Atlanta Falcons 'Ball of Energy' Fuels New-Look Defensive Line

The Atlanta Falcons have overhauled their defense in the last two NFL Drafts, with seven picks on that side of the ball in the draft’s first four rounds. They also brought in defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to spearhead a faster, more aggressive unit.

While Ulbrich has gotten most of the headlines as the new face of the Falcons' defense, he wasn’t the only new coach brought in on that side of the ball. Atlanta also hired Nate Ollie to be their defensive line coach. 

If the Falcons’ new mantra is energy and aggression, Ollie is the fuel for the fire. 

“Nate Ollie is a walking ball of energy,” head coach Raheem Morris said during mini-camp. “The minute you meet him, the minute you interview him, the minute you do anything with him, is always going to be a certain form of energy, and that comes with a belief in what he's teaching.

“When you have that high-level belief and that high-level thought process that you can't be beat because of that, it eventually goes to your players. And eventually, what's going to happen with Nate, which happens to all coaches, is that energy goes into your room. 

“Then you eventually pull off and you watch those guys become a version of you or become your sounding board. I'm seeing it start to happen already with some of the guys up front.”

Having worked together with the New York Jets in 2021, Ulbrich knew immediately that he wanted Ollie to be part of his staff in Atlanta.

"Nate's a guy that when I was given the opportunity to come back here, he was one of my first phone calls,” Ulbrich said last week. “I know what he's about. He's going to instill these attack principles with our guys. He has a Ph.D. in this attack system. Had some history with him, knew him very well. Knew what he had in his brain, but more importantly, what he had in his heart, and we're lucky to have him.” 

Attack.

That’s a word Atlanta Falcons fans have been wanting to hear from their defense for a long, long time. 

Ollie’s energy around his defensive linemen has been a talking point of training camp. Ulbrich knows it’s not a facade.

“It's every single day, and it's authentic, and it's real. I don't know where it comes from,” Ulbrich said of the drive that Ollie displays. “The Death Wish Coffee must be working really, really well, because he never has a bad day in that way.” 

The fast-paced practice style is intentional to keep everyone involved, because having been a defensive lineman himself, he believes in a heavy rotation. 

"It's a different style, right?” Ollie asked rhetorically about what his players are being asked to do this year. “Want guys to rep our style. The only way to do that is to want those guys to be fresh. Can't ask you to get out of the stack, get off the ball. If you're taking seven plays in a row, you just can't do it, right? So, that's why we want to keep these guys fresh and rolling."

The Falcons have a deep, if relatively unproven, defensive line. With Grady Jarrett having been released by Atlanta in March, David Onyemata remains as the elder statesman at 32 years old.

Ruke Orhorhoro, Zach Harrison, Ta’Quon Graham, Morgan Fox, Kentavius Street, and Brandon Dorlus all appear to figure into Ollie’s rotation. 

What the Falcons lack in experience, they’ll make up for in attack-minded numbers who will remain fresh through the game with a heavy rotation.