• The KillerFrogs

RIP Tommy Nobis

Paint It Purple

Active Member
I realize he was a Longhorn, but he was a great player and a great Texan, Rest In Peace.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tommy-nobis-atlanta-falcons-legend-dead-at-74/
Sad to hear of his passing. Tommy Nobis is why I painted a longhorn and the number 60 on my Hutch football helmet. In those days, almost all of us grew up wanting to be a Longhorn. If you were from any little Texas town like I was, you didn't know any other school existed. Funny thing; I now despise Texas. But, Mr Nobis is still remembered as a great hero. Rest peacefully Tommy Nobis.
 

OICU812

Active Member
Sad to hear of his passing. Tommy Nobis is why I painted a longhorn and the number 60 on my Hutch football helmet. In those days, almost all of us grew up wanting to be a Longhorn. If you were from any little Texas town like I was, you didn't know any other school existed. Funny thing; I now despise Texas. But, Mr Nobis is still remembered as a great hero. Rest peacefully Tommy Nobis.

Disagree with your take on "wanting to be a longhorn" (I was raised to hate them), but no doubt that even as a kid, recognized that he was a bad, bad man on the football field. Same weirdly reverential respect/loathing for him as for Worster, and later for Bad Earl.
 

SwissArmyFrog

Active Member
Article says he wasn't really aware that the Falcons were in the recent Super Bowl, even after his wife told him. Just hate to hear about people having these cognitive problems. Terrible way to spend your last years.
 

Gunner

Active Member
Nobis was the greatest linebacker of all time. Wish he had been a Frog. He probably was twice as fast as Butkus, but didn't get the pub, as the article said.

He played for the Longhorns back when they had a football team and a coach.
 

Dogfrog

Active Member
Nobis was a real big deal.

As for everybody being a Longhorn fan, I think the age of your parents plays a role in that. My dad was born in 1924 and did not attend TCU. But he played football and he was 11 and 14 years old when TCU won its national championships. So I grew up hearing nothing but Sammy Baugh and Davey O’Brien.
 

Leap Frog

Full Member
Nobis was a real big deal.

As for everybody being a Longhorn fan, I think the age of your parents plays a role in that. My dad was born in 1924 and did not attend TCU. But he played football and he was 11 and 14 years old when TCU won its national championships. So I grew up hearing nothing but Sammy Baugh and Davey O’Brien.
Sammy and Davey owned the 'Horns, and Frogs held their own from 1929--- 1967-- winning 19 while losing
20.
As for Mr. Nobis, one of the best to ever play the game. RIP.
 

matmoo123

Full Member
I had a chance to hang out with Nobis a handful of times here in Atlanta over the last decade. Tough SOB until the end and told some great stories. Had no love for the Frogs, but was a good sport. Did some great work with his charitable foundation after football as well.
 

Paint It Purple

Active Member
Nobis was a real big deal.

As for everybody being a Longhorn fan, I think the age of your parents plays a role in that. My dad was born in 1924 and did not attend TCU. But he played football and he was 11 and 14 years old when TCU won its national championships. So I grew up hearing nothing but Sammy Baugh and Davey O’Brien.
You are probably correct. My dad was born in '16, but didn't really follow football. Too busy surviving the depression and WWII. My brother was much older and probably beat all of us neighborhood kids if we didn't pretend to be a longhorn in our daily vacant lot games.
 

Hoosierfrog

Tier 1
Nobis was the greatest linebacker of all time. Wish he had been a Frog. He probably was twice as fast as Butkus, but didn't get the pub, as the article said.

He played for the Longhorns back when they had a football team and a coach.

Butkus had a shorter career due to knees and was all pro 8 times to one for Nobis, a third more tackles and by the HOF. Nobis was only in the same league as Butkus because of the letters NFL.
 
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