Just a second-year pro, Falcons defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman still knows something about football history.
So his eyes lit up when he saw the special visitor at practice on Monday. Afterwards, he could barely wait to get inside for some one-on-one time with Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith.
“He played 19 years in the trenches,” Hageman said. “He’s an OG (original gangster), an old veteran and Hall of Famer.”
Smith, an invited guest to practice, helped defensive line coach Bryan Cox work with the interior defensive linemen. Cox also had defensive end Malliciah Goodman meet Smith before practice.
“To have him around inspires a lot of the young boys just because he played the game for so many years,” Hageman said. “People have aspirations of playing that long. Just to have somebody like that around us kind of motivates us to be better.”
Smith, who declined media interview requests, seemed to work on some of the finer points with the players. There wasn’t much yelling.
Hageman, who started at defensive tackle against Tennessee in the exhibition opener, could help the Falcons improve on defense, although head coach Dan Quinn’s had a tepid critique of his first game.
“There wasn’t anything that stood out one way or another,” Quinn said. “Solid across the board, but nothing that jumped out one way or another.”
Said Hageman: “We didn’t really play that much. Out of the (few) snaps, we played good and I did my job.”
He clearly feels more comfortable in the Falcons’ new 4-3 under defensive scheme.
“That’s what I played in college so I’m used to it,” Hageman said. “It’s not as difficult as what we played last year.”
After a middling rookie season, Hageman said he is trying to block out his detractors as he tries to become more consistent.
“I don’t care what anybody says off the field,” Hageman said. “It’s more about my teammates and the coaching staff, that’s my family. I have to take what they say personally. I feel like me, the coaching staff and the team are on the same page. That’s the only thing I need to worry about.”
Cox noted that Hageman recently turned 25 and is maturing.
“He’s doing things the way that he should do them,” Cox said.
Hageman was chosen in the second round of the 2014 draft. He showed flashes of being a dominant player while playing in 16 games, posting 17 tackles and one sack.
It’s no coincidence that the Falcons wanted Hageman to chat with Smith.
“What an honor it is for us to have him here and help work with our guys for a short time,” Quinn said. “There is so much respect for him, his game and his approach. It was awesome to have him here. Maybe he can leave a little tip that could lead to something bigger.”
Smith, 52, who played from 1985-2003 for Buffalo (1985-99) and Washington (2000-03), finished his career with 200 sacks. The former Virginia Tech standout was an 11-time Pro Bowler and eight-time first-team All-Pro. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
“He’s cool,” Hageman said. “He was critiquing some players and passing down some of the knowledge to the young players.”
Quinn met with Smith for a football conversation.
“When you deal with somebody that has that kind of expertise at something, we sat down for a half hour and I listened to him talk about pass rush,” Quinn said. “I got better today from being around Bruce.”
About the Author
