Every young player needs a veteran or two to look up to. For Atlanta Falcons seventh-round rookie Demarcco Hellams, that's Jessie Bates III and Richie Grant.
“It’s been great being around those guys," Hellams said of Bates and Grant.
Bates and Grant, like most of the starters, didn't appear in Atlanta's preseason win against the Miami Dolphins, but their impact was still felt.
"They did a great job of encouraging us and just letting us know what we can do with our first preseason game, and we were ready for the moment," Hellams said.
When the Falcons signed Bates this offseason, Atlanta knew it wasn't just getting an All-Pro on the field. That's why they paid him one of the richest contracts for a safety in NFL history.
“Everything he can bring, outside of obviously the football player, he’s been a good football player in this league. We also know the person he is and what he’s going to bring to the locker room," general manager Terry Fontenot said.
The same can be said for Grant. After drafting him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the former UCF Knights defensive back is emerging into a young leader for the Falcons defense.
"Richie’s made a pretty big impact here," coach Arthur Smith said. "Richie has a knack for getting to the ball (and) he’s a fun player to coach. We don’t have a lot of social media stars so maybe he doesn’t get the hype but Richie Grant’s a damn good football player. ... I’m very pleased with Richie."
If a player can impact more than just himself, he's doing more than what's technically asked of him, and that adds huge value in the long run.
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