 What's up everybody and welcome to the latest edition of the Falcons in focus podcast. I'm Scott bear That's Tori McElaney the man of the hour new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen now before we get to all the Why did you want to come here stuff? Tori has a very pressing question? Yeah, so in our research, which we prep. This is what we do. This is our jobs I ran across a quote from you It may have been when you were 17 years old, but it said I'm gonna live in SoCal my whole life And I'm gonna major in business. I never said that No, no, that that wasn't me. No some other guy I was about to say, you know, what would you tell that kid now that you're sitting here today as the defensive coordinator? There's a lot more out there So yeah And Back in high school you were a three-sport athlete MVP of your league in basketball a pretty darn good pitcher from what I hear and a football player Why'd you ultimately end up going the football route? so It was my favorite sport out of all three really I Grew up doing all three and so I just kind of stayed with it through high school My parents were really big on to You know don't put you know everything into football, you know do other things and I think that helped in the long run, you know You know you meet more people and more teammates and you know You just experienced a whole bunch of different things playing different sports And so I think it helped in the in the end. I definitely picked the right sport. Yeah, things turned out well Probably I was the best at that one, too. So it's probably why I liked it the most so That's fantastic now going fast-forwarding a little bit to like making the decision to kind of put your eggs in the football basket I was reading about one of your recruiting visits with USC coach John Robinson and Said that he came to your house. I believe to watch the FSU Florida National championship is that correct is that is that story correct and what was that day like? Yeah, so funny story part of that side story that no one knows is The defense line coach of the time and coach Robinson has actually stopped for dinner before they got to my house and Stopped in a place where I lived and my mom had spent the majority part of the day Preparing this feast Wow So and at the time I didn't come hungry well exactly at the time I really didn't know I found out that later and so I just remember sitting at the table and they're just slowly eating You know trying to put it down And sure enough they both cleared their plate, but I look back at that. I'm like man if I would only knew The things you do for recruiting trips, you know, you've been a college coach Oh, you got it. I mean if they put a plate of food in front you have to eat There's no choice So what was that day like though? They're slow eating and then is that the same time that y'all watch the national championship? Yeah, so the game was on and coach was talking just about future and everything and and I really like coach Robinson Like just had a good connection And it was so close to to my house campus was and so I was going down there You know they had basketball games and things like that and I went to the baseball couple of baseball games You know in the recruiting process and spent a lot of time with them And so you know I felt very comfortable with him and it was just I mean it was really just hey coach You know I'd like to come. Oh really what he said to me is that he goes we gave your scholarship away No, just like that and I looked at him he goes no, no, no, I'm kidding Absolutely not so heart sinks from what I heard he also gave you some instructions some homework And that was to have your mom pack a heavy lunch to try to gain some weight That story gets embellished Whoever wrote that or whatever it was it wasn't accurate just like this other cow Comment that apparently somebody made you know about me That's funny guys bring it Yeah, look I ate a lot of food You're a defensive lineman That's part of being a defensive lineman I mean I was some skinny kid that had to put some weight on just like everybody else You know give him some food and fatten them up a little bit, right? That's heck you see it now with these guys. Yeah, all as old as they are what to a ripe 21 years old Yeah, exactly. I think I saw I think it was from Chris Richard There was a quote that like what was college Ryan like and Chris said he's exactly like New Orleans Saints slash defensive coordinator coach Ryan Nielsen Yeah So Chris and I were in the same recruiting class, right? So it's very unique. I've known him for a long time and and You know we talked about passion earlier about football and about the game. It's just this is how I feel It's it's you know, I think football without passion is not worth playing You know, you have to be passionate to play the game in my opinion to be good at it You know and you got to put it's a lot of hard work I mean it really is and if you're more passionate you have more energy You're just gonna be better at it. You're more invested, you know, and so that's how I was as a player And so it just kind of I went through, you know, some learning Learning curve in a process of getting where we are here today But I think the the foundation, you know was was the same when you know when I went to school You really in high school to where we are right now That's really interesting because something that you said is football is in me and I love that idea of You know, here you are as a young kid going into college and you played in multiple sports did multiple things Was there a moment where you were like? This is who I am football is who I am this sport is what I want to do with my life. Yeah So it's my senior year and I'm walking off the practice field and Ed Ozuron was the position my position coach, right and So we're walking off and Norm Chow was the offensive coordinator at the time and so between Ed and Norm, you know, we're kind of going back and forth and all of a sudden like, you know Because Ed had talked to me about coaching and getting graduate assistant and that type of deal and and I was like, yeah I was really not into it at that particular. I thought I was gonna play football in the national football league for 15 years And then right off into the sunset, you know, like every kid so So I remember with we're going in we're playing in the Vegas Bowl against Utah and Before we went to Vegas Norm just put his arm around me and he goes, you know, you should try this coaching thing out and right then and I was like You know what? I'm gonna try this coaching thing out and so after that I did a couple other things and I started playing arena football and one of the coaches on staff got the head job at University Idaho and Pete called me up Coach Carol and Ed called me up. He said, hey, you really need to take this job. This will be a great, you know introduction to what coaching coaching is and everything and so About a month later. I packed up a U-Haul draw from Southern California to Moscow, Idaho and here we are man Yeah, and Did they happen to mention when they were selling you on this job that it was gonna be no sleep and long hours and Driving across the country and in doing recruiting trips like did they clue you in on that part? Yeah, once we get these headsets off and we can visit outside. I'll tell you really what that So no, I mean it look The the beginning of it was it was such a learning experience Sure, and you go to a place like that and you really learn and this is this is my first time You know, I did some director football operations work and some flight work and you know I was breaking tape down and and I mean it's just Great to see how the whole thing Operated and I had a little piece of everything and it really built the foundation of you know How to how to manage all of these different things? and Still, you know get results of everything that you're doing It was it was excellent. I would never changed it changed it for anything like it was such a great That first Eight years of coach was very similar to that, you know, and we didn't have a lot of resources Really learn how to do more with less like that's where that came from and developing players and the relationships And we just didn't have that much and so we spent a lot of time together And so I I spent a lot of time with the players and the coaches on the staff So it was really great that first year was awesome to that and when you kind of look back over the course of your career You've been at pretty much every level you coached at every level that there is to coach essentially within this game But is there something that is? Consistent that you take with you every at every level of the game something whether it's in coaching and teaching What would that be relationships? Yeah, that's the most important thing to me Relationships with the players and the assistant head coach and at this, you know level the owner Yeah, I look forward to meeting mr. Blank and the general manager Terry which we have a relationship already, but then, you know with all the players I mean that's that's to me. That's where it's at and you know, we're we're winning a lot of football games We'd like to you know, but the relationships last, you know, and I've got guys that Have coached with me now that I coached back in 2008 and 2009, you know, and so that's you know a lot of guys I still talk to and find out what they're doing and That's I really like that part of the game You know, we spend so much we spent so much time together and the NFL season is so long If you don't like the people that you're working with that makes it hard Yeah, you know, and so when you get to know somebody and you get to know it's You know, and we're all working for a common goal. I mean, that's that's where it becomes really fun Yeah, it's it seems like you and and Cam Jordan seemed to be tight now We normally don't talk about Saints on this podcast, but it seems like such an interesting dynamic His tweet was fantastic that he's what wish him the semi best Willingly went to the Falcons. Happy ish for him was what he said. So first and last time we'll talk about this, right? So yeah My relationship cam is very strong now At first when I was coming from college and he would played six years in the league when I went into those meetings It was like Super Bowl Sunday every meeting because they were challenging everything that we were doing in a good way Like they wanted to know the why and and look he played in the league for at that time six years And you know, they had a decent group of players in that room And it was explaining and teaching and coaching and he just bought into what we were doing And then he had a little bit success and so success sells and so then he was in and we just kept tweaking and working together And I'm appreciative cam. I really am like our relationship now is is fantastic And I mean he called soon as it came out, you know, he was mad at me that I didn't tell him before Listen, I can't tell you that but I appreciate you calling me. So yeah, it was good man Someone else who I'm interested about your relationship with is Edward Ron We are in SEC country a lot of people know about Edward Ron What was he to you in your early days of coaching and even you played for him? Yeah, great mentor He's a he's a phenomenal mentor. I owe him so much my career a really appreciative and thankful for all the things that he's helped me with and taught me and So playing for him for four and a half years. That was an experience. All right And then moving to coaching for him. That was another experience And so I got both sides of the spectrum and and when we're at Ole Miss together for those three years We didn't win a lot of games, but the amount of Teaching and NFL coaches and coaches that had come through the building to teach, you know Alex Gibbs came down there and he spent, you know really three Springs with us, you know, eight times seven times and I was fortunate enough as a young coach. I'm 25 or 26 I'm sitting there. I'm listening to his run game and I'm like, this is unbelievable and Monty Kiffin and Norm Chow came and I mean so all these coaches had come through the building and you just try to learn so much. I Didn't really realize how good it was until I left right like the amount of information that was in that building So I mean it was awesome. And so then when I left I look back on I'm like man I learned so much in those three years and so Yeah, I mean I'm very appreciative to him. We have a good relationship. We really do and I you know when You know we were down there. I take my family up to see him and that was pretty cool You know now I get kids and things like that. He's holding my baby. You know, which is like wait a minute Wait, yeah, and you speak coach. I was language like you can understand when Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Now before we wrap up. I did want to this was a quote that I that was from Larry Holder I love this. It's the our podcast listeners have already heard it because I said it the last time that we had We were on our falcons and final whistle podcast and It's kind of the crux of who you know, this is our first time meeting But it's kind of the crux of who I believe you to be as a coach But it was Carl Granderson who's talking and he said Coach Nielsen coaches is pretty hard. He wants us to be big nasty D Lemon so we can play out there and destroy people you have to have tough skin to play D Lawn for the New Orleans Saints Is that who you are and is that what Falcons fans can expect of you here in Atlanta? Yeah, absolutely I think the first the first thing is the relationship part and so Players don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, right? So that's the first part. That's all good. Yeah and so Just even you know talking to our guys, you know here in Atlanta and just starting that process and hearing the Energy and just the tone of their voice that excites me. All right And so that's the beginning of it and then once they understand who we are Then we can push them to be and it's very simple We're pushing you to be your absolute best, you know and how we play defensive line how we play You know in the Falcons defense, you know, that's really important The players got to understand that we're it's not always going to be, you know roses You know, there's going to be some tough times and and tough coaching, you know because Um Look, they're human, you know, they're not going to feel their best every day But it's our job to help them get to their best and then surpass that and so that's really the philosophy of what it just What I believe in and I know, you know, coach Smith is along the same lines and and But in terms of big and physical and nasty, that's just a product of You know all of those other things that we just talked about. All right now we are on to Rapid fire everybody gets the same five questions except not really though, right? We have tailored it Yeah, we tailored it a little bit to fit you because normally we have play. This is a player focused podcast So congratulations. Is that how you view me? Well, you're a player Kind of a little bit Yeah in shape ready to go. Whatever you need to tell yourself. Okay. Look, I'll take it all right now Okay, you ready? Yes. Okay. What is your favorite play of your playing? Career or your coaching career? So we're playing at Philadelphia this year and they were Uh, fourth and run running that sneak play, you know, that they got a sneak on everybody And so we coached it the players bought into it and sure enough they ran it and we we stopped it I mean in the sideline and the players you go back you look at it was unbelievable I told the guys it was my favorite play of my career a sneak. Yeah That's amazing because it was it was all 11 is all the guys but it took everybody on defense There wasn't you know, like a corner could make a play You know pbu or a d-line get a sack or a linebacker couldn't run through a hole This took you know all 11, you know, and I know it takes all 11 all the time Right, you really watch the play everybody's strain and everybody's pushing and it was it was awesome Sometimes the mundane is the most Fun and important thing. Yeah, you know, you know, like absolutely the sacks and the touchdowns and all that stuff But it's it's the little things, you know, that's the that's what wins the little things and that helped that play Helped us win because it was the ball was on their side And so we got the ball back and punting it down and played field position So What is your favorite tv show or movie? I'm not a tv guy. Um, that's why we changed it to movie because maybe he's not a tv guy So I look this is a long like Last of mohegans. Oh, that is a great movie. Yeah Um And then uh I mean, how do you not like jerry maguire? I know, you know, man. They're just classics, right? And so Like if you're Forcing me, you know, one of those two. Yeah, okay. I like it. Those are two classics 100% Now who was your favorite player growing up could be baseball. Jackson. Okay. There we go You know multi sport. I mean it's just right at the right time. Yeah It's too bad. He got injured because man, what a talent Yeah, what a football player and a baseball. I mean, you're really right. Yeah What is one word that you would use to describe your defensive mindset? Aggressive Like it. All right. Last one. What is your biggest pet peeve? I know I'm older now. So those things aren't like Aren't top of mind We've had a lot of really good ones. Yeah, you know what I I'm not I really I'm I'm kind of stumped out like biggest pet peeve Yeah, I don't know. See I have a problem with uh, I'm a really like you talk about aggressive I'm not an aggressive driver, but no one wants to meet me out on the road Like it's not fun for anybody myself included. Yeah, I get mad really. Yeah, I'd be honest with like I don't have like one You one thing. Yeah, I mean I think when I was younger it was you know, um If you weren't early that kind of was like, you know, I'm an early guy So, you know, I'm in the building early and if you weren't I'm like, uh, you know Why bring it in the afternoon paper and it's like Well, thank you very much for stopping by this was an awesome episode of falcons in focus I'm scott. That's tory. That's ryan so glad to meet you falcons fans are so pumped for their new defensive coordinator Can't wait to see on the field and we will come back to you next time with another great guest. See you