With 29 of 90 roster spots held by rookies, the Falcons’ like most other NFL teams: They have plenty of veterans who can show the fresh meat the ropes and collect dues, of course.
While coach Mike Smith maintains the Falcons have a no-hazing policy, there are a few traditions all Falcons rookies partake in, such as singing in front of their teammates.
“We do ask our guys to all get up and give one performance during training camp, and if it’s a good performance they may have to do it two or three times,” Smith said.
A few of the rookie’s special meeting-room performances we aired on Tuesday night’s HBO “Hard Knocks” premiere.
Rookies Jeff Mathews, Jacob Pedersen and Ra’Shede Hageman took to the front of the meeting room to share their musical talents with teammates, only to be booed and have empty water bottles thrown at them.
With a year under his belt, quarterback Sean Renfree feels like his rookie days are far behind him — so much so that he can’t remember what he performed in last year’s rookie talent show.
“Our organization is really good with that,” Renfree said. “They make everybody feel like they’re part of the team. I mean we just have to sing, and that’s not really hazing in my opinion. If you’re comfortable with it, it’s something that’s like a team bonding. Kind of break the ice, for rookies.”
Kemal Ishmael, was not comfortable with the singing last year when he was a rookie. He said that was his least favorite part of being a rookie. Now that he’s in his second season, he has some advice for the new Falcons.
“We’re in that team meeting room, and they start beating that table and they say ‘Rookies up,’” Ishmael said. “It’s worse when they call you out. You have no chance. You have to go up.”
Ishmael rapped Wiz Khalifa’s “B.A.R.” (Burn After Rolling) when it was his turn on stage. He said the secret to a successful rookie performance is singing a song that most of the other players are already fans of.
“Some of the guys knew it, so they were singing along with me,” Ishmael said. “I tell all the rookies: ‘If you go up there, you’ve got to sing something everybody can relate to. They’ll sing along with you.”
On a more serious note, Ishmael said he has shared advice with rookies beyond handling hazing. He chatted with a few rookies about not being surprised if something happens early, and they are thrown into a position where they have to produce for their team. Ishmael’s advice comes from firsthand experience.
“Last year we had a couple of guys go down early, and I was up next on special teams,” Ishmael said. “Things just happen.”
Falcons rookies also have separate lockers from the veterans, but they are still responsible for making sure the veteran’s locker room is stocked with snacks and drinks.
“Part of being an Atlanta Falcon is having your separate locker room and having an opportunity to sing or perform,” Smith said. “I thought some of the guys did a great job; some of them have some work to do.”
Rookie running back Devonta Freeman believes his playfulness will help him get through the musical portion of training camp. As far as rookie hazing goes, he and his fellow rookie running backs have it relatively easy, he said.
“Our room, the running backs, they’re so cool they don’t really ask me to carry their helmets,” Freeman said. “They might tell us to get some Gatorade or they might tell us to do something every now and then, but they don’t put pressure on us.”
Some of the more unlucky rookies are given nicknames they end up working all camp to live down. Early on, rookie defensive tackle Donte Rumph was nicknamed “cupcake” by defensive line coach Bryan Cox. Cox agreed to let go of the nickname, if Rumph worked hard to prove he wasn’t soft like a cupcake but instead tough — as the Falcons are striving for this season.
“Cupcake is dead now,” Rumph said with a smile.
Most rookies, past and present, shy away from the word hazing. Rumph said he calls it “rookie duties.”
According to Rumph, rookie duties include running errands, making sure veterans have snacks in the meeting rooms and carrying a veteran’s equipment — his least favorite task.
“The vets would go in the fridge and be like, ‘Whoa, there are no drinks in here. Let’s saddle up,’” Ishmael said of his rookie season. “I mean once it’s over you’ll appreciate it your next year; you’ll be like yeah, let’s get these other guys to move all this stuff and get all the drinks.”
Rumph said he and other rookies take specific requests for M&M’s, candy, nuts and pistachios.
“It’s not too bad. It could be worse,” Rumph said. “Especially how it was years ago, so I’m not complaining at all.”
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