 What's up, everybody and welcome to the latest edition of the Falcons in focus podcast brought to you by ticket master recorded in the Ticketmaster Studios, and we're here. I'm Scott bear by the way. Why don't I introduce myself? That's Tori McElaney Man of the hour brand new Atlanta Falcons limebacker all-around Havoc creator Kate Nellis joining the program Kate. Thank you so much for the time man. Thank you for having me Right um, so anyway, we're not gonna start with today or even recently well sort of recently I want you to take me back to New Year's Day 2023 Yeah, yeah, no like this. Okay. It wasn't a previous New Year's Day Saints Eagles. Okay. I think you remember the score of that one Eagles are on cloud nine the Saints come in Yeah, take care of business there What some people might not know about you is you had a relative on the other sideline, right? Christian was playing Noah is also an eagle on the he's on the NFList, right? Yes So that's a huge deal for the Saints. Anyway What is that like because I assume you've sort of played with your brothers on the same team or the same schools Or watch them play now your opposite sidelines. Oh, it's fun Okay, tell us about that. Oh my gosh first play on defense. I Get a sack and I just straight for the silent. Where you at? I Couldn't find him, but I'm looking for you. I know it wasn't against you, but it was fun You know, I was on a I was still on punt for special teams and so my brother was playing special team So he told me all week. He was like, you know, yeah, I'm pump luck return. They're not letting me go against I'm not gonna hold you up or rush against you. That was a lie And he's just it's straight up head-on-head him and me going at it and it was a lot of fun It was laughing down the field our teammates are looking at us like idiots Like we're in the middle of a game, but we're just living a childhood dream So we've seen parents of brothers on opposite sides like in baseball I think the Nolas just did it where like the parents are wearing jerseys cut in half How did your parents handle that situation they're rooting hard for the Saints because we needed the win and the Eagles Yes, I like that a lot now you're actually the oldest of 12 is that correct? We had to check the notes a couple times 12 A lot of siblings, I only have two other siblings. I cannot imagine 12 What was growing up like that's the question what was growing up like with that many siblings? It was just fun. Yeah, you know, it was just like it was just fun You know, there's there was always something to do. There was always people to hang out with, you know It was it was fun, you know a little scary because you got 11 younger ones looking up to you Yeah, that was always that was always a little tough parents You know sometimes counting me and you know my the next old is my sister Olivia But at the end of the day it was it was fun and just just such a such a blessing. Yeah now What type of trouble did y'all get into? Like what what are the stories from childhood where you're like the parents can't possibly watch all of them at once, right? Yeah, so eventually you can get into some trouble. I want to be honest with you guys I am a like at least always was like a full-on kind of goody-two-shoes Like I was third parent. Okay. I caught my siblings doing something. I was gonna correct it You were like, okay, you were the enforcer. I was the boring one Right, I was extremely boring, but you know at the end of the day when there's that many Yeah, and at the end of this because there's always like babies in the house and for me It's like when there's babies around it's like no no no you can't have those quarters around you can't be doing this You can't be doing that. Don't jump you're gonna land on you know what I mean, so you were a stressed kid No, he was just look at it that way Yeah It sets you up for like later in life because you're now a dad yourself. Yes. Yes To What was that like to go from being in a family like of 12 to now you have family of your own. Oh, it's so much fun Yeah, you know, it's uh It's just awesome. Good to see you know your kids grow and just smile You know smile about silly things fun things things. They shouldn't be smiling It's just I just love love getting to watch them grow up. It's awesome So what's the separation between you and and your youngest sibling? 16 years 16 years. Okay. Yeah, so you were Almost out of the house kind of when he was born and everything goes to sophomore in high school Yeah, my my youngest sister is 11 years younger than me So it's kind of like you don't really you were only living in the house with them for like maybe a few years And then you go off to college and it's like I always say I'm like a fun As much as I am like a big Uncle yeah, exactly and look like you your dad played in the league and like we're gonna get to him Yeah, but can we just just apply for your mother for sainthood right now? She's amazing. I mean We always think like what is a grocery store cost of that? You know To keep that family together and look she can be like scoreboard. I got three boys in the NFL and you know That things she's done well. Yeah, but I think that that's like again You know your dad was a pro bowler you guys in the league, but let's not forget about your mom Oh, she's amazing. Yeah, how key was she in keeping keeping everything together? I think he's the right word. It's just like without her. It just doesn't happen You know what I mean? It just it just doesn't work like with without her. It just God knew what he was doing. He made that one. She's special. She's amazing I read something where you had joked to that and I don't know if it's a joke Maybe you're being for real, but you said You said No, you said that you got your athletic ability from your mom. No, that's right. There you go. Great. Yes. I did Yeah, yeah, you stand by that. I stand by that. Okay. Yeah, she was she was a swimmer at the University of Utah Yeah, she's a good athlete. So, you know, she's got lung capacity, you know gave us the long arms, right? You know all that good stuff. So yeah, no, she's she's great athlete. I mean dad's the defensive tackle You got some bigger guys in the family like let's not forget in order to go sideline to sideline You got to have a little But yeah, so now switching to the other parent growing up the son of Luther Ellis, right? Pro bowler draft pick, you know played in the league. What was it like kind of just being around? You're in the league now your your brothers are what was it like growing up in that kind of NFL type of environment? You know, you don't know any different. I remember my dad Oh, I would listen to my dad talking to my mom like when we'd come home from games We're like this is more after he was done playing so we're a little bit older But he was still able to you know go to Detroit and you know, he'd do the coin toss or he'd you know speak before the game Or you know, but we'd be on the field with them beforehand and then be in the suite with like GM's owners people, you know, right? Yeah, and it was just he every he'd get home and be like My mom didn't know I was listening because whatever little kids don't listen anything and he's just sitting there like they just don't Understand like they don't get what they were just able to do, you know what I mean? Yeah, and it's so true like You know idea is just normal to us. Yeah, dad plays football. Yeah, we go with that It's like for us is just going with that to work, you know what I mean? Yeah, nothing different than that So, you know getting to see now kind of how hard it is to get here getting to see how fans React to you and you just sign a shirt, you know what I mean Yeah, I just the passion and the love that comes with you know team repping your city Like it's just it's really special now looking back on it and getting to kind of really try to take in those moments with a little more Respect, I guess. You know what I mean? It was interesting too because you talk about like not knowing that it wasn't like quote-unquote Normal essentially like you were your father was drafted in 95 and you were born like a few months later in like July, right? Yeah The fact that you didn't like all you knew for the first hat what like six seven eight years of your life was like Like what you said my dad plays football. It's just ten years. Yeah until I was ten. Yeah, he was playing football I mean it to kind of like How has like, you know Being raised in this environment kind of like morphed your thinking and to kind of being in the league yourself You talk about the respect in like understanding it more now that you're older. Yeah, like What else is there about like this lifestyle that you're like? Oh, this actually isn't normal at all like This is pretty cool. Oh, you know, I think just you know as a kid it was kind of like You know, everyone wants to do what their dad does. Yeah, you know what I mean And so for me, it was just kind of like, oh, yeah, I'll get seeing a film like I'm on play You know what I mean and then you hit bumps in the road and you hit things where it's not easy And it doesn't just come and doesn't just happen the way you thought it would you know what I mean and Honestly, I guess just from then to now it sounds obvious Like thinking back on it, but then I didn't realize just the amount of work. Yeah, and the amount of effort and the amount of Call it luck call it God's blessing that has to be like for it to work out. You know what I mean, like it's It's a lot and it's a lot that goes into it And so, you know, it's thankful to the king that I'm here and just loving the opportunity and loving this second opportunity to come play for Falcons and it's just it's just awesome Do you have any memories of when you're younger and maybe like meeting someone that you're like, oh my god I can't believe I got to meet this person No, Barry Sanders would come to you know, Bible study with the fam and he would always say to the kids like What's my name? What's my name? I don't know I love it. You know what I mean? You know kind of like quieter guy and just like the fact that you know for us it was just Your dad's co-worker, you know, yeah, you work with my dad now looking back and watching his highlights. I'm like that dude's special There's very few people that have ever been able to do what he's able to do like this so looking back It's like, oh, yeah, I did meet this guy. Oh, yeah I have a very standard signed helmet, but at the moment just like thanks for the helmet dad You know what I mean? Yeah, it's like I'll figure I'll find it later. Yeah, so let's go back to high school. You you were a quarterback right and Were you thinking that that was gonna be your line of work? Yeah, cuz I I read something that's you said that you or maybe you didn't say it I don't know but someone said that you wanted to play quarterback in college Yes, and like you had to kind of be talked into playing linebacker. I didn't even want to talk into I was Utah and I went to Utah camp. I went to Utah State Camp And they were like, will you switch? They want to put me at safety. Will you switch? No, I will not I am not I am going to play court because I was kind of stubborn in it Like I was like to me honestly like it felt like I would have failed if I didn't Accomplish that because I set that as a goal and I wanted to do it. You know what I mean And so when finally colleges didn't come calling eventually I had to be like Okay, I'll play a different position and I'm thankful. I am I you know, I'm thankful. I get a play linebacker It's kind of worked out for you So thankful now, but yeah, it was I was adamant I'm playing quarterback And I could not throw but I was No, I love it like I I'm gonna do this and I may not be that great at it, but I'm gonna do it Yeah, I'm gonna do it. Yeah, so yeah, it took some more than just convincing. It took a failing Sometimes we learn our best lessons through failure That's rad there you go So good usage of the word So Tori dug this up That as you were transitioning to the defensive side you and your dad would have like Skype calls and Then he was like like many help you like accelerate the Progress like what were those? So he was he would go you guys did some good digging your college small town Idaho newspaper He um, he was chaplain for the Broncos and I was Or might have been even before that he was in Utah Then went to be chaplain Broncos my for those he spent two years doing that while I was two years without him and my brother at Idaho and Yeah, I would like it's my first spring ball and I started off horribly like horribly like awful like playing so bad like like not knowing what to do none of it and Yeah, he would he because obviously coaches over there would help me But I'm gonna have my dad's opinion on it. We would Skype and I was like show him the plays You know what I mean? Like what I need to do different. So it was pretty embarrassing. I was like dad help me You know what I mean, and um, yeah, he helped me. He helped me grow a lot obviously and he had when I was younger But again, I was trying to play quarterback the whole time and so getting the you know Get a little bit of coaching points from him after each practice was was really helpful. Yeah, what was uh, maybe something he said to you or like a lesson or one of those like early lessons of Watching in those like mini film sessions with him that you still to this day you think back on here Like it's a good thing. I learned that hands hands Told me I still don't believe him But he told me when when he was and when he got to college and because at first he went as a Tied in and basketball player to play at Utah He got offers for both and he's gonna do both then he ended up getting shifted to D-line and just did amazing so never played basketball and And He told me that when he you know started to play d-line He would go to like the corner of his room and do a thousand hand strikes every night and every morning He would do a thousand So when I was getting cooked he told me that so I started trying to do a thousand Yeah, I never got to a thousand. There's no way he'd got to a thousand. I do not believe it We need video 500 at night and in the morning and and it helped me and that's One of the best traits I have I think When you look around the league at linebacker I have one of the if not the best block destruction in my opinion with my hands and You know that's something that has carried me since Planet Idaho and getting cooked in spring ball And then you you know kind of eventually turned into an NFL draft pick and it's always Fascinating to me. There are so many different ways to make it in this league some are maybe easier fear than first overall pick And some are harder if you're a seventh round pick and you have to and you have to earn every little thing and to see What you did from again from the outside? I'm sure that you would work hard and earning respect and all these things in practice But to see what you did last season. I mean it was pretty incredible by any metric, right? But to get to that point, you know, you're working on special teams. You're grinding, you know Like what was that process like what was our level of self-belief like? Just give me a chance to stay on there for three downs when we can do this thing Yeah, what was that mental journey like for you from you get in and you're earning it to now you're doing it Yeah, and it's going really well. Yeah It was hard, you know, you guess my wife she probably like he's complained a lot You know what I mean But and I had moments where my linebacker coach coach Hodges could tell you also he Don't be the complain but talk to me a lot about this Not people like Trey Hendrickson who's a great player be like dude You should just move the defensive end put on some weight and go past rush because that was something that I was able to do Since I got to the Saints, but it was some of the other stuff that took time developing and learning And you know coach Hodges I'm really thankful that I was able to play under him these last four years because we have four years He's assistant, but Mike Nolan as well because he Really helped me develop as an off-ball linebacker Which was something that was was tough for me to do and something that made my dad couldn't help me quite as much with because At the end of the day, he was but he played in the trenches tight one-yard gap So some of this stuff was a little different and so having to learn how to see the offense how to Read and diagnose the plays quickly how to you know footwork and really the eyes like all that was was tough And so, you know, it took a lot of time a lot of conversations about maybe I should just go be past Russia, maybe I should go do this. Maybe I should ask for a trade and go to 314 Maybe I should you know what I mean all these things I'm just thankful, you know at the end of the day would always, you know, we pray and God always just gave me a piece, you know, like a piece about it that now you're where you're supposed to be You're where your family is supposed to be, you know, I'm getting you guys ready for something for more things down the road and I Was able to Continue working continue sharpening those skills making the weaknesses not a weakness and making my strengths even better And then when I was given the opportunity to to go out there and play every down It came together, yeah together in a furious Tasmanian devil Tackles and 11 starts type of world There are worse things Yeah, I mean I so I didn't I knew about you, but I watched I watched a lot of I love Kate and Ellis film the last time and it's like it's like a heat-taking missile through the gap and the running back Just like I don't know if he ever sees you coming But I feel like you and Troy Anderson are gonna get along so well. Yeah, I agree Yeah, y'all are kind of cut from the same cloth Okay, we are wrapping up because you've been talking for probably an hour and a half at this point same with some of the other guys That's the job, right? We all get paid to do this There are worse jobs to have that is for sure. I agree But to end the podcast we always do a rapid fire So are you like nervous about this or sometimes rapid fires are tough, but let's go. Okay. You ready? Yeah. All right What was your favorite play of your career? Pressure's on I Oh, man And you can go I think I think it oh college too. Yeah, I just second Troy Anderson It was probably um I had brand and I you one-on-one in the slot He had an option route on me And for the longest time one of the reasons the Saints wouldn't put me on the field was because of open space coverage And I got him You know, he's an amazing player and you know, we'll run it back sometime. I'm sure and maybe we'll get the best Me next time. I'm gonna do my best not to let it happen. But I got him on that play and uh Da the defense coordinator came up to me right after like that time on the sideline was just like that was awesome You know what I mean? And that to me was just like Yeah, like the hard work paid. Yes. Yeah, that's me. It's like come on. You know, like we can like we got this Yeah, so can we take a small small pause? Sure You actually sector and Anderson the quarterback. Oh, yeah, because he was playing quarterback Yeah, he was I think I got a second half on him going Oh the second half I think so the film I Frank Busch your new position coach. He will definitely find the film There is no doubt about that. He will absolutely run that into the ground with how much he'll put that I'm very excited for this on the college highlight. So we go find it Or it's not your always probably It's always was uh running on us for like a hundred something yards. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he got you back They won the game Is there a tv show a movie something that you you and your wife binge love right now? Oh, my wife doesn't like watching tv. She like watches nothing. Okay. I love pokemon simple. I'm child. Oh my gosh I'm gonna tell my son that Yeah, I love it. Love it. Your kids win his pokemon for halloween. He went as ash two years ago and then Pikachu this time Yeah I knew I was doing something Okay, uh favorite player growing up I mean gotta be has to be there's no other option. I can't see him. I would save on miller. Okay Another really good one. We won't tell your dad. Okay. I said if I can't say Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, if you can't say him Yeah, don't cut that out of there If you had to uh, or if you could pick a superpower as a superhero, what would it be? I think I'd like like wolverine Oh, right. You know what I mean? Like that's a really interesting answer. I would like that a lot Yeah, because you could like get into some trouble and then Pop right back and you're good. I'm fine. You know what I mean? Exactly that is a true linebacker answer if I've ever heard heard it like the just you're just hitting people all the time I'm fine. I keep going. Yeah Yeah, um, okay last one. Okay, um, would you rather fight? One you're asking him this one. I am one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses A hundred duck-sized horses birds are mean birds are mean geese and ducks are the worst A normal sized Goose was an uh, uh, I don't want anything to do with it. Let alone a horse-sized duck I think yeah the other thing would get me fast that yeah, no, that's scary. You should talk to cow pits about his disdain for ducks He he's scared to death of them. Yeah, when you meet when you meet him when you're out on the field running around during Yeah He's gonna get so mad at us Please And report back And please please please all of you listening, please rate review subscribe to the Atlanta Falcons podcast network I'm scott. That's tory. That's kaden. Thank you so much for joining the falcons in focus podcast presented by ticket master This was a freaking awesome episode. This was fun. I hope you all enjoyed it too kaden. Thank you so much for the time Can't wait to see you in red and black