Falcons’ MyCole Pruitt puts in hard work and positivity into the atmosphere

“I’ve been in this thing for a while now,” Pruitt said. “It’s my ninth year. You realize that there are ups and downs. You can’t get down. You can’t get too high or too low. Stay even keel. Usually when you put hard work and positivity out there, it comes back around tenfold.”

It’s been a long football journey for Pruitt.

After setting Missouri Valley Football Conference records as pass-catching tight end at Southern Illinois, he was drafted in the fifth round (143rd overall) by the Vikings in 2015.

He was with the Viking and Bears in 2016, Texans (2017), Titans (2018-21) before landing with his former position coach Arthur Smith in Atlanta last season. He had a career-high 16 catches for 150 yards and four touchdowns in 2022.

“It was an up-and-down process,” Pruitt said. “I had to kind of find a niche in the league.”

Pruitt caught 211 passes in college and is the MVFC record-holder for career receptions for tight ends, receiving yards (2,601) and touchdowns (25). He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology.

He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds, the fastest time of the tight ends at the NFL scouting combine in 2015.

“I came in as more of a receiving tight end,” Pruitt said. “I had to transform that and learn how to block, learn the techniques and figure out where I fit in in the league. I kind of caught on at Tennessee.”

Pruitt was a favorite of coach Mike Vrabel, and Smith was his position coach for two seasons and offensive coordinator for two more seasons.

“He does his job,” Smith said. “Yeah, the thing with Pru, like a lot of guys on our team, Pru was drafted as more of an F-(pass catching)-tight end. People forget that he caught a lot of footballs coming out of college. He’s a guy who has adapted and found a role.”

Pruitt caught a break when the Titans had an injury to Delanie Walker in 2018 in Week 1. Vrabel had been on the coaching staff in Houston with Pruitt in 2017.

“That was my first exposure with MyCole,” Smith said. “The way that year went, he had more opportunities as that year went along. We had lost Jonnu (Smith). Jonnu actually got hurt on that 99-yard run by Derrick Henry. Ironically, it was (by) Calais (Campbell).”

With more playing time, Pruitt’s career gained some traction with the Titans.

“Pru, his role expanded as that year went on,” Smith recalled. “He’s a guy that’s consistently worked through it and adapted. He’s a damn good blocking tight end, but he has a great feel in the pass game.”

Pruitt got open for the Falcons’ only touchdown in the win over the Jets. He made a nice grab for a 20-yard score.

“So, when his number’s been called, he’s taken advantage of it,” Smith said. “Sometimes you’re not the primary on it, and the way it went, obviously, the quarterbacks trust him.”

It was Pruitt’s first touchdown catch of the season.

“It was just a simple seam route,” Pruitt said. “I got past the safety, and (Desmond Ridder) threw a great ball. At that point, it was time to go make a play. I don’t get a lot of them, so you have to make them count.”

Pruitt has caught all eight of his targets for 64 yards. In addition to the touchdown, he’s picked up three first downs.

Ridder enjoys Pruitt’s businesslike approach.

“He just (brings) a different energy,” Ridder said. “I say that sometimes and it’s not the ‘rah-rah’ type of energy, but when he gets the ball in his hands, he goes and makes a play. Coach always jokes around about finding (No.) 85, figuring out where he is on the field because it just seems to be that when he gets in, good things happen.”

The Falcons are leaning on their rushing attack since the bye week. But Pruitt is ready to block and catch passes if they come his way.

“Of course, that’s what it’s all about,” Pruitt said. “Make a play when the opportunity presents itself. I pride myself on being a guy who can do that.”

Pruitt is fine with his role and how he’s found a way to make it in the league.

“I became pretty much the polar opposite of what I was in college,” Pruitt said. “What I came out as. But I always had that in my roots. Going back to that is not really a big deal for me I don’t think.”

Pruitt planned to become an engineer.

“It was kind of a fall-back plan,” Pruitt said of his industrial technology major. “It wasn’t too bad. I went to college to go to engineering school. It was more than I thought it was going to be, but I kind of fell back into industrial technology. It’s kind of like manufacturing processes and making them more efficient.”

Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone remembers Pruitt from his stop with the Bears.

“When we had him in Chicago, he was pass-catching (tight end),” Ragone said. “He was one of those at practice and you were like ‘wow.’ Then fast forward. ... where I gave a ton of credit to him is that he’s found a way throughout his career to understand how to get the most out of his ability …just seeing how he’s grown as a player. It’s pretty cool to see.”

As far as that 40-yard dash time?

“That was a long time ago,” Pruitt said. “That was about 10 pounds ago. On a good day, I might be able to run something close to that. But I’m not going to test it any time soon.”

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