Falcons Legend John Abraham Weighs In On Rookie Edge Rushers

For 15 seasons,former Atlanta Falcons edge rusher John Abraham terrorized the National Football League, to the tune of 133.5 sacks and 47 forced fumbles. After retirement, he battled an invisible, but real demon: mental health. 

Yet, through all that, Abraham earned his bachelor's degree from his alma mater, the University of South Carolina. From his mental well-being to his beloved Falcons, the five-time Pro Bowler recently weighed in on mental health and the Falcons' rookie edge rushers.

Like many who pad up on Sundays in the fall, Abraham deals with mental health issues. For him, it's depression and social anxiety disorder. In a nutshell, football can be the quintessential team sport, but also a solitary endeavor that leaves many feelings detached and separated.

By opening up, Abraham serves as a path forward for those who battle the invisible enemy as well.

"I understand my worth now, and I look forward to people understanding it,” Abraham told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC. “At the time, it was just, I had to literally tell myself how hard you worked in football to be good. You had to do the same thing with your mental health. You’ve got to do the same thing with trying to feel better about yourself personally."

Retired pass rushers are like left-handed pitchers or hockey goalies, a fraternity that still watches games in their former profession. With Zoom meetings, group texts, and other communication, they watch those who occupy their positions. Abraham offered effusive praise for what the Falcons did in the offseason.

“If both of them work out, (the Falcons) are geniuses,” Abraham said of rookie edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. “But some people said it was terrible going back in the first round and getting that pick. I’m like, I don’t see the problem doing that. I think that helps. That shows the fan base, especially the guys who have been here for a long time, that (the Falcons) know what (they) need.

"If they can stay creative on defense, if they can keep these guys on the field at the same time and actually use the older guys to help them, it’s strictly going to have to be a mindset.”

The last quote stands out. Creativity goes further than predictability. From afar, it looks like Abraham watched what happened with former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. Results show that the team did not buy into his passive-prevent scheme. 

Players with speed constantly arrive late to the play. Worse, making edge rushers drop into coverage flies in the face of why teams bring them in. Now, happy in his retirement and working on himself, Abraham hopes that the Falcons reach heights they haven’t seen on defense since Abraham himself was patrolling the edge.