006
- Harris Poll Voter - 2011
References
- ↑ Jeff Van note, database Football. Accessed December 23, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.americanfootballassn.com/forms/2010HallofFameListing.pdf