In the past, Falcons coach Mike Smith left the control of the locker room to the “Over-30” club.
But with a much-younger team and things spiraling downward, Smith elected to make a major change in the internal leadership structure of the team.
After blowing a 21-point halftime lead against Detroit in London and returning from the bye week, Smith ordered the team to elect permanent captains for the rest of the season.
Normally, the Falcons would pick the captains after the season based on how the players performed. The “Over-30” club had a direct line to Smith and effectively spread the coaches’ messages throughout the locker room.
“We thought that it was appropriate with the type of season that we are going through the first half, that we wanted to make some changes,” Smith said. “I thought there were a lot of guys that were deserving of being a captain, but the six guys that were chosen have been outstanding leaders for us.”
The team elected quarterback Matt Ryan and Roddy White as the offensive captains. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and linebacker Paul Worrilow were the voted in as captains of the defense. Wide receiver Eric Weems and running back Antone Smith were voted as the special teams captains.
Only two of the new captains are over age 30.
“I feel like I always owe it to the guys to always give my best day-in and day-out,” Ryan said on Wednesday. “ I’m going to try and lead as best I can, the same way that I have up until this point. It’s certainly nice and a really nice honor for me and my teammates.”
The captains had a block “C” sewed on their jerseys for the Tampa Bay game and went out for the coin flip.
The move has been well-received in a rejuvenated locker room.
“Those guys who got elected as captains are very well respected in this locker room and this building,” safety Dwight Lowery said. “There are going to be guys that we can lean on week-in and week-out to help us win games.”
The hope is that the captains can help galvanize a young team and lead them on a surge over the second-half of the season.
“It’s that time in the season where teams are going to start fighting for their playoff lives and things of that nature,” Lowery said. “A play here or a play there can make or break your season. We just have to know and understand when the opportunity comes to put yourself in position to make the play.”
In the past under Smith, the captains for the coin toss were rotated on a game-by-game basis. Ryan, who’s in his seventh season, in the league has found that he’s had to become more of a vocal leader this season.
“I do think leadership is flexible and you need it to be flexible at different times,” Ryan said. “Yeah, I think at the right opportunity sometimes you have to speak up. Sometimes you have to keep your mouth shut. You have to strike the right balance. But at certain times over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had to speak up.”
It’s also better sometimes to have the coaches’ message re-stated by a peer. Ryan believes that he has already been leading by example, but now he’s just officially a captain.
He’s delivering a message of unity.
“As a quarterback, you play a big role,” Ryan said. “You’re finger prints are all over the game, but it’s bigger than me. It really is.
“It takes 53 guys to go out there and practice during the week. Then it takes the 46 guys who are active on game-day to all pull their weight. I’ve always felt like I’ve got to pull my weight however much it is, I’ve got to pull my weight. That’s been my mindset since I’ve been here.”
He thinks the “Over 30” club worked while he was a younger player.
“It changes with the people that are around,” Ryan said. “Each team and each locker room is different year-to-year. You need to be able to adapt to the guys that are in your locker room.”
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