In the Senior Bowl, future Falcons draft picks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford collided on the first play of the game, both flashing the speed that made them coveted NFL prospects.
Alford took the opening kickoff and broke loose. Trufant gave chase and tackled Alford after an 88-yard return. Both run the 40-yard dash in less than 4.4 seconds.
Little did the players know they would later be linked and playing for the same team. In the opening rookie minicamp practice Saturday, Alford lined up at left cornerback and Trufant at right cornerback.
“I haven’t even said (anything) to him, but I’m about to say something though,” Trufant said. “It’s all good. He’s a great player. We are just going to get better together.”
Alford was ready for a little ribbing.
“We were real good buddies (at the Senior Bowl),” Alford said. “It was just a play that happened. He got me. I got a little tired on the long run.”
The Falcons, in need of cornerback help, traded up to select Trufant with the 22nd overall pick in the draft. They picked Alford in the second round, 60th overall.
The two players are rooming together.
“We clicked instantly,” Trufant said. “We are learning together. We are going through the process together. It’s going to be cool.”
Trufant played at Washington, and Alford played at Southeastern Louisiana, an FCS school that plays in the Southland Conference.
“We’re just here to compete for the Falcons and do what we can do to help the team make it to the Super Bowl,” Alford said. “We are always talking football. Anything that we have questions about, we’ll just ask each other and just get each other better.”
Alford looked comfortable in his first practice with the team, but knows he has a big adjustment.
“I’ll probably just say getting the playbook down,” Alford said. “Coming from Southeastern the playbook wasn’t too big. Here, there is a lot that you have to learn. There’s a lot of studying. There is a lot of film work that you have to do if you want to be the best.”
While Trufant likely is headed for the starting right cornerback spot, Alford likely will compete for the nickel back spot and to backup at left corner and possibly will contend for the punt and kickoff return jobs.
In the NFL, he won’t have to worry about Trufant chasing him down.
Golden Domer: Safety Zeke Motta, who was selected in the seventh round, was the first player taken by the Falcons from Notre Dame since they drafted defensive end Mike Gann in the second round in 1985.
While at Notre Dame, Motta played behind Harrison Smith, who was selected by Minnesota in the first round in 2012.
“We spent a lot of time together just watching film,” Motta said. “We tried to do almost everything we could to make sure we were going to be great players.”
Smith gave Motta some advice before the rookie minicamp.
“He said just to come out here and run around as fast as I can and give it 100 percent,” Motta said. “Just ask questions and learn as much as I can so that when I’m out on the field, when my shot comes, I’m ready.”
Russell running hard: Running back Donald Russell, who played at Georgia State and signed as an undrafted rookie free agent, ran hard during Saturday's practices.
“I just have to make sure that I know the plays,” Russell said. “When you know the plays, you move a lot faster. When you’re not thinking too much, everything becomes easy and smooth.”
Etc: Running back Treavor Scales of Stone Mountain, who played at Harvard and Dunwoody High, is a part of the group of 17 players receiving a tryout. … Defensive end Malliciah Goodman's wingspan was measured at 87 inches, longest at the combine. "It's a lot easier for me to get extension on offensive linemen," Goodman said. … Defensive end Stansly Maponga, the team's fifth-round draft pick who's recovering left foot surgery, did not practice. … Quarterback Sean Renfree, one of the team's three seventh-round picks, practiced but didn't throw any passes. He's recovering from a shoulder injury.
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