The Academy Award-winning actor, best known as a Western film icon, had a reputation for being a gritty, hard-nosed man, one who knew what it took to be a hero. And those Falcons, still searching for their first-ever playoff berth, needed a hero.

Per the estimable Florence Times-Tri Cities Daily, Atlanta's spokesman called Wayne "a big, strong guy who has also had some success in a couple of movie roles." In other words, football's Shaquille O'Neal.

True, Wayne was 64 years old when Van Brocklin shouted his name into a war room phone, but the Hollywood star had intangibles Atlanta simply couldn't find elsewhere. Why not give him a chance?

(It's worth noting that Wayne also had relevant experience: As a kid, he wrote sports reports for his high school newspaper. And we all know that you're only allowed to write about sports if you're great at playing them, too. What's more, Wayne played a football coach in the 1953 picture Trouble Along the Way, so he probably had the Xs and Os down pat.)

Unfortunately, Wayne never got an opportunity to don the red and black, as commissioner Pete Rozelle disallowed the move. Atlanta ended up using its last pick—No. 431 overall, a real prized asset—on Southern California RB Bill Holland, who played as many NFL snaps as Wayne: zero.

Why did Rozelle step in? The answer isn't as simple as you may believe. Again, from the Florence Times-Tri Cities Daily:

"While the Falcons' 'sleeper pick' was duly posted, amid tired titters from the gallery, a New Orleans representative flashed frantic hand signals to his counterpart from Washington. Minutes later, 'John Wayne of Apache II' was exposed as fraud—and the Saints and Redskins consummated the ninth trade of the draft meeting."