'I can tell he was a Georgia guy by the way he practiced today' - Former UGA star immediately stood out during NFL minicamp

A former Georgia Bulldogs standout stood out during NFL minicamps this week thanks to the way he practiced on day one -- which is a product of the time he spent in Athens. 

Former Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft (No. 15 overall). 

Walker joins former Georgia edge rusher Leonard Floyd in Atlanta (Floyd signed with the Falcons as a free agent earlier this offseason after spending the 2024 season with the San Francisco 49ers). 

Floyd was asked about Walker on Tuesday after Atlanta's minicamp session and he told reporters that he could immediately tell that the rookie played at Georgia based on the way he practiced. 

"I can actually tell he was a Georgia guy by the way he practiced today," said Floyd. "Running to the ball, you know, hustling hard. It was great to see him doing. I was like, that reminds me of my time when I came out of Georgia. I came out and just went hard on day one. And I saw that from him today in Walker."

Atlanta actually took two edge rushers in the first round of this year's draft (the Falcons selected Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce with the No. 26 overall pick). Floyd was asked by a reporter what he thought when he saw the Falcons select two edge rushers on the first night of the draft. 

"I loved it," said Floyd. "The more the merrier. I'm a guy who believes in rotation. I believe in coaches sending guys in, fresh legs, and getting after the quarterback."

"I watched Walker (in college)," added Floyd. "I didn't get a chance to see Tennessee play a lot. But Walker went to Georgia, I [saw him play] pretty much every week."

Floyd played at Georgia under previous head coach Mark Richt (his final season in Athens was also Richt's last season as the head coach). 

While there's no doubt that UGA's practices are more intense under current head coach Kirby Smart, Floyd's comments show that practicing hard has been embedded in the culture at Georgia for a long time. It's the standard in Athens regardless of who the head coach happens to be.