NFL Schedule & News: Atlanta Falcons Stars in HBO Series 'Hard Knocks'

Mark your calendars Falcons fans.

The Atlanta team signed up for HBO's documentary "Hard Knocks," with a five-part weekly series debuting this Aug. 5, the Augusta Chronicle reported.

The documentary series will follow the American football team during their training camp for the National Football League (NFL), with cameras given an all-access pass.

"We are excited about the opportunity to give our fans a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to prepare an NFL team for the rigors of a 16-game regular season and beyond," said team owner and chair Arthur Blank, as quoted by ESPN.

"This marks the first time that our franchise will be featured on 'Hard Knocks' and we look forward to showcasing our great players and coaches to football fans all across America," he added.

"We are looking forward to connecting with our fans across the country," said head coach Mike Smith, who the ESPN report said is typically not in favor of any distractions.

The coach added: "The series will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the competition between players as we build our roster and prepare for the season. We are looking forward to the start of camp in late July."

A 30-person crew will be at the Falcons' training camp at the team headquarters in Flowery Branch, Georgia, the Atlanta Falcons website said.

The team will shoot shoot 1,500 hours of footage from meeting rooms, training rooms, dormitories and practice fields.

"We're excited to work with the Atlanta Falcons and HBO Sports on 'Hard Knocks,'" said Howard Katz, COO of NFL Films and NFL senior vice president of broadcasting, as quoted in a CBS Sports report. The crew will come from NFL Films.

"We want to thank Arthur Blank, Thomas Dimitroff (team's general manager), Mike Smith and the entire Falcons' organization for the trust they have in NFL Films by allowing us unprecedented access into their training camp," he added. "The Falcons present numerous storylines with a veteran coaching staff, star players and newcomers all coming together to attempt to rise up back to the top of the NFC."

"We are thrilled that the ninth edition of the "Hard Knocks" series will spotlight the Atlanta Falcons," said Ken Hershman, president of HBO Sports, as quoted in the Falcons website. "It's exciting to feature a team, a franchise and a city for the first time on 'Hard Knocks.'"

Among the stories to watch out for are the return of Julio Jones from a season-ending foot surgery and the beginning of Jake Matthew's carreer in the pro legue, the ESPN report said, adding that receiver Roddy White should bring comic relief.

Concluding in Sept. 2, "Hard Knocks" has featured the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals twice in previous editions. Its cameras have also rolled for the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.

The Falcons begin the 2014 NFL regular season at the Georgia Dome in early September, hosting National Football Conference South Division rival New Orleans Saints.