Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant has been quietly working on his return to Pro Bowl form after suffering a gruesome torn pectoral injury last season.
He missed the final seven games of the regular-season and the run to Super Bowl LI.
“It was hard,” Trufant said after the Falcons beat the Packers 34-23 on Sunday. “I’m not going to sit here and say it wasn’t hard for me. I did what I could.”
He tried to make the best of the injury.
“It just brought me back down to earth because I had to start all over again,” said Trufant, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and was on his way back in 2016. “Just grinding. Its paying off. It’s still early in the year and I’ll continue to get better. I’m excited about what the future holds.”
Trufant made a spectacular interception with 54 seconds left in the second quarter. The Falcons turned the pick into a touchdown and took a commanding 24-7 halftime lead.
Trufant was not done.
After defensive end Vic Beasley splattered Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers early in the third quarter, Trufant scooped up the fumble and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown and a 31-7 lead.
“What a night for him,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “I just spoke to him and that was one play to remember for sure.”
On the interception, Trufant was alert.
“I knew that they were backed up and they will take shots,” Trufant said. “They hadn’t (taken) one on me yet, so I knew it was coming. I turned around and I was in great position and he threw me the ball. That’s how it happened. I’ve been working on my hands constantly and it’s paying off.”
The fumble was just a heads-up play.
“On the fumble, Vic just made a great play and I scooped and scored,” Trufant said. “It was just exciting.”
Trufant was named the player of game by the NBC broadcast and was awarded a game ball.
“It was a big moment for me,” Trufant said. “That was great. I have to keep pushing though.”
Trufant was on the sideline with his arm in a sling and his chest wrapped when the Falcons beat the Packers 44-21 in the NFC Championship game on Jan. 22.
“They are a great team,” Trufant said. “They bring it no matter if they are up or down they are attacking. It was a great challenge for us early in the year. We showed a lot of grit. We showed what we are about. We showed what we can do.”
Trufant said he didn’t feel he played well in the season-opening win in Chicago.
“That’s just the life of a corner sometimes,” Trufant said. “You just have to keep pushing. I feel good. I feel like I’m just tapping into what I can do with my potential. I’ve got a great supporting cast around me. I’m just trying to be one of the best.”
He still feels that he’s rounding back into form.
“Definitely because I missed a lot of time and there is nothing like real game reps,” Trufant said. “I feel good. I pushed myself hard in the offseason to get back to this point.
“I’m just going to continue to take my game higher. You always can get better. There were some things we weren’t happy with. We got the win. We got some turnovers. The offense did a great job. We’ve got a good thing going here.”
He felt the game against the Packers is something that will help him during his comeback campaign.
“It was a comeback game,” Trufant said. “That’s my theme for this year. I just want to comeback, do my thing and get back to the old me. Be even better than I ever was. That’s my whole goal.”
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