Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas was a regular at the players-only strength-and-conditioning program and the seven-on-seven practices this offseason.
A Jonesboro native who was selected in the third round (84th overall) of the 2008 draft, he flashed the explosiveness that made him a triple-threat as a receiver, runner and returner as a rookie.
After missing the 2009 season with a serious knee injury, Douglas caught 22 passes last season, but his average per catch dipped from 13.9 yards to 13.4.
After the final practice last week, Douglas spoke with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about his work in the community, fighting for his roster spot and getting ready for training camp.
Q: What have you been doing off the field during the lockout?
A: I’ve been going to schools and talking to kids. My foundation is doing a lot. We have kids at our center just about every day. My dad brought two of them out here to see us work out. They are getting tutored on their school work, learning computer skills and life skills to help them become better people.
Q: What’s the name of your foundation?
A: It’s the Douglas Brothers Foundation [in Morrow.] Our main goal is to empower underprivileged youths and families in the community.
Q: How much time a week are you able to commit to the kids considering your workout and practice schedule?
A: I was down there [recently] for about two hours. During the week, I’m probably there six to eight hours. A lot of people have foundations, but one thing about my foundation is that I try to devote my time to it. I’m hands-on with it. I go down to the building and help with the kids. Just show them as much love as possible. I’m blessed to have my parents [Harry III and Stephanie] running it.
Q: Do you sense that the NFL lockout is coming to an end?
A: I just try to come out here and train every day like if we were practicing. One thing about my life is that I don’t look at this as a hobby, but I look at it as a job. I love the game so much. I’m always going to work on my craft and try to become the best.
Q: With the drafting of wide receiver Julio Jones, it looks like there will be a lot of competition for those second and third receiver spots. How are you going to approach that mentally going into training camp?
A: Julio is a great player. Even out here, he’s doing a great job. You have to approach it the same way that you approach everything else. You have to focus on what you have to do and try to handle your business. You have to do the little things right. That’s what makes good teams great. You must have a lot of competition on the team.
Q: Do you still hope to attend law school?
A: I’m about to start getting back on that pretty soon. I’ll be meeting with guys who work for big law firms and talking to them about going over different strategies about how to approach the situation. I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer since I was 4 years old. That’s something I still want to pursue in the future.
