Late in the second quarter against the Panthers on Sunday, Falcons rookie running back Qadree Ollison plunged into the end zone from 2 yards out on his first NFL carry.
His touchdown put the Falcons up 20-0 and on their way to a 29-3 win.
“Behind the scenes, he’s been somebody that has really been putting in good work, special-teams wise and at running back,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “So, for him to have one to go for a touchdown in his first game, I thought that was good.”
Ollison’s score touched off a wild end-zone celebration.
“He was excited, and you could see the energy that everybody had for when he scored,” Quinn said. “That’s usually a sign that you’re one of the favorites. Everybody was pumped for him.”
Ollison, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, had to wait his turn.
He was inactive for the first eight games of the season.
“It was a little different,” Ollison said. “Like anything, it’s a process. Whether it was college and I had to redshirt and sit out an entire year, it wasn’t something that I’ve never seen before.”
Ollison was active for the game against Saints the previous Sunday after running back Ito Smith went on injured reserve.
“I always just tried to stay ready, so I didn’t have to get ready,” Ollison said. “You know, just practicing and working for this opportunity.”
Do he get the ball, though?
“Yeah, I got the ball,” Ollison.
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