FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, who are expected to carry the bulk of the team’s rushing load in 2023, have bonded over their love of Anime, Japanese cartoons.
“He loves Anime,” Robinson said. “I like Anime too, but like, I feel like people that like anime, I feel like they play different on the field. I do. Because they get in their inner mode that you just like go into. You don’t (have) to say a word. When something bad happens, you’re just like getting riled up, turned up.
“But I think that with me and him, we’re the nicest guys. We don’t say (anything) on the field. But you can tell like with how we run and how we attack defenders, that it all ties into it.”
Allgeier, who was a fifth-round pick out of Brigham Young, rushed for 1,035 yards last season as a rookie, breaking the 43-year-old rookie rushing mark set by William Andrews (1,023 yards in 15 games, 1979). Robinson, after starring at Texas, was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
“We just talked about it when we were driving to the stadium on Thursday,” Robinson said. “He was telling me everything about it. He visited Disneyland out there. I want to go to Disneyland out there. He said he had a good time when he went out there.”
The form of Japanese animation has been popularized in the United States starting around the early 2000s on Cartoon Network and later with the advent of streaming services.
“I don’t know if you guys know who Baki is?,” Robinson said when asked to compare Allgeier to an Anime character. “He had an enemy name (Yujiro Hanma) and he was like lethal and couldn’t stop him. He found a way to stop him. But just that enemy he had to go up against he would never back down at all.”
Robinson said Baki is his favorite character, also.
“I always compare myself to him because he doesn’t say much at all,” Robinson said. “But when his presence is there, it’s in full effect and I would say that he’s unstoppable.”
The Falcons are hoping that the combination of Allgeier and Robinson will be unstoppable this season. In addition to the love of cartoons, both have a healthy respect to one another that may make the tandem work.
“Especially, just having Bijan here and really just seeing him,” Allgeier said. “But seeing his reps and what he can do. Just looking at what he can do and just transfer that into my style of play. It’s been good.”
Both will enter the season with very little exhibition game action. Allgeier played five snaps and Robinson played 12 in the 13-13 tie against the Bengals on Aug. 18. The Falcons held joint practices with the Dolphins on Aug. 8-9.
The Falcons are set to open the regular season against the Panthers at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I haven’t played a full game since like November,” Robinson said. “So, like now, I’m like come on. It’s almost here.”
The Falcons have elected to mostly prepare for the season via non-tackling to the ground practices.
“But you’ve got to be patient,” Robinson said. “Keep stacking days with the team. Then it will come when it’s time.”
Whether if it’s the cartoons or the football, Robinson and Allgeier have set a good foundation.
“Just having Tyler as a teammate and as a brother, it makes your job a lot easier when you guys both support each other to the max,” Robinson said. “Just having him on my side and me on his side, just how we interact outside of football. We became super close, super-super close.”
While they’ll be competing for carries and touches, they’ve pushed that notion to the side.
“Guys say it’s a competition, but … it’s nothing like that at all,” Robinson said. “From Day 1, me and him came together as brothers. We’re both in this to help this team win games no matter what it is.”
The Falcons will attempt to balance out the offense this season. They finished third in rushing and 31st in passing. Given quarterback Desmond Ridder’s inexperience, timing up the passing game in exhibition game should have been a priority.
In the Cincinnati game, several of his passes were off the mark.
But the Falcons are excited about the potential of the offense.
“I think it’s entertaining because when we get the ball in our hands we can make something happen with it,” Robinson said. “Just our pass catching, YAC (yards after catch) and what we can create on our own, I think there are a lot skill players that can do that on this offense. The running backs, we pride ourselves in breaking tackles.”
Robinson is looking forward to his role in the offense.
“I’m a guy (who) can provide for this team, for this offense,” Robinsons said. “Anywhere I line up. ... Get me the ball in space. That’s where I can take affect and just let my god given talents take over. If he wants to just use me in all the ways that he can. So, when Sunday’s comes, it’s a mismatch on the field.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
The Bow Tie Chronicles
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