 What's up everybody and welcome to the latest edition of the Falcons in focus podcast brought to you by Ticketmaster Recorded in the Ticketmaster studio. I'm Scott Bear. That's Tori McElaney Guest of honor David on Yamato. What's up brand new Falcons defensive tackle ha human wrecking crew half human wrecking crew half Tasmanian devil Oh Sort of a combination of that He just signed a new contract signed on the dotted line with the Atlanta Falcons And I know so many people in the ATL are stoked so many people across the NFL say This is gonna be a good spot. Yeah, you know who's not real happy about this deal You know who's really mad about this. I don't think Kim Jordan's really all that thrilled He put on social media and he was like wait a minute. Where'd my partner go? Kim seems like I know that we're with the Falcons He's with the Saints, but he seems like a fun guy to hang out with you know what I mean I'm sure he's happy for you, but I'm sure he's not real thrilled and I work with you That's he's a great friend Great friend great individual, you know, but then it's like it happens over time, you know things happen Yeah, it's family at the end of the day still 100 percent. It's funny Just because it's like it's like the Terry Fauno has just went and like he went and got you he went and got Kaden Ellis he went and of course got Ryan Nielsen. It's like Can't we're just making Kim Jordan matter A mad Kim Jordan is not what people want but for you what what was it like playing with Cam? Oh, it was great You know, I played with him since my since my rookie year and you know, do you see it seeing what kind of player and What kind of play is and he came just you know showing you how to be a professional in this league and his approach to his approach to the offseason or his approach to the to the games like you kind of just learn from that because he's He's done it that level that this high at the highest level for it. He's the entirety of his career You know, so that's that's that's that's one of them things. I kind of you know got from our got from him But he's he's family at the end of the day And you said that you've been working with cams since your rookie year you've been working with Ryan Nielsen since your rookie year I'm my second second. Yeah, he was drafted in 2016 Ryan Nielsen 2017 and I'm sure you've been asked a lot. You're re you're reuniting with with Ryan Nielsen What's that like? We want to know some dirt. We want to know what he's like in the defensive line room We want I've heard the word intense In the deal he's he's a you know, he's a he's a player's coach at the end of the day by the same time you You have to do things right. You have to do things right the way it's the way it's drawn up the way It's you know the way it's being presented because he does such a hard. He does such a good job of Understanding schemes. Yeah, like he's he's one of the great minds like he knows schemes like he He easily told you this is just gap scheme. This is you know, like he he's that kind of coach and You know, then it comes down to the player of taking the information and right using it Yeah, that's that's the other thing, you know, but He gets he gets fiery You see him on the sideline he gets fire and he loves it, you know, he does so that's that's the other thing He has the red hair Let him let him grow it out In 2020 he got the beard going and everything got a little longer No, he's all polished He's a defensive coordinator now. So I feel like y'all y'all kind of like have grown together Yeah We've been we've been we've been in the same in the same room for so long Yeah, like I've spent six years with him in the same room, you know, and here to spend a couple more years with him as well So, you know, I I appreciate him and I kind of you know, no was expected and Do that yeah, and I mean I mean look at the statue. Yeah, like it must be a pretty good partnership When you look at the amount of pressure or the pressure percentage and all that fun stuff Your backstory. Oh, yeah, we really want to get into to your backstory. I mean born in Lagos, Nigeria and Live there until you're 18 19 years old. Yeah, 18 and then moved by yourself to Winnipeg in 2011 I mean, let's not even get to Winnipeg yet Like well, we'll get we'll get to that point But tell us a little bit about what it was like to to grow up and your young adult You're basically your whole childhood and young adult years in Nigeria. All right. It was great You know, I come from more I come from a family of six kids. I'm the last kid But are you also the biggest? I guess so I'm also the last kid of the I'm the last one and You know went to I went to high school back home Just like every other high school boarding school, you know, like that's kind of like that's kind of like the norm back home And once I was done it got to the point of Where do you want to go for college? Because I got a couple of my siblings that went to the UK and I had one of my sisters was in Canada at that point, but she was in Cam Loops. That's kind of close to That's in British Columbia closer than Vancouver. So she was up there My parents kind of knew what you know, what Canada was like at that point So it was like, okay, you either going to UK or you going to Canada. So I Guess Canada was a candle was a spot, but then it came down to where I was gonna get my Acceptance letter quicker. Sure. Yeah, so and I ended up being University of Manitoba and That's basically how that started and I got there 2011 was a male 20 not I think it was March 20 Yeah, it was it wasn't that bad like it wasn't that bad at that point It was it was like, all right, you know, I think it was like things are kind of warming up You know, like snow stand melting like by the time I got there you could kind of see the ground And so, you know, but you kind of see a little You just know something happened You don't know what did but my first couple winters weren't that bad, you know, man They got to like the minus 40s for That was that was tough, but apart from that When I got there in 2011 I did my What was it summer or Spring semester I did that took classes and just two classes went home did that then it came to fall time and school, you know school started and everything was busy at that point and Kind of needed something else to kind of Kill time Yeah, that's that's that's what it was and I guess football was was was that was that for me? I went by my head coach's office at that point and Kind of just asking me if I could join the team Fascinating. I was wondering how the connection got made there So I went by his office to be honest and asking if I can make that if I could join the team And he was like, you know, you could you could come out for you know come out for practice tomorrow And I was out there the next day Praxin I guess not practice and I was I was basically on the side like I'd be no nothing like I was just out there like Okay, what's going on like I put the helmet on my neck go sore First year I got I was there was this guy Arger Skinners. He was basically just out there With me the entire time, you know, so we We did that my first year my second year kind of stay again in there, you know, stay again and feel for it Stay again in a couple games After that just every year because my my My idea to it was always to improve every year to try and get better something and that's that was the approach I took towards it. I just think we're gonna keep going with this I just think sometimes, you know, how like when you watch that movie and you get to the ending and then you can like go Backwards and you're like that was the life-changing moment. Yeah, right that you didn't think about it at the time Right, you just wanted to stay on the ball. Yeah, we're coach's office that initiative Starts you down this path. So you're sitting here right now What what intrigued you about the game of football enough to go to the head coach and be like, hey I want to try this out. I knew I knew I was that they could not to play and then it got to the point of actually getting to hit people You know Just just having fun with my friends and just being out there and enjoying the game, you know Do you remember the first like football game that you watched? Like when you got to game, I think it might have been like a see like like a CFL game Okay, yeah, I don't remember exactly who was playing right. Yeah, but probably see it. Yeah, it probably was Were you in season usually starts a little earlier than the gotcha? Okay, were you into any other sports like growing up in Nigeria soccer soccer? Okay. I used to be Arsenal fan back then in the days, but I don't know if I'd want to meet up with him in the box Trying But yeah, it's it's just so fascinating. Did you Was there culture shock at all going from one place to the next learning that you're doing so much new, right? You're doing so much new and you're doing it kind of by yourself to get to a point because I've kind of I grew up in a setting of why I went to boarding school. I've been away from home for a long time That's a good point. Yeah, so I've been away from home for basically entirety of my of my life to be honest, but It wasn't really that much of a culture shock because I my siblings and I kind of went out being visited them while they were in the UK So I kind of was yeah, I kind of was a little acclimated to to being away. Yeah Yeah, true. Now what? Let's go to you you go to the head coach and you say I want to play football and you said, you know Your goal was to improve. Yeah every year What was the moment for you that you look back on and you're like that was the moment that it all clicked for me Probably my third year third year. Yeah, what about that year really? I just I Kind of already so I took the time into our to actually like on this day and Certain like I always want to learn like I'm the kind of person who's open to learning. Yeah, I take pride in it And it was just certain plays and certain blocks and the play recognition was just happening so quick And I was like, alright, I guess this is this is this is where it's at You know, like you just start moving at such a quick pace because you understand a little more So that's that's what that's what it was and you think about The amount of guys that go from a Canadian University To the NFL draft that's pretty rare even guys coming from the even guys coming from the CFL There's somebody on this team came from the CFL offered but Even that's pretty rare and then all of a sudden you're the top Canadian prospect in the draft and then the Saints move up to get you know It seems like all of these Improbable things that you made probable, right and then all of a sudden you find yourself in this position Right, I Don't know there wasn't a dream right if we go back to I just want to be involved Right then as the process picked up and you gain more respect and your name got out there. I Don't know like what's that experience like when all of a sudden it becomes real like and I think an NFL player Right, you think you can have like a career out of this You just I I guess every I just kind of took every opportunity around with it Like just go in the shrine game, but I go in the shrine game I think was the biggest thought was was like the biggest show our opportunity I had and just having Having teams and scouts at least like see what kind of player I was and see You know like a guy from Canada playing against some of the guys in the in the that went to colleges up here You know so that was that was something that was something different and I think that kind of picked up really good And because I had a pro day it was basically The pro there's another story for itself. I'll tell you that's another story for so I had a pro day and Where it might have been like 16 teams that were there and they came out there at Canada That kind of was like all these there's really interest across the border Wow, so all of a sudden you go for your protein. You're like wait a minute Yeah, like I'm meeting with scouts. There's two There were two D-line coaches there my old D-line coach from The Saints and it was another D-line coach. I think it was from the raiders I can't remember to be exact, but you know, you had two coaches there all the way from the US Some of these guys has never been to Canada And it was foggy like it was just pitch you couldn't even see the car in front of shot man But you know like just having they took the they took the time to actually come out there For that, yeah, so I'll like all of a sudden it becomes it becomes a real it becomes a real thing Like, you know, there's there's interest and there's there's actually people Looking at you and probably he could be I could be somewhere. Yeah, it was interesting because I was doing when we were doing research for this podcast I Was re I was I like went back and I was looking at Articles that were written around the time that the Saints drafted you And the words that were used to describe the pick was very interesting to me because they somebody said it was a headscratcher Someone said that you were kind of a mystery man No one really knew that much about you kind of think putting yourself back in in You know 2016 you in those shoes was that almost like a chip on your shoulder type of thing like they don't know much about me I'm gonna go out here and do something. It's it's always like it's it's just about proving myself right, you know Like I'm really people people have the opinions and they go by you can't really tell someone What to think or how to go about what I think it's it's it's what you got deep down and who you are deep down That's that's all that matters, you know, like I saw I saw some of them as well It went after my first season. I guess one of the It might have been one of the one with people that be like, oh, the Saints Should have could have drafted this person that I saw that was like, all right, you know what I Yes, you have your opinion and you go about it by the end of the dial just end up keep working and just keep going about my business And that's all that matters to me. Yeah. Yeah. Well, then let's take us to draft day day Saints traded up, right? Saints traded up so Tell us about the moment when I don't know like paying us a Picture of like where you were when I was actually golfing It was a friend's birthday, right? Yeah, he kind of Planned the whole golfing trip and I just like, oh, you know what? I'm tired seeing the home watching the draft of Mars. We'll just go out with them And I went we went golfing and while I was out there. I got the call Like, okay guys just keep going. I'll catch up with you. That is leave the golf cart Wow, I mean like normally that story is like 50 people I love that. Yeah, honestly That's honestly. I feel like that's kind of like the quintessential part of your story. It's like just golfing, right? And it's it I think When you like you experience this like we're we're we're catching up We're doing research on your background and we think of all these like aha moments These big moments, but it sounds like to you is just Exactly you said yeah, if there's an opportunity in front of me. I'm like I'm gonna take advantage of it You seem like a roll with the punches guy anyway, right? Oh, this game looks fun. Oh, I'm good at it Oh, there's people here. I'm in the NFL. Oh, okay You know the like what's the next thing, right? That is just you know a fascinating. Yeah, kind of waiting. What was your like welcome to the NFL moment where you were like I've made it and You you really like felt it Well, I said I made a what sense like like when I don't know if you may if you had like a specific tackle that you think of Or a sack or something that you're like I sacked this quarterback and and like I'm here No, it was just a point where I got to playing against some of the people I'd seen on You know, you see over the numbers you be like, oh this person's that that that and you're here You're like, oh, they might really be that when I say a plane people. I'm like, uh, okay It's not really what they say It's like I belong here What was your family's reaction to yeah all this stuff the draft not Cause they didn't know much about it. Sure. My family didn't know much about it. So you're like, oh, okay Like I guess if that's the route you trying to write like that's what it was That's what it was earlier then Well, now I think they they understand it a little more. They understand what's what's going on Yeah Now have they had a chance to come to a game because I was reading when you were drafted that they From like 2011 until the time that you were drafted that they didn't see They've actually never seen me play football. They've never seen play football. So probably hopefully this year We got to get them to Atlanta. Oh, yeah, and we will have them stop by the podcast. Yeah We'll podcast with all you from Don't tell you the story from their own point of view Exactly. See we're looking for their point of view might be really interesting because they're like He told us that he was gonna play football and now he's making money doing it. What is this? Like we asked you about Ryan Neilsinger. We asked that about That's exactly how it works. Oh, man, this is so fun. I love this. Yeah, so I guess just to like Wrap up. Yeah, because we do something called rapid fire so we're gonna ask you five questions to wrap up and You know some of these questions we recycle some of them are a little a little off the wall So are you ready? Let's go. All right. You're favorite play of your career Favorite player of my career. I think it was I only even think it was my play to be honest. It was a one on our Cam Newton when he kind of ran into my chest and Was out for a little bit We'll run the clip That's a good one When he ran into my chest I dropped that still counts as a play. It does count as a play. Yeah, you were involved. I was involved Well, I mean you could have fallen when you probably wouldn't have fallen Is there a TV show a Movie that you love or that you're binging right now I just go with the flow like I watch I go on Netflix and watch, you know, what's on there Just kind of I I'm not really watching that I'm not watching any show right now to be honest. I just go on there and watch the movies of the comedy special I'm a big fan of just like turning them on like while I'm cleaning or something All right, who is your favorite player growing up regardless favorite player growing up Terry, honey That's a good one. Okay, French striker. Yeah, absolute Menace, I was hoping that you're gonna say like a soccer player. Yeah Made arsenal what they were back. Yeah, that's that's why I took 20 years to get back to Have you played in the UK when you were with the Saints, yeah Did you get a chance to see like in a national game? It's pretty packed the last time the last time I was up there I think we're trying to go see a game, but it was on Saturday and yeah Okay, this is gonna be a random Canada question, so I'm sorry. Oh, yeah Starbucks. I don't know if you're With that the question for our listeners was it was gonna be Tim Hortons or Starbucks? It's like a meeting spot like you're actually going yeah on your first day of Tim's. Oh, no way Yeah, first date location all of your friends north of the board with he said Starbucks Oh Man, I love it now last question What is your favorite? traditional Nigerian food, so it's Plantain with some chicken or Oxtail or something of that sort. Yeah, okay They have some plantains I saw that too. They knew you were coming That's fantastic and so is this podcast yeah guys Thank you so much for joining the Falcons in focus podcast presented by ticket master Please rate review subscribe to the Falcons podcast network. I'm Scott. That's Tory. This is David. Let's go