Post by Guvmintcheeze on May 10, 2015 17:20:50 GMT
Falcons draft pick Grady Jarrett always motivated
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Grady Jarrett has the right approach.
Although the Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive tackle stood out from the outset of rookie minicamp with his high motor, he wasn't satisfied with his Day 1 performance Friday. Jarrett did believe he improved on Day 2 Saturday, but his facial expression and tone showed a guy motivated to improve each and every day.
"It's just a dream come true being out here in Flowery Branch at the Atlanta Falcons facility," Jarrett said. "Couldn't be in a better situation. So I'm just extremely excited."
Not that Jarrett needed a little added fuel, but he did drop to the fifth round of the draft after being projected as a second-round selection. Some consider the 6-foot, 305-pound tank one of the draft's biggest steals.
"The draft, that's a thing of the past, man," Jarrett said. "You can control what you can control. What I control is how I do out here. Just trying to be a better player and help this team win. It's all about trying to help this team improve and me making the most out of my situation right now."
If he lives up to his promise, Jarrett could put plenty of heat on some of the Falcons' defensive line veterans. He is surrounded by coaches capable of taking his game to a higher level. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, who thought Jarrett was one of the guys who stood out on the first two days of camp, is a defensive line guru and master motivator. Defensive line coach Bryan Cox's fiery delivery is added motivation in itself.
"I love Coach Cox," Jarrett said. "I had an opportunity to work with him a little bit before the draft in my local workout. And to come here and actually have him coach me every day, it's good. He demands the best, and he's getting it out of us every day."
Has Jarrett felt Cox's wrath already?
"Oh absolutely, absolutely," Jarrett said. "And that's just making me a better player. You get here and you realize you've got a lot of work to do. So I'm glad I've got a coach like that who's going to get me better."
Jarrett signed a four-year contract worth a maximum of $2,732,925 that included a $247,582 signing bonus. That had to be a comforting feeling, considering Jarrett's mother's home caught fire during a draft party. The family continues to recover from the unexpected tragedy.
"Definitely a difficult situation," Jarrett said. "We're going to be all right. We're good. Everybody is safe, and that was the most important thing. Any material thing, we can replace. But other than that, I'm focused. We're moving on. We're doing as best as we can right now. Everybody's good."
Jarrett, with new contract in hand, was asked if he planned to buy his mother anything special in the wake of the fire.
"It's really comforting to have that (contract) done, but at this moment, man, I'm just trying to focus on becoming a better football player," he said. "With all the things going on at the house and Mother's Day, I'll probably do a little something. But at this point, the main focus is just coming out here every day getting better."
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Grady Jarrett has the right approach.
Although the Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive tackle stood out from the outset of rookie minicamp with his high motor, he wasn't satisfied with his Day 1 performance Friday. Jarrett did believe he improved on Day 2 Saturday, but his facial expression and tone showed a guy motivated to improve each and every day.
"It's just a dream come true being out here in Flowery Branch at the Atlanta Falcons facility," Jarrett said. "Couldn't be in a better situation. So I'm just extremely excited."
Not that Jarrett needed a little added fuel, but he did drop to the fifth round of the draft after being projected as a second-round selection. Some consider the 6-foot, 305-pound tank one of the draft's biggest steals.
"The draft, that's a thing of the past, man," Jarrett said. "You can control what you can control. What I control is how I do out here. Just trying to be a better player and help this team win. It's all about trying to help this team improve and me making the most out of my situation right now."
If he lives up to his promise, Jarrett could put plenty of heat on some of the Falcons' defensive line veterans. He is surrounded by coaches capable of taking his game to a higher level. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, who thought Jarrett was one of the guys who stood out on the first two days of camp, is a defensive line guru and master motivator. Defensive line coach Bryan Cox's fiery delivery is added motivation in itself.
"I love Coach Cox," Jarrett said. "I had an opportunity to work with him a little bit before the draft in my local workout. And to come here and actually have him coach me every day, it's good. He demands the best, and he's getting it out of us every day."
Has Jarrett felt Cox's wrath already?
"Oh absolutely, absolutely," Jarrett said. "And that's just making me a better player. You get here and you realize you've got a lot of work to do. So I'm glad I've got a coach like that who's going to get me better."
Jarrett signed a four-year contract worth a maximum of $2,732,925 that included a $247,582 signing bonus. That had to be a comforting feeling, considering Jarrett's mother's home caught fire during a draft party. The family continues to recover from the unexpected tragedy.
"Definitely a difficult situation," Jarrett said. "We're going to be all right. We're good. Everybody is safe, and that was the most important thing. Any material thing, we can replace. But other than that, I'm focused. We're moving on. We're doing as best as we can right now. Everybody's good."
Jarrett, with new contract in hand, was asked if he planned to buy his mother anything special in the wake of the fire.
"It's really comforting to have that (contract) done, but at this moment, man, I'm just trying to focus on becoming a better football player," he said. "With all the things going on at the house and Mother's Day, I'll probably do a little something. But at this point, the main focus is just coming out here every day getting better."