Falcons rookie middle linebacker Deion Jones has the green dot on the back of his helmet, which signals that he has the communication unit.
That means Jones, who is returning to his hometown of New Orleans, will be in charge of the signals designed to stop, derail or maybe just slow down Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Jones, a second-round pick from LSU, is second on the team with 16 tackles through his first two NFL starts.
“I told him to remember that we are going on a business trip,” defensive coordinator Richard Smith said. “He’s a real professional. He’s a very mature young man. I think he’ll handle it well.”
Jones finished with 10 tackles in the Falcons’ 35-28 victory over the Raiders.
“He did a really nice job,” Smith said. “Not only did he play on defense, but he played some special teams reps on the punt (coverage) team. He’s doing a nice job.”
Jones, whose grandmother took shelter in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina, knows the significance of the 10th anniversary of the re-opening of the Superdome.
“I just remember everybody sitting round the TV,” Jones said. “Everyone was happy that the dome was re-opened. The Saints mean a lot to the city and there was a point in time that they didn’t think the Superdome would be back open because of everything that happened. Everyone was just happy to be able to have the Saints back in their lives.”
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