FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons’ starting linebacker Troy Andersen, who was in the concussion protocol last week, was declared out for the game against the Packers on Friday.
Nate Landman, who made the team as an undrafted free agent in 2022, is expected to start for Andersen. He played in four games and contributed on special teams last season.
Landman, who’s 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, played five seasons at Colorado from 2017-21. He became the first player in school history to earn all-conference honors at least four times, (two first-team, two second-team). He amassed 409 tackles, 11 sacks, 17 pass breakups in 48 games for the Buffaloes.
He was named second-team All-American in 2020.
Here’s what he had to say about starting on Friday:
Q: Are you happy with the Buffaloes?
A: “Yeah, they are doing great. Super happy for them with what that program has been able to do coming off that tough year last year. I’ll always love that program and being able to see them win and have that early success is awesome. I’m super excited for them.”
Q: What if you get your first start on Sunday?
A: “Obviously, I would love to have Troy out there. That’s my brother. But as for myself, I’m excited for the opportunity. The guys around me have been helping me get ready for the week. Next man up mentality. I’m excited just for the guys I have around me. Go out there and be able to help this team get a win.”
Q: What’s your journey been like the last couple of years as an undrafted free agent?
A: It’s definitely different and not the road that most people want, but it’s what I’ve got dealt with. The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity for me to be here. I’m super grateful for the Falcons and the coaching staff here to give me the opportunity to allow me to be in the building. Allow me to come to work everyday. I wouldn’t change it, the way it went down. I wouldn’t change it at all. It made me who I am. Allows me to kind of work in the shadows and keep grinding.”
Q: What’s your assessment of the Packers’ running backs?
A: “They’ve got good backs. They’ve got a good (offensive) line. Good quarterback. The (offensive coordinator) is a smart guy. The head coach (Matt LaFleur) is the play-caller. Smart guy. They know what to do. It’s going to be a good change for us. We are just going to go in there and play our base defense and stuff that we’ve been doing. Play our brand of football. But they do have good guys that we’ve got to be alert for and definitely know where they are at all times.”
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