Player Connections
ILB Curtis Lofton was a second round draft pick of the Falcons in 2008 and played in Atlanta his first four NFL seasons.
CB Corey White prepped at Dunwoody (Ga.) HS, where he was a first-team All-DeKalb County selection and played at Samford from 2008-11.
QB Luke McCown played for Atlanta in2012. McCown and Atlanta K Matt Bryant were teammateswith Tampa Bay in 2008.
T Bryce Harris was signed by the Falcons in 2012 as an undrafted free agent and was on their practice squad before being signed to the New Orleansroster after week one.
TE Benjamin Watson played at Georgia from 2001-03.
NT John Jenkins played at UGA from 2011-12.
NT Brandon Deaderick, RB Mark Ingram and S Vinnie Sunseri played at Alabama, where Ingram captured the 2009 Heisman Trophy.
G Ben Grubbs prepped at Elmore County (Eclectic, Ala.) HS and played for Auburn.
LS Justin Drescher spent part of the 2010 offseason with the Falcons.
S Rafael Bush was signed by Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and spent most of his rookie season on their practice squad before appearing in one regular season and a postseason contest.
TE Jimmy Graham and Atlanta P Matt Bosher were teammates at the University of Miami (Fla.).
CB Patrick Robinson and NT Brodrick Bunkley played with Atlanta RB Antone Smith at Florida State. Bunkley and Samuel were teammates with Philadelphia from 2008-10.
Atlanta CB Robert Alford prepped at Hammond Magnet HS and starred at Southeastern Louisiana University.
CB Keenan Lewis and Atlanta RB Jacquizz Rodgers were teammates at Oregon State.
Coaching Connections
Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Joe Vitt tutored Falcons RB Steven Jackson when he served as interim head coach of the St. Louis Rams in 2005.
Quarterbacks Coach Mike Neu served as head coach of the af2 Augusta Stallions in 2000.
Falcons Outside Linebackers Coach Mark Collins served as an assistant at Louisiana-Monroe in 2009. Collins served on the Michigan staff with Saints Tight Ends Coach Terry Malone from 2003-04.
Atlanta Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Terry Robiskie is a native of Edgard, who lettered four years at LSU and was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. Robiskie tutored Saints Wide Receivers Coach Henry Ellard with Washington from 1994-98.
Falcons Tight Ends Coach Chris Scelfo is a South Louisiana native who played and coached at NLU and served as head coach at Tulane from 1999-2006.
Atlanta Assistant Special Teams Coach Alex Sutulovich and Saints Offensive CoordinatorPete Carmichael served on the same staff at Louisiana Tech from 1997-99.
Falcons Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan's father, Dick Nolan, coached the Saints from 1978-80, guiding the Black and Gold to their first .500 season in 1979 as they narrowly missed the franchise's first playoff berth. Mike Nolan served as linebackers coach at LSU in 1986.
Falcons Defensive Line Coach Bryan Cox finished his playing career with the Saints in 2002. Defensive CoordinatorRob Ryan tutored Cox in New England in 2001.
Defensive line coach Bill Johnson served in the sameposition for Atlanta from 2001-06.
