 What's up everybody and welcome to the latest edition of Falcons in focus. I'm Scott bear. That's Tori McElaney This gentleman to my left Rashawn Evans self-proclaimed quote-unquote to me country boy Country boy from Auburn, Alabama grew up on a ranch Right. Yes, sir with brothers and sisters and animals and animals the other thing that you said that You just had the outdoor lifestyle. Yeah, so Was it hard when you were a kid for your mom to even like get you in for dinner? Yeah, out running have trouble where I stayed. It was real secluded kind of you know, so I mean not a lot of kids out There just you know most of the most of maybe the neighbor that was right next to me You probably had a traffic of a mile. So I mean but other than that I mean it was just one of those things where it was it felt like it was before the cell phone age You know at the time I really weren't even worried about it. Like, you know, I'd be outside. I'd be playing with my brother I'd be playing doing something. I mean I was always outside and and obviously I had the love for the game football So I mean it was one of those things I probably would throw in the ball to my pops of my my mom or something like that You know, it got to the point where they were kind of like look, you know, I'm through all day to you I'm like at some point you gotta go to sleep do some But I definitely was an adventurous kid though. I'll definitely love being outside. Yeah, what kind of trouble sorry Now go ahead. What kind of trouble could a young Rashaun Evans? Yeah, oh get into out in the middle. Oh, you could get into a lot of stuff, especially if you alone, you know One thing you make sure you travel with somebody You out there in those woods you out there just you know Walking around and stuff like that, you know, you just never know what's out there So but I think it does give me a different outlook on life as well, you know You really appreciate the things that aren't materialistic you really look at life in a different, you know Manna and you know, I have appreciation for animals. I love animals You know, I got two dogs right now with those my babies. They let my son have no kids with those are my kids What are their names? Batman and Bane. Oh Yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's so funny. Are they rivals? Yeah Because their personalities actually yeah, yeah, yeah Batman is real kind of quiet real subtle He sits back. He just analyzes everything And then Bane is like any time he sees anybody. Oh, you know, he's just always just trying to be alert And you know, he's the youngest one. So you go you already tell how that is He's just hot yeah, so, you know those two that I love I love the deaf and they they actually are they actually stay down there In Auburn, so I go down there. No, then I go see my family Then I go see my dogs and stuff So, you know, it's always fun to be able to go down there and see your dogs and your family Yeah, two two two can course so Yeah, at first I was I was thinking maybe once because the first one was bad man, he's the oldest one He's my oldest my oldest one my first Born That's my oldest one You know, he at the first I was like maybe I might just get a girl And you know, maybe they have some babies or whatever might be Little family and I was thinking like Yeah, he needs a brother You know mess that energy, so I ended up getting banning, you know, they love each other I love that now I'm glad that you brought up animals and your love for animals because I read something that y'all had a bunch of animals growing up chickens dogs All type of country stuff you Did you have a favorite? Yeah, what who what I say who what animal? Right, so okay, well I'm from we go horseback ride and the people that you know Like I said the neighbors that's that we we stay around or whatever they like you walk You can sometimes walk down there sometimes or you'll take a full will or you'll take a horse or anything We'll do that, but you know, it's true country living I mean, you know, we when you talk about Eggs and all the stuff that you get from the store. We would literally let the chickens lay eggs So, you know, I learned all of that stuff learn how to Guard a plant and do all the other stuff. So I learned all that as a child. Do you have a green thumb? Can you? Oh, absolutely if I was stranded by myself, I definitely Know This is something that many people have talked about many people know it's coming you you probably know About racing horses. Yes. Yeah, please tell people who don't know that story. Yeah, that story Okay, so it kind of started my brother was running track at the time He was we were going to our my school that was the high school We went to and he was on he was on the track team and at the time he wanted to find ways You know different different ways I you know, he could be fast and be better better athlete And you know at the time, you know, we like the horseback rider, whatever That's what we do down there in the south. He thought it would be a good idea to go chase horses So he was out there chasing a horse and then obviously I was kind of looking I'm like crazy You know me I'm like Yeah, I tried it I'd never called him but you know, eventually my brother actually was able to do it You know, he was a lot faster than me at the time. He's not faster than me You know at the time he you know, he kind of got me implemented to doing stuff like that And you know for some reason it was fun to me I'm like, I'm a country boy do crazy stuff anyway I might as well do this and I was doing it for a couple years and you know Eventually I started, you know playing college football right and co-saving was kind of like look now You know, you got to be able to you know, I'm sure but be healthy We don't want no problems you of you doing some extra curricula activities and stuff like that So I kind of shut it down, you know from then but you know, though I got some some funny childhood stories for sure I never caught one That would seem like the most difficult thing Yeah, it's hard it's very hard and then to you you don't realize how agile they are They're really big animals, but at the same time like, you know, they're very very very athletic very agile And you know at the time I got really close, but I wouldn't able to do it though. Now you you ride horses You don't just chase. Yeah, I truly ride horses. Okay. What did you ever do any like equestrian like competitions? No competition. It just no rodeo You know back row, you know me and my pops we would go and you know, ride horses We'll be in the back rows and we'll just ride for miles sometimes We just come back. So, you know, most of that stuff that we did when we was horseback ride It never was any competition or nothing like that. I kind of wish I got into it You know, maybe that would have been something interesting, but you know when I was playing football at the time I'm thinking in my head. I might look I want to go to that field. I gotta be I gotta get right It worked out for you the career path you chose And I think that you and Kyle Pitts are the have both now fallen victim to the Yes, Cordero Patterson orange Because when Tennessee wins Apparently there are some friendly rivalries where if Tennessee wins and beats your school You have to wear the ugliest orange overalls. I've ever seen You're not used to losing no friendly wagers with your school Everyone he did go to Alabama At all I was very confident before that game I almost knew I wouldn't go to wear that That was gonna end up on social. Oh, I knew it was gonna I knew it would be a big thing because you know, you I've had many people even teammates when I was even at Tennessee They would bet me and Some will be scared to bet me and some would be like no, I truly believe we could beat y'all and then you know They'll come to find out them is really like that All right, so, you know, most of the time I never had that situation where I would have to you know Put on overalls or put another team jersey on so finally this is the first time and you know at the time I was kind of like, I know for sure once they take this pitch pick They they they want to blow it up and this is like what happened. So hopefully I won't have to do that no more It's the ugliest Like outfit ever and I told him so I went to UGA and I told him I was like, I'ma burn it. I'ma burn I'ma burn the overalls because they are Atrociously bad. Tennessee needs to stop winning Loud, it's just you know, not it. Yeah, someone needs to beat Tennessee. Oh lord. Oh, that's what I'm hoping maybe Georgia Yeah, yeah, knock him down a bit. It's and I'm sure that you eventually knew this question was coming to Alabama alum from Auburn, Georgia That doesn't happen very often. Your brother went to Alabama, right? Yeah, well, my brother he actually because he's a he's a year younger than me. So he followed me when I went to Alabama Oh, yeah, I want to get my sister. She she she was a cheerleader for Auburn Right. Okay. Wait. I have the whole breakdown. Your dad was a running back for Auburn with Bo Jackson, right? With Bo Jackson. Fantastic Super cool. Your mom has like four degrees with her doctorate from Auburn. She's freaking cool Your sister was a cheerleader for Auburn. Your uncle is a vice president of something at Auburn. It's a pretty successful family Cousins went to Auburn and then there you are Family now. So I mean when I when I made the decision to go to Alabama, um You know, it was it was definitely something that they had to get used to But at the same time, you know, I also had cousins that went to Alabama, right? Yeah, so it was kind of like, you know, when once I did it they eventually at first it was kind of like a shock Because you know, I'm coming straight out of the backyard of Auburn University Legit like Auburn high school All my high school was like maybe four or five minutes from the university. Yeah, throw a rocket hit it So I mean at that time people would kind of expecting me to go to you on Auburn University And I don't know if you guys know too if you look on internet. I think at the time, uh, they already had me on their profile On on the on the site. So they already did they really expected me to already go to Oh, no, I went over there so much. Like, you know, I was you know, it was kind of like at some point It was kind of like, look you you might as well just enroll Before you even announced publicly that you're going to arvin. So Once I went on and did, you know, uh my sign of day, um, it was on USP You I remember and I had two hats at the time because originally I had three schools It was Auburn University, Alabama, and then it was UCLA My mom I went to school. Okay. So you really could have helped me out there I would have loved to go to see But my mom was like no that's too far and that's too much fun It is too far and it is too fun. I need you to focus. So I was like, you know what? All right. So I got two great options I got a university alabama I got arvin university and those two hats were the two hats in my mom's purse So, you know, at the time of going through my You know, I'm thankful for the things and stuff of all that my coaches and everything That got me to the point where I'm at today and then I finally, you know, decide Oh, like, um, you know, I'm going to take my talents And then I reached in my hand reached my hand down to my mom's purse And at first it was the arvin hat. Oh gosh, I touched it That's like almost like Nobody knew what I was reaching for my mom saw my hand and she whispered to me She was like, whatever decision you make. I'm with you Yeah And as I was holding the hat some told me it was like Wait, so you didn't make the decision until you put the hat on exactly. Oh my god It was like a toss of it's like a coin toss at that point 50-50. I didn't know I realized that Yeah, it was that bad because at the time. I mean, I had You know, uh, Gus mouson. He was calling me right before the situation. Yeah, you know, he was expecting like Can't wait to have you on team And I'm kind of thinking in my head. I'm like, man, what if I go Somewhere else, right and just run it through my mind. I'm like it then too I'm coming back to the fact that, you know, I was born and raised here. This would be the perfect Area to be able to start my football career and be able to play in front of my family my friends People I grew up who saw me play football all my high school. This would be match made in heaven And I for some reason something told me and it told me to go to university alabama. I got my hat I'm gonna be taking my town's university alabama And I just just hear the crowd just like gasp He really just do this. I was about to ask like what the response to that. Yeah, the response was not really that good It was like Even if you look on the video, it's a video on youtube, but even my for some of my family members was kind of like Wait, alabama? Like he picked up the wrong hat Yeah, yeah, so You know, I mean after that I kind of just took it on and it was like look i'm gonna make the best out of it I knew that you know going to the university like alabama. I knew that I was going to get the best Possible chance to do something with my career as far as football and I was like look I'm gonna work my butt off and whatever happens after that's going to happen You won two maddies and we're a first-run draft pick so worked out It worked out I okay, so I want to ask this because I I found this question Yeah, I found it when we were researching for the podcast because we're good journalists, you know Pat on back, um In 2015 and you'll have to tell me if this is true or not, but in 2015 your mom She's uh, I told I said on the podcast four degrees with the doctorate Very smart intelligent woman She designed a team dynamics workshop implemented by alabama in 2015. Yeah She was working. Yeah, she's at the time. She was um, I think it was when we won The first my first natty. She was working with alabama at the time So she was working with a lot of the players and you know, she was creating different stuff for You know for for co-saving and stuff for us to you know be more successful like how to You know implement things to work with players how they think You know things that they can you know do to be a better person and because a lot of the guys were coming from You know single family homes a lot of them were trying to figure out their way A lot of them didn't have a lot of income coming in as a player and you know, you you're doing full-time football You have no income. You know, that's you know, it's different Different from now, you know in our ill stuff is totally changed. Oh, yeah Guys were going through a lot of things and my mom at the time, you know, she's a psychologist She's thinking about ways, you know change change the game as far as you know With players and guys that are going through a lot of stuff. So she developed stuff like that Wow, that that that just such a cool concept your mom kind of helped So many of your teammates while you're in school there. Yeah, um, you're you're a psych major too. Yeah Yeah, graduated from graduate from alabama in psychology. Yeah, so like but like you got all these life lessons Just like at the dinner table. Really? That's all did you feel really prepared? Oh, yeah, I felt really prepared. I mean in two, I mean It was getting to the point where she was kind of like, look, I'm gonna have to start charging All right, let me give you all these therapy sessions and stuff And it's funny too because even by you know, me growing up around my mom and knowing these These dreams about life and how to think and stuff like that, you know Some of the stuff I ran into in Tennessee and learning those things is it's like, you know You get once you get the opportunity to be able to go and experience something You know, you really start to realize what type of person you are the type of things that You know that that really make you go that really make you great And you know, I think you know, it's not just so much about conversation But it's also, you know Living the journey going through the journey and really learning from it. So that was one of the biggest things I learned from both sides Yeah, I think again, I think this is true That that your parents only missed one football game. Yeah, so like like the level of support that you got Was rarefied stuff. Yeah, the fact that they were So so present so active because you know your mom you talk about these things like like with your mom But like your dad's lived what? Oh, no doubt. Yeah, and by them being because you know, the way I was raised You know, my mom's real real analytical. She's very detailed So she looks at like in like stuff that you wouldn't think a mom would look at As far as me playing football then to my dad. He played football as well, you know Collegially so those both of them are really like they were really hard on me They were like, you know, certain things that you know, they felt like I could be great And they always try to find something out of my game to be better or as a person too as well So I'm getting both sides as far as how to how to be the best possible version of myself And you know, I always I'm always the first to say I'm truly blessed to have that You know that type of supporting staff, you know, that's behind me I love that. I mean, because not everybody has not everybody has that Very very blessed to have that when uh, how I know said one game and missed one game in college Now your professional career, how often do they get to come and see you? Oh, they Now shoot. I'm now you're down the road. I'm down the road now and you know, my mom She's been loving it so much because you know, uh, you know me coming to see her boy Come see her baby that she that's what she called me She it just you know, it definitely made her happy because you know Opposed to traveling the five hours and not only traveling maybe two hours To get come and see me. I think it's it's been the greatest thing for me Um, you know, I'm able to have more time with my family have more time with friends and family that grew up with Grew up in uh, grew up with in arbor and you know, it's been fun I get texts all the time people like look, I remember you watching in high school And now you playing for Atlanta feels like you back at home and it definitely feels like that Oh, I love it. Yeah, I think we were talking about this in the locker room the other day because you you you've worked with dean P's in Tennessee and then here in Atlanta Seems like you guys are kind of wired the same way like like you see the game through a very similar lens Do you think that's accurate? Yeah, I think so and I and that's why I have such a great relationship with dean because I understand What he wants, you know, um Yeah, that's the biggest the greatest thing about a player coach relationship is you know It's one thing for a coach to tell you something you know what he's saying But it's another thing to understand what he's saying, you know, I think so I think from the many years of me being up under him because he's coach and you look at his resume He's coached some of the greatest players to play the game And that's why I have so much of great deal respect for dean not just because of his experience But also to how he coaches, you know, he's one of those those coaches that you know He might be no non say he might be a guy that you know He doesn't like to play too much But you know, he's hands-on with everything that he does But at the same time, you know, he he brings another You know styling where he coaches where he tries to understand you as well as a player He knows what was good for you what what you do best and you know, the things that you do best He wants to try to you know, you know expose that So I think that's the greatest thing that I love about dean is that it's not just about coaching You know, he really tries to learn about you and make you the best player that you possibly be We're big dean peas fans mad respect of dean peas, particularly myself His mind is fascinating to me. I think it's so cool For you You know having played with him and you spend a lot of time with him. What's your favorite dean peas story? Oh, I would say this is by far the best one I think because you know, and this was at tennessee and it was one time I think We were trying to figure out whether how we were going to break practice And I think it was maybe either during camp or otas one of the two And you know, I think maybe the old lineman went up and they were catching punts, right? And I guess one of the Old lineman went and the second one went and then they were kind of like, okay For the defensive side, we're going to try to see, you know, who's going to be the last person to catch it And whoever catches it, we're going to break practice But if they don't catch it then we're going we're going to continue practice And I remember uh, coach very as he uh, he ended up picking dean for Oh my gosh, and he's probably like late 60s And he you know dean cool just since back there, you know, he analyzes everything he watches everything And he called his name up and dean walked up there real confident like Oh my god, I'm gonna catch it. Wow in my head, you know, I had a feel. I'm like he I think he's gonna catch Dean couldn't be me nor dean. He wouldn't allow us to see him not catch that right So, you know, he he gets out there the middle of the field is split between the two. It's offensive and it's defense Everybody's looking at each other. They're just hoping to pray out If he catches this we're gonna be happy. We're gonna we're gonna go crazy And then I remember, you know, dean just sitting there. He just relaxed I think like he's done it before the dude, uh, he hits the job The ball's selling in the air and dean just sitting there just chilling. We like at some point, then you're gonna have to move He got a case the ball then And I remember he maybe took like two steps back and he called it. Oh And we literally everybody ran down to him and we called him. He was like And that was probably the best that was probably the best experience I saw, you know with dean I I I saw like the young version of dean When he did that that's I mean to have the confidence to be like No big deal no big deal He called it effort effortless. Yeah, he didn't have no bottle of the ball He just made the catch that is a fantastic story One last question before we get to the rapid fire section get pumped for that I've talked to you a couple different times even right right after you signed your contract here And you said that it kind of felt like home that you were close to home You seem like you're having a blast. Yeah this season Is that right? What is it about? I don't know the team maybe being close to home the way that you guys are playing Kind of just like the perfect storm. What is it that you just seem happy playing football? Well, I think it's kind of a combination of everything man And I think too the opportunity in itself is something that I'm humbled to say and honored to say that You know anytime you get another chance to extend your career in the nfl It's always a good thing anytime you get picked up by any team whether what position it is or what role you play It's a privilege. So I thought of it in that way just Automatically coming in and then just to add on to it. You know, I have familiar faces. I knew I knew dean I knew art I knew some of my teammates that were here from tennessee times day kind of went through some of the same things I went through as far as trying to you know find a way and you know establish themselves in the league And then you know all of those things incorporated just made it what it is today and then too also You know i'm close on the home So it's just a lot of things that just clicked and it felt right and you know I felt like you you know think about this opportunity. I was like, look, I'm just take this opportunity and run with it And you know, I've been trying to do that ever since and I you know, I'm just happy the fact that I'm able to be around You know really positive Uh, you know environment as far as you know the in the land of falcons And you know, you see some of the success on the field of what the things that we can do and the things that We're going to do so I'm excited about that Man a nice a nice way to end before we get into the crazy of rapid fire, which is everyone's favorite podcast segment We think so People may it's our favorite. It's our favorite people may hate it We're going to continue doing it now. It's five questions. Everybody gets similar questions. Basically the same questions so number one um Your favorite play of your career Oh, I would say when I picked up a phone. I guess uh patch my arms I ran I looked you know, it was so funny people don't know I was completely out of breath and also locked my back up So I was playing with a bad back the whole time and people in all the players they got They was laughing at me because it was like, look you you run all the time. What you get your back locked up for I would say that play because I played the rest of the game messed up my back was messed up because I was running so hard trying to score Running so hard you can't breathe. Yeah, I can't breathe. I was so excited about that play. So Yeah, I'll say that Is there a tv show that you're binging right now or a favorite tv show? I was what was I watching? Um, I was watching power at the time. Yeah, that was one of my favorites. And then I also was watching What was I watching my pops for some reason he got me into watching, you know war movies like, you know, we should watch 300 So I watch movies like that because I feel like that when I'm out there playing football So I think at the time, what was what was that show called? It was I forgot the name of that show I don't it doesn't air as much anymore, but it was on hulu Uh, I forgot the name of it, but if I find it if I figured out, I'll tell you I forgot the name of it It was on hulu Was it like a war like a war movie? It was like medieval, you know, so Yeah, what was the name of that show like vikings? It was kind of like vikings, but it was like, uh, it could have been maybe, um One game of thrones and when Because you know, I'ma look at it. I'll figure that out Yeah We will find it Next question favorite restaurant And it can be anywhere it could be back home. It could be here being tennessee My favorite restaurant. Okay, so You know, I would most of the time since i'm a country where I would say soul food But I've been come for some reason. I've been teetering on Yeah, I don't know why I got an acquired taste for sushi And I've been eating that lately. So, um any place with sushi at this point, I love it. That is fantastic. Yeah country boy The title of the podcast Who is the falcon that you hang out with the most? I would say It's it's the toss-up between grady and tq They're usually together Yeah, uh, it's totally like an older brother little brother. Yeah. Yeah. I agree between those guys too. Yeah most definitely It's fun. Interesting. Love. I want it as a lumber. You gotta have a relationship with your d-line It's like a quarterback in your old line. You gotta have a relationship with them because they they keep old linemen off of me Yeah, yeah, so I gotta make sure you know, I'm talking with them. I might even pay for the dinner Right. Yeah, I gotta make sure I treat them good. So especially grady taking on all those triple teams Most definitely so he's definitely the one that I try to you know, be on a good side Oh, yeah, um, last one your pet peeve biggest pet peeve My pet peeve And it's something simple. I would say I would say just If you're if you tell me you're gonna be somewhere be on time. Oh Scott, do you want to tell the story? Don't tell me you don't tell me you pull it off 15 minutes And it's 30 minutes. I hate that Scott who's on time person, you know, uh, well, maybe Maybe it happens, but definitely Tory. Yeah Yeah, we often end up traveling together and she if there was one time she was like two minutes late And I'm like the world's coming to an end. What is wrong with Tory? She's died. She's dead in her hotel room Yeah, no, I that is one of my biggest pet peeves. Like if I say I'm gonna be there at this time I'm there at this time. I have friends who I'll be like, hey, we're actually meeting at 5 30 We're not we're meeting at 6 because I know that they're not gonna show up on time Yeah, but you do the same thing I do. I would literally say like maybe sometimes in the people I deal with I would probably say two hours That's excessive. Yeah It's bad, you know, when you really know your friends and you hang around, you know, you gotta you love them You love them to death, but you like like, I know he's gonna be late Yeah, okay. Well, I'm not getting invited to sushi anytime soon Because I'm always five minutes late Hopefully, hopefully, uh, hopefully we could go get sushi. Yeah Yeah, let's do it a live podcast at a sushi restaurant Amazing when they should just bring God just different different ones and we just try man We just talk, you know, it'd be be some nice say less. I'm there for it That sounds awesome. And Sean, thank you so much for the time Thanks to everybody for downloading and listening and watching this on youtube and wherever you can find it Do what you do rate review subscribe to the falkens podcast network And we'll be coming to you next week with another awesome episode See you