Falcons linebacker Paul Worrilow, rise from undrafted player from Delaware to captain of the defense, has been an improbable one over the past two seasons.
“It’s something that I’m proud of,” Worrilow said on Thursday. “It’s a big responsibility. I’m excited to have that title as we start the second half of the season. We are going to turn things around.”
The Falcons decided to elect permanent captains over the bye week with the hopes of infusing the team with leadership. Worrilow and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux were voted in as the defensive captains.
“It’s a peer thing,” said Worrilow, who calls the defensive signals. “We all voted for captains so that carries a little more weight. These guys, they are behind you and they trust in you. They like you being at the forefront and being in charge of the defense. That’s something that you’ve got to be excited about.”
This week, Worrilow has been trying to emphasize the need to stop the run against Carolina.
“You can see that our pass-rush game has improved from week-to-week,” Worrilow said. “It starts with stopping the run. They have two good backs (Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams), who’ve had a lot of success for a long time. We know that stopping the run is going to be big this week.”
