Early in Falcons training camp, defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman has taken his first steps on the road back to the NFL.
He’s slated to get plenty of action when the Falcons face the Broncos in the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game at 8 p.m. Thursday in Canton, Ohio.
At 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds, Hageman is the biggest man along the defensive front. From the first day on training camp, when he was tossing around linemen, you saw a glimpse of what he was supposed to become when the Falcons drafted him in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft.
“Football is football,” Hageman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I definitely have never lost that. I just have to knock the rust off of it.”
Hageman, 28, who played in 44 games and made 16 starts for the Falcons, said he’s been “humbled” and wants to get back on the field. He started in Super Bowl LI for the Falcons next to Dwight Freeney. He is now trying to rebound from two full seasons out of football after he pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge in the wake of a 2016 domestic violence incident in DeKalb County. He did over 100 hours of community service stacking food for the homeless.
“Yeah, I’ve got more motivation,” Hageman said. “I’ve got kids. I’ve got a family. I have a reputation that I have to reincarnate. So, I’m definitely focusing on each day getting better and better, you feel me?”
Hageman has to sustain his high level of play to impress the Falcons.
“It’s good to see Ra’Shede back in,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s had some flashes. We’ll work to see if we can get him to do that more consistently.”
In 2016, Hageman was under defensive line coach Bryan Cox, who was responsible, in part, for the team drafting him. Jess Simpson is in his first year as the Falcons’ defensive line coach.
“I want to see steady improvement and that’s what he’s doing,” Simpson said. “He’s getting the rust off. Every day he’s starting to make a step here and make a step there. He’s a big and powerful man.”
Hageman will get a chance to shake some more rust off against the Broncos.
“They’ve kind of been in a routine of training camp,” Simpson said. “Then you get up there and you get to play a real game. We’ll see these young guys really get after it.”
Hageman plans to make the most of his second chance with the Falcons.
“Being here gives me an opportunity to get back to what I used to do,” Hageman said. “Apply pressure and stop the run. Other than that, this is what I’ve been doing my whole life so it’s really nothing I really lost. I just have to sharpen a couple of my tools.”
Credit: Curtis Compton
Credit: Curtis Compton
While Simpson is new to Hageman, there are some old faces around.
“There’s definitely some new guys, but it’s actually a good group of guys that are willing to learn and just do the ... give each other constructive criticism,” Hageman said. “But Grady (Jarrett), (Adrian Clayborn) and Vic (Beasley), all are familiar with me. Just being with new guys, it’s a different atmosphere.”
Hageman is confident that he can make it back.
“Can I make it back? Absolutely,” Hageman said. “I wouldn’t be here if that was up in the air. Do you feel me? Obviously, second chances aren’t (always) given, so I have to take full advantage of it. My goal, my main thing to do is to make the team.”
The Falcons parted ways with Hageman after his legal troubles started to mount in September 2017. The team re-signed him this offseason because they felt he showed genuine remorse and took responsibility for his actions.
“It’s just nice in this business when you get a kid who shows real tangible maturation,” said Joby Branion, Hageman’s agent. “Learning how to accept responsibility. How important it is to learn from mistakes.”
Five teams were interested in signing Hageman, including Minnesota. Hageman played at the University of Minnesota.
It’s going to be a uphill battle making the Falcons, who signed veteran defensive linemen Tyeler Davison and Allen Bailey. The Falcons also drafted defensive end/tackle John Cominsky in the fourth round. Even if Hageman makes the team, he still has a two-game suspension to serve. Hageman was arrested for driving while intoxicated last year. He previously served a six-game suspension related to the domestic violence case.
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