 What's up everybody and welcome to another edition of the Falcons in focus podcast brought to you by Ticketmaster Here in the Ticketmaster podcast And I'm Scott there. That's Tori McElaney the man of the hour Taylor Heinecky the pride of Collins Hill High School newly announced Falcons quarterback That's kind of an awesome combination, right? You're you must have driven what like 15 minutes to get here 10 actually Cutting down on it any freeways. No. Oh, see now that's like That's all you got to do right there. That's like the dream Yeah, if you can just avoid all the nonsense get in here play a kid's game Get paid go back home. I mean I live like I live right across from truest park and and that's like a 285 to 85. Yeah, you're gonna be sitting some traffic there. Yeah, no kid First question out of the gate. Take us back in time I'm just gonna say early December 2020 You're probably at Old Dominion taking some engineering classes and I look them up And I don't understand them even as they're presented and then you probably get a call from your agent or someone that you know From Washington. Yeah, I still understand those classes either You're in them. Yeah, so I was actually I was taking online classes at home, uh-huh 10 minutes away, okay? And I was actually getting ready for finals I'll study in bed and finals and my agent calls and says you ready to play football and at that point I thought I was done with football, you know that I was just in the XFL. I kind of got nulled with coven I was at sitting at home for you know, six seven months. I was okay I got to find my next chapter in life. So agent calls ready to play football So what, you know, where am I going? So we'll watch them wants to be a better, you know COVID emergency quarterback If you kind of rewind you remember when Denver's the whole Denver's whole quarterback room Yeah, got COVID and they had a receiver play quarterback Well, Washington was making a playoff push and said we can't have this happen to us So I was there strictly to be a emergency quarterback Well, a couple things happen here and there the next you know, I'm playing against Brady in the playoffs, right? So it's pretty wild now how long refresh my memory how long had it been since like you had been like Undercenter at that point in time like playing. Yeah, like yeah, like real real in a game scenario He didn't play for St. Louis, right? No, no, I was backing up there and then I mean if you want to know preseason stuff the last record season game I had before then was against the Falcons when I was at Carolina Panthers and Grady Jarrett decided to tear my tricep. So, you know, it's just you know I can't wait for you to go up to him in the cap and be like, hey, man. Do you remember me? Yeah so you'd kind of thought hey, I'm gonna get my Degree and see what else is out there. Do you want to play football? The answer was yes I read and credit work credits do I read a great story by John Kime from ESPN Who said that you brought like two pairs of sweats Yeah, and like some tennis shoes because you didn't think that you'd be there very long. No That's amazing. Yeah, I brought literally like one small suitcase of stuff these really ugly pair of vans and I was just you know kind of just trying to be there just in case and then next you know, yeah What classes were you taking at that time? Do you remember? I can't tell you it's a lot of big words put together Yeah, I have it like one was like mechanics and nature or something it gets mathematics in nature Yeah, yeah, but there was a couple of ones where you had like code on the computer with math I was just like I was lost, but somehow I got to see so How do you like You get the call and it's like I haven't played in a minute like how do you mentally get there? I mean physically it's like one thing but mentally get to the point where it's like I'm going back into this I thought I was done like what's kind of going through your mind in that regard. Yeah, so, you know I when I wasn't playing and I was you know taking classes here. I was training kids Stay in shape doing all that stuff. So physically I was still ready to go And even mentally when I was up there. It was like I'm not gonna play, you know I'm probably never gonna play still But that the moment when coach Rivera told me I was playing against the Bugs and the playoffs I love a lot was going through my mind and you know I was kind of running out of that tunnel and my last thought was this might be your last football game you ever play Let's go out there and just have some fun with it. Leave it all out there If you throw three picks, hey, you know, everyone was expecting that so I kind of let up there Let it loose and had a great game and you know, here we are three years later Yeah, instead you throw it maybe your last game ever Let's just let it rip and they let it rip for 300 yards and two touchdowns So, okay, so we talked about all that right kind of bounced around Minnesota, New England Everybody knows the story, right? But to come back like that and to have that opportunity But then you sign a two-year deal with Washington That moment we talk about big moments right the moment that you get the call But the validation of we don't just want you on a flyer Come back here and play for us. Yep. Yeah, it was it was huge again It was I felt like it was like a got reborn again, you know It was kind of like a new chapter of my NFL career, you know, the previous six years are kind of gone This is kind of a new start I'm kind of just trying to ride the coattails of that playoff game and again, you know that that when they signed me They brought in Ryan Fitzpatrick. He was supposed to be the starter. Yeah I was gonna be his backup and you know first quarter he gets hurt in the first game So I play that whole season same thing last year Carson Wentz comes in He gets hurt around week seven. I think I have to go in there and play again So a lot of this stuff that kind of just happens. Unfortunately people get injured But when that opportunity rises, you have to make the most of it. That's what I try to do Did you ever get the engineering degree? No, I still got two classes Yeah, my mom's like please graduate Please We kind of talked about it at the jump and this is as close to like a real legitimate football question as we'll probably get but Then you have opportunities In free agency here and you're trying to examine what's best and now you're playing Close to where you live close to where your family lives I'm sure you're gonna be the ticket requests will be high But to play this close to home and have another two-year deal, right and this confidence kind of building with other people and respect in you To play here. What does that mean to you? That means a lot, you know, and I think the biggest thing is is the family portion Yeah, you know my sister she lives right down the road My mom lives right down the road and you know my sister just had her first kid about two years ago So I have a little nephew as a year and a half old And the fact that he'll get to come to you know training camp practices go to games It's really neat. That's really cool. So Again, when you have a newborn, it's hard for them to go to Washington or you know things like that So I'm really excited for them I'm actually like really interested in Transitioning I know you're gonna be asked about coming home and playing home You know 20 minutes down the road all the time But I actually have a question because another connection to the Falcons that you have right now is TJ Yates Who you were his backup in Houston? Yep, and there's something that I like to call the concussion game For those that may not plate it. Yeah Those that may not know, please go back to that game in particular and tell them all about the concussion Which was your NFL debut? Yes. Yeah That's not not start, but right debut. Yeah So I'll rewind a little bit before that we had Tom Savage who was the the starter for Houston And he had some concussions that year and I think the NFL almost missed one when he was on the field It was pretty bad deal. Yeah, so after that Houston was very You know focused on hey if we see anything, you know, we got to pull him out So of course your plan on Christmas Day gets his Steelers in Houston and TJ Yates goes out there And he gets banged up So he's got a concussion. I like Taylor you're in another thing like I was just sitting on the couch You know, I didn't think I was ever gonna play So go in there for maybe ten plays. I get banged up. I have a concussion So now they're looking for like an emergency quarterback There's a TV timeout sure enough TJ Yates is coming from the tunnel during the TV timeout They throw him back in there and it was just a huge ordeal. So yeah, that was the concussion game for sure What was it like working with TJ in that way and now kind of transitioning like kind of coach player type of deal No, that's cool. Yeah, I mean TJ always had a good relationship. You know the moment I got in Houston He was you know, very receptive. I'm great dude We know a lot of the same people so You know, we've we've stayed in touch throughout the years And it's just cool that he's here now and you know helping me throughout the whole process So yeah, we have a great relationship. Now the you're your big time at Collins Hill I know because I live in so on about 10 minutes from that high school. So Taylor Heineke in that region of northern Georgia. Yeah, big deal. Did they commemorate you in some way? I didn't write this down in my notes. I'm just thinking that somebody told me that right as a number retirement or a naming of something So they did a couple things my dad unfortunately passed away and he did a lot for that program Where they was cutting the grass on the field doing the paint on the field a lot of that stuff So when he passed they made a big like rock So when they come down the hill everyone kind of hits the rock comes down Which is really nice and then they retired my jersey number about two or three years ago So yeah, it's it's it brings back a lot of cool memories, but Yeah, Collins Hill has been very special to me So when you were in heist because your dad passed a year after I graduated your after you graduated, right? So to have that right like we talk about the whole region in the state, right? But that little pocket, right? How much they've kind of done for your family that you supported them? Obviously brought them some glory and they've kind of kicked it back to you. That must be a cool. Yeah connection Whether you're playing here or not. Well, yeah, they did a lot for me when I was you know growing up and And when I was in high school and so for them to kind of give back in that type of way It's it's very special and again anytime I could do anything for them I'm all for it. You know, they've been again, they've been nothing but you know, very nice and gracious to me and my family So it's a cool spot. Well go Eagles Now when you're growing up you're actually and correct me if I'm wrong, but you were a big Green Bay fan Yes, that correct. Yes, what memories do you have of kind of like growing up in and watching that team specifically? probably around the time I Don't know like mid early mid 2000s Okay, so there's a lot of memories My dad was born in Wisconsin. So I was automatically deemed a cheesehead And every yeah And every Sunday he would make his famous cheese dip be on the grill making his brats and we would watch the Packers We had the NFI Sunday Sunday ticket and we'd watch them and you know, my earliest memory is watching Brett Farve And that's what made me fell in love with the game. He had so much passion He had a lot of fun out there and he just found ways to win So and then there's a lot of tough wins where my dad was throwing the remote We lost the Seahawks one time not we the Packers lost the Seahawks one time and I remember him just Launched the remote it freaking explodes That was tough another tough one was Aaron Not Aaron Rodgers Brett Farve in Green Bay against the Giants and the Giants beat him in overtime in that really cool game And where he was crying after that game because he thought that was the year But the coolest memory was in 2011 when the Packers beat the Steelers and Super Bowl Yeah, because that was the last Packer game. I watched with him. I was last Super Bowl I watched with him and he passed away, you know Eight months later. Yeah, so that was that was very special And it's again credit to John Keim from ESPN great story. We have to acknowledge that he wrote about you and kind of buying Jordans after each win in the color pallet of Everyone knows the Jordan stories. Yeah, I mean like there's a Falcons one on the list, too But I'm sure Arthur Smith and Terry Faun know love to hear Oh, yeah, they they call me a couple days ago said you better bring us from Jordan But but but your favorite pair of Jordans on that list was a pretty sick Packers Colors because you beat Rodgers that was last year last year last year, right? So like that experience you go up against Rodgers against team that you root for As always the man finds a way right and ends up winning that game Now that those must have been cool ones to buy those were the coolest ones and they were the toughest ones You don't really find a lot of green and yellow Jordans So that was there's a very select Amount of Jordans I could buy from that but there's probably the most special ones just beating your the team that you've always loved That was that was really neat The origin story of the Jordans and all of that is actually isn't it full circle? Like when you went to Washington, you had your duffel bag like and you had your three sweatpants and your vans and everything Who was it that wasn't it that that someone gave you like a hard time about what you were wearing? Well, every time I come to the facility like dude, what are you wearing? Nothing was matching. I was wearing like some crayon looking Vans, but did you have to get something going? I was like, okay Well, help me out a little bit what I need to start first and said well if you just buy a nice shoes It makes your whole outfit look better. So I started looking at Jordans I just fell in love with them now about my first pair and after that it's just like I couldn't stop And then I thought it would be cool You know, I was still trying to build up my whole collection and you know after I'm a small guy after games You know be in the training room for two three hours, and I'll just go on some apps and look at Jordan So I thought it'd be a cool tradition to start buying teams that we beat in their colorway And it kind of just took off from there. So it's been a it's been a fun little deal So like how many pairs of Jordans do we got now? Probably like 70 70 I bought a bunch of shelves up my room. Yeah And kind of right after that this deal seemed to get locked down And I saw an Instagram story and there was some red and black ones, right little code like he's coming home for sure You have a height man, I don't know if you know it his name is Terry McClaren He said so many nice things about you I started to write them all down And I don't want to kill the podcast by just talking about what Terry says for 10 minutes But I have to include this part because I was like it got me fired up just listening to it But and I'm shortening this quote He basically just said he he is referring to you that the tailor just gives us a chance to win and the heart He plays with is infectious. I'm really happy with a guy like that who is gritty. You know what I mean He's dirty. He's nasty. You love playing with guys like that because they elevate the guys around them That might be the nicest quote about a quarterback. I've ever heard Only in football. Can you call someone dirty and nasty? And you're like that's like really sweet. Yeah, but I mean to hear that I'm I don't know how much you read but to hear him say that and he says that a lot But to hear a star player like that say he that you motivate him That's got to be pretty cool. No, it's awesome Terry's Terry's an awesome guy And you know, obviously I like I know I have some weaknesses You know, I don't I can't throw the ball as far as a lot of people. I'm not as fast I'm not as accurate but you know, the thing I do have is I'm gonna keep fighting and I'm not gonna give up on you guys And I think you know, there's a lot of times the NFL where You don't really see that sometimes sometimes people kind of look out for their health or stuff like that And that's not me man I'm gonna go out there and leave it all on the line and try and give us the best chance to win Whatever way it looks so for Terry to say things like that. That's very special. He's always been very gracious to me And he's worked with me through the goods and bad. So I love that dude. He's awesome I think it goes back to what you were saying about the wild card game, right? You're like, maybe this is my last time like I'm just gonna go rip it Yeah, is that I don't know maybe maybe not consciously But could you think maybe that's just the mentality now, right that you're just gonna go let it rip People don't think that you're gonna win look at your record. You just find a way to get it down to have fun with it Yeah, it's only that's the only way I can be successful When I think about being too perfect or you know making a perfect throw and stuff like that That's when that's one thing mistakes are made So I'll just go out there and let it rip and have some fun with it. That's what that's what football is That's why everyone started playing because it was fun. That's a lot of people lose that image, too We play this game because it's a fun game And we got to keep that and not treat it like a business or a you know gosh Yeah, I say all the time. I'm like We cover football. It's supposed to be fine. It's entertainment. It's a game. It's a game It's something you did as a kid. It's not life or death or it like it's not the Pentagon I say this all the time. It's like we don't cover military like transactions like we don't cover war We don't cover we cover something reporters we cover something fun and I wish more and more people like It's a hard it's hard, you know There's a business side and you know again sometimes you feel like it's like Obviously, I don't have a wife or kids But you know all the people do they have families and they're trying to feed their family and stuff So I get that but at the same time and then you're playing you're playing a game Right, I'm having fun with it. I think people play best when they do that. Yeah now to Speaking of the best, this is the best part of the podcast We're wrapping up and everything because you have things you have to go and do and we can't keep you here forever But everyone's favorite part of the podcast is the last few minutes, which is when we do a rapid fire So are you ready? I'm ready. Okay question numero uno is What is your favorite play of your career? It's pretty easy. It's when I dove dope for the pylon against the books and playoff game That was very special and I still think about it to this day I didn't play football I but when you're aiming for the pylon and you can see Bloodthirsty 260 pound dudes coming after you and you think you got the angle, but you hope you have the angle Give me a perspective of what those moments are like because it's there's six points right there Yeah, but there's a way that you could not get there. Yeah, um, you know when you have 300 pound men They're getting paid millions of dollars to hit you. You start running a little faster But yeah, I rounded that corner I didn't know if I was gonna make it but you know, it's kind of stare at the pylon and Kind of just dough for it. I didn't know if I was gonna get it and then I was in mid-air I saw was in an arms reach. So I just reached it hit it and it was that's Probably the most memorable play of my life. And then afterward like the is just pure elation. That's so awesome What's your is there something that you recently watched movie TV you binge that you love? Anything like that. I'm a huge movie TV show binge watcher. I'm everything that you have watched. I probably watch as well You know, obviously the last of us just came out. Yeah, which you know, it's a good show I played the video game and I thought the video game was much better Really much like It is most books are better. Yes, they miss a lot of details that the intensity kind of wasn't there at points But that's a great show and I'm excited for the next couple seasons now Who was your favorite? I feel like I know the same answer, but who was your favorite player growing up pretty far? Yeah, yeah, I mean talk about the Always play like it's your last play That's it. Oh, yeah, I mean he's getting hammered by these soft defense alignment. He's getting up talking trash to him Yeah, I love it. You know and again, it's a game. She's had fun with it and he definitely did that If you could have a superpower, what would it be to fly to fly? Yeah That was quick too All right, this is last one What is a skill that you wish you had but don't a skill it a skill? Oh You're gonna have a skill it I'm a skill I wish I had I wish I could draw or like paint Be artistic in that type of way My way of kind of doing that now is I don't know if you guys know this but I'm like really into building Legos Really love it. It's kind of my therapeutic You know thing where I try to come home from a long day and I'll start putting together huge Lego projects and Put some lights in them make it pretty cool. So what's the coolest one you you've built coolest thing you've built? I just been on the tear last about month My sister so my sister's really big into Legos to every single birthday Christmas We get her the Star Wars like Legos because she just let I mean you she'll sit there for hours won't talk to anybody Just build her Legos. Yeah. All right. So yeah, so I'll probably say my favorite one is the Millennium Falcon Keychain and it's like a bottle opener. It's the best I also have a blueprint of the Millennium Falcon in my hallway. I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I love it so much That's cool. How big is it? Is it the big one or is it the kind of it's the huge one? It took me like 40 plus hours to make it's yeah Okay, well now I feel like you guys are gonna hate me because my favorite is of the Star Trek Enterprise so I'm not saying I like Star Trek better than I happen to put a lot of effort All right, but so we're gonna end it Yeah, so we're gonna end it with a new rival reformed one side versus the other Taylor. Thank you so much for the time man This is Scott and Tory, please rate review subscribe to the Falcons in focus podcast Thank you guys so much for joining us and stay tuned for another great episode of Falcons in fun Falcons in focus. All right presented by Ticketmaster. We'll talk to you again real real soon. See ya