Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who has missed the past three games, pronounced himself ready to play against Seattle.
“I’m pretty sure that I’ll be out there,” said White, who hopes to start against Seattle on Sunday at the Georgia Dome. “I wanted to go out and have a full week of practice before I actually played.”
White is battling back from a hamstring injury and a high ankle sprain. He practiced on a Wednesday for the first time since suffering the sprain before the Baltimore exhibition game Aug. 15. He suffered the hamstring injury late against the New York Jets on Oct. 7.
“If felt good to actually go through a whole practice,” White said. “(I wanted to go) through all of the things with the guys. That was good. I was a little bit winded, but other than that, it was good.”
On one good ankle over the first five games of the season, White managed only 14 catches for 129 yards and no touchdowns.
“Should I have rested?” White said. “Maybe so. Maybe, I would be completely healthy by now and ready to go, but it is what is at this point. I’m ready to play now. I can go out there and try to help get this thing turned around.”
White said facing Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman wasn’t a factor in his planned return. White got the best of Sherman in the playoffs last season, and they had a verbal battle over the offseason.
“No, not really,” White said. “I just don’t circle things on the calendar. Every game that I play is the one that is circled throughout the season. There is no one particular game that I go out there and play harder than any other one.”
White wouldn’t say if he was 100 percent healthy. He did note that he could run at full speed, plant his feet and cut into his routes.
“How I felt at the beginning of the season and right now is totally different,” White said. “I’ve been doing a lot of work inside the weight room and outside, getting myself ready to go. It’s going to be a battle out there. I’m excited. I just want to get back out there on the field and play.”
White, a first-round pick in 2005, played in 133 consecutive games before missing the Tampa Bay game Oct. 20. He holds franchise records for receptions (636), receiving yards (8,854), 100-yard games (35), receiving yards in a season (1,389), and receptions in a season (115).
Hey, 19: Linebacker Paul Worrilow's gem of a performance almost got lost in the wreckage of the 34-10 loss to Carolina on Sunday.
The exhibition-season sensation was buzzing around the field, taking Panthers to the ground. He finished with 19 tackles, and the number is legitimate. The stats released after the game had Worrilow, the undrafted rookie free agent from Delaware, down for 10 solo tackles and nine assists.
The coaches’ film-review stats are the Falcons’ official stats. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said they had Worrilow for 11 solos and eight assists.
According to the review stats, Worrilow is the team’s sixth-leading tackler, with 40 on 267 defensive snaps. William Moore (75 tackles, 537 defensive snaps), Thomas DeCoud (51, 534), Joplo Bartu (50, 441), Akeem Dent (48, 326) and Desmond Trufant (41, 511) are ahead of him.
Fullback power: Fullback Patrick DiMarco is emerging as a lead blocker for Steven Jackson when the Falcons use their two-back formations.
He had a strong day blocking against Carolina.
“We are pleased with what he’s doing,” offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said.
DiMarco, 6-foot-1, 234 pounds, was signed to the practice squad Sept. 1. When Bradie Ewing was lost for the season because of a shoulder injury, DiMarco was signed to the 53-man roster Sept. 17.
“We are going to go out there and try to hit people in the mouth,” DiMarco said. “We are going to be physical.”
Injury report: Offensive tackle Sam Baker (knee), defensive tackle Peria Jerry (toe), linebacker Stephen Nicholas (thigh) and White were limited in practice. Defensive tackle Corey Peters (left knee) did not practice.
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