Ricky Ortiz, an avocado farmer whose football dream was nearly derailed by respiratory and sinus problems, has pulled ahead in the battle to earn the Falcons’ starting fullback position.
Luke McNitt started and played three plays against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. Ortiz, who played linebacker, tight end and fullback at Oregon State, played 13 offensive snaps in the game.
“It’s kind of headed that way,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “(Special teams play) factors have been a part of it. It all comes from our scrimmages up until the first game last week against the Jets. Then him taking another step this week.”
McNitt is still battling.
“To get in there and get some real live game reps with Matt Ryan was awesome,” McNitt said. “That was a good experience to be out there and see what it’s like with the ones.”
The Ravens beat out the Falcons in a minor battle to sign the 24-year-old Ortiz after the 2017 draft. He was cut by the Ravens and placed on their practice squad last season.
“We were looking for a fullback when we lost Patrick (DiMarco),” Quinn said. “In the draft, he was a guy that we were considering late…We were hoping to get him, but he went (to Baltimore).”
When Ortiz was released in 2018, the Falcons signed him on May 23.
“It was in the offseason that we said, here’s a guy that we had a pretty high grade on coming out of Oregon State,” Quinn said. “That’s where we first saw him, playing in college. Then we watched him some at Baltimore playing in the (exhibition) season from a year ago. That’s what (led) us to bringing him here to let him compete and battle for the spot.”
The 6-foot, 230-pound Ortiz moves well and is a strong lead blocker.
“It wasn’t all clean, but what I did like was the toughness and competitiveness was there,” Quinn said. “Some of things with Rick is going to be some of the technique areas that I know (running backs coach) Bernie (Paramalee) and he can work out together.
“But what I do see from him is real grit, real strain to get it right.”
The Falcons are still clearly getting comfortable with the position.
“I’ve been encouraged,” Quinn said. “I saw the uptick in him from Week 1 to Week 2. I recognize there will be a little bit of on-the-job training because of his lack of game experience in the NFL, but I am encouraged so far by Rick. He’s earned more significant reps as we are moving forward and even into this week.”
Ortiz, who has an agriculture science degree, started a avocado farm in Mexico with a lifelong friend. The farm has over 200,000 avocado trees.
A mystery sinus problem nearly derailed his career at Oregon State. The problem was eventually traced to mold in his apartment that he’d be living in for two years. The bacteria came from him breathing in elevated levels of mold and mold spores.
He moved immediately and started to get healthier.
“I’m just grateful for the opportunity to play football again,” Ortiz said. “It’s been fun. I believe that God puts you in different situations and gives you different opportunities when you are maybe going through certain afflictions.”
Feeling faster and stronger, Ortiz is picking up the Falcons offense quickly. He knows lead-blocking in a major part of the job.
“For me, it’s just about the details, knowing my aiming point,” Ortiz said. “Knowing my path to the block. Just executing and being the enforcer instead of the getting the hit from a defender.”
Ortiz, who caught 17 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown in college, believes he can essentially replace DiMarco. Coleman was a good special teams player, but whiffed on too many lead blocks last season.
“It’s the ability to be a blocker,” Ortiz said. “Not just a lead, but isolation blocks. I really have to show off some of my athleticism and the fact that I can run.”
The Falcons are preparing to go with Ortiz, but will look around the league and see if a veteran gets released when teams cut down to their 53-man rosters.
“Not only are we looking for a fullback here, but we have our eye out everywhere, but he’s definitely been somebody that has caught our attention,” Quinn said. “I see the improvement coming from him. You know the importance of special teams and fullback, they play 25 percent of the time on offense so they are going to have to have a role on fourth downs. That’s going to be an important piece of it. So far, he has answered that challenge.”
Credit: Curtis Compton
Credit: Curtis Compton
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