Grimes has come a long way from Shippensburg to NFL

The kid was cornerback Brent Grimes, who was out on Thanksgiving break. Plummer would have to come back in April to meet him. But a seed was sewn.

"I just finished what I was doing, wrote up my report and got back to the office," Plummer said. "When they read over those reports in December, I let them know who this kid was. Things just started to take off after that."

Plummer became even more impressed after he held a workout for Grimes in April. He had a 41-inch vertical and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds on an indoor basketball court in tennis shoes.

Plummer credits president Rich McKay, who was then the general manager, and Phil Emery, the team's former director of college scouting, for accepting his report and signing Grimes on May 16, 2006, two weeks after he had gone unselected in the NFL draft.

Plummer, who played in the NFL for four seasons, liked Grimes' ball skills and athleticism. He was also impressed with Grimes' 27 career interceptions, which remains a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference record.

"That’s a lot of interceptions, I don't care what league you are in," Plummer said.

Four years later with Grimes now the Falcons' starting left cornerback, he still remembers the workout with Plummer and the subsequent counseling session.

"He told me that I'd have to work harder than everybody else," Grimes said. "He told me that I would have a chance. I knew that coming from a Division II school and being undrafted, that it was going to be a challenge to make the team and stay on the roster. You just have to keep working."

It's a testament to Grimes' talent and perseverance that he's lasted through three head coaches and a stint in NFL Europe. If he continues to play like he did last week against Tampa Bay, it appears that his career has gained traction.

With the Falcons trailing the Buccaneers most of the second half, he had two spectacular plays on passes. One, an apparent interception that would have halted a drive mid-way through the third quarter, was overturned by review. But the second came on an interception inside the last two minutes -- the catch was also reviewed and upheld -- that sealed the 28-24 victory.

"That guy is playing amazing football right now," wide receiver Roddy White said.

Grimes finished with six passes defensed against Tampa Bay. That gave him a team-high 17 defended passes this season. The rest of the starting secondary has 13.

"That's kind of unheard of," White said. "That's blanketing people out there. He's growing every week. He's getting better. The more football he plays, the better he's getting."

Grimes led the Falcons in interceptions with six last season. He's tied this season with safety William Moore for the team lead with four.

He attributes his steady improvement to learning how to study film under assistant coaches Emmitt Thomas, Alvin Reynolds and new secondary coach Tim Lewis.

"I'm happy, but I'm still trying to get better," Grimes said. "I'm trying to improve every day and every practice. You just have to keep working. It's a steady grind."

And it could eventually have a big pay-off. Grimes didn't pay much attention last week when Green Bay signed former undrafted free agent cornerback Tramon Williams to a four-year contract extension worth $33.074 million.

"That's what you hire an agent for," Grimes said.

But Dunta Robinson, the Falcons starting right cornerback, took notice.

"The funny thing about that, I was with Tramon in Houston before we released him," Robinson said. "To see the way he's developed into a great corner, Brent is kind of on that same road."

Plummer, who was released by the Falcons after 10 seasons, is finishing up some credit hours for his bachelor's degree from Mississippi State and is hoping to get back into the NFL. When he's not busy hitting the books, he tries to catch the Falcons and that kid from Shippensburg on television.

"I turn on the TV just to watch him play," Plummer said. "I try to check in to see how he's doing because he's a heck of a player and he's proving it."