Falcons turn to Nicholas with loss of Boley, Brooking

Stephen Nicholas might have finally cracked the Falcons’ starting lineup. Just don’t tell him that.

“Oh no,” the linebacker said Wednesday. “I don’t look at it the way. I look at it the same every camp. I just go out and compete.”

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Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Stephen Nicholas (54) has some big shoes to fill this season, with linebackers Michael Boley and Keith Brooking playing elsewhere.

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However, the fact remains that Nicholas is running with the first unit. He was there in mini-camp in May. He is here now during Organized Training Activities (OTAs). He will be there for the start of training camp on Aug. 1. With the loss of linebackers Keith Brooking and Michael Boley in the offseason, Nicholas has stepped in right along with free-agent Mike Peterson and second-year player Curtis Lofton on the starting unit.

“He’s running with the [starters] right now, but everything we do here is competition, so we’ll see how it sorts itself out,” Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said.

Therein lies the driving force behind Nicholas.

“I always look at it as I have to compete,” Nicholas said. “That’s what I do. I’m up to start, but my goal is to go out and always compete. Just because you are up doesn’t mean you’re the guy. So if you compete everyday when you are up, then everything should work out for the good.”

Nicholas was drafted in fourth round in 2007 out of South Florida. He has never started a regular-season NFL game, although he has played in 29 games in two seasons. Nicholas learned from those before him.

“[The veterans] taught me just to work hard and learn the game,” Nicholas said. “It’s more about learning the game. Everybody is talented in this league. You have to learn the game and work hard every day. … It’s about understanding what’s going on around you.”

Nicholas is part of a defense that was often criticized last season and was the focus of this offseason. The Falcons signed Peterson, and seven of their eight draft picks — including the first five — were defensive players.

One area of concern was sack production from the linebackers. The Falcons had 34 sacks last season, but just two — one by Nicholas and one by Lofton — by a linebacker.

“It’s something we definitely want to improve this year,” Nicholas said. “Curtis Lofton and Michael Peterson, it’s something for us all to improve. That was the downfall from last year, and we definitely want to pick that up.”

Tackles, specifically tackles for loss, were a trademark of Nicholas at South Florida, where he was named to the All-Big East team in 2006. He finished his collegiate career with 320 tackles, second on the school’s all-time list. He owns the school record with 50.5 tackles for loss.

“I heard [talk of a professional career] a couple of times in high school and then a couple of times in college,” said Nicholas, one of eight children. “I knew I had to have the mind frame of just to keep working, and if it happens, it happens. It happened.”

Now it has happened that Nicholas finds himself a starter in the NFL. Just don’t try to convince him of it. He’s too busy.