FLOWERY BRANCH — The minute wide receiver Jamal Agnew stepped into the Falcons headquarters, the organization knew it had signed a special person. The Falcons brought him in to be a leader, and the nine-year veteran is eager to share his knowledge.
Agnew, a former Jacksonville Jaguar, smiled Tuesday afternoon when discussing his role on his new team.
“They brought me in here to kind of be that veteran,” Agnew said after the first day of organized team activities. “I’ve been around a little bit, so (it’s) kind of just free game for all the young guys, showing the things I’ve learned along the way.”
Agnew is a former fifth-round draft pick who received limited offensive snaps but made a name for himself on special teams.
Plus, he can catch.
Agnew is one of four players in NFL history to record a touchdown receiving, rushing, on a kick return and on a field-goal return in his career. He also tallied 225 yards on only 14 receptions last season — a modest total that still would have finished fourth among Falcons wide receivers.
But the biggest attribute Agnew brings to the Falcons is his mentality and personality.
“I love his fearlessness,” special-teams coordinator Marquice Williams said. “He’s able to hit returns north-south or east-west. He does a great job of setting up blocks. He has great vision, break-tackle ability — his speed is real, and you can feel it now.”
A fearless mindset is vital to succeeding on special teams. The NFL recently implemented rules to make the unit safer for returners, but still it involves players running full-speed toward one another.
Agnew clearly thrives in the chaos with a career-average of 25.5 yards per kick return and 10.3 yards per punt return. However, he is not the sole factor. It takes an entire team, including players who are willing to block, in order to have a successful unit.
Luckily for the Falcons, it’s easy to go to war for Agnew because of his likable personality. “People were ecstatic about how good of a person he is” during his first day in the facility, Williams said.
“He’s a likable dude, too,” he added. “For you to have that many touchdowns and be an All-Pro and a Pro Bowl returner, guys want to block for you. It’s one thing to go out there and just do your job as a blocker, but it’s another thing to go take that extra effort because of the guy that you’re blocking for, and he possesses all that.”
Williams is a key reason Agnew chose to sign with the Falcons, as the two crossed paths with the Lions. At the time, Agnew was transitioning from a defensive back to a wide receiver.
And how quickly things change: Agnew had no previous experience at the position but now possesses enough wisdom to mentor his teammates. He said his wealth of knowledge came from players such as Marvin Jones Jr., Danny Amendola and former Falcon Mohamed Sanu.
“I’m not one of those rah-rah guys,” Agnew said. “I’m pretty mellow, pretty low-key, but if I see something and I feel like I have a good understanding, or I’ve had a lot of experience doing something, I’ll pull one of the young guys aside like, ‘Trust yourself, run this route,’ stuff like that. I had a lot of good vets growing up in this league, so just picking things from their game that I could pass down other people — that’s what it’s about.”
Agnew’s willingness to pour into others, in addition to the respect he shows them, have quickly endorsed him to his new teammates.
“He’s in the present,” Williams said. “When he’s talking to individuals, he’s locked in. He treats everybody as (if) they’re important. “He puts in the work. He leads by example, and he’s gonna be a great mentor for the younger receivers out there.”
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