Atlanta Falcons’ Raheem Morris sends clear message to Kirby Smart with serious ‘jealous’
The new coach of the Atlanta Falcons expressed great admiration for the impressive football program flourishing in Athens. Raheem Morris, in his first year coaching the Falcons, has observed the success of Georgia’s college football team from a distance and spoke highly this week about the Bulldogs’ program, aspiring to reach a similar level within the NFL. Morris praised Georgia’s capacity to recruit and develop talent, emphasizing their ability to catch the attention of coaches across the board.
During an interview at the NFL Scouting Combine, Morris admitted to feeling envious of Kirby Smart’s achievements and expressed a desire to emulate his championship success. He commended Georgia’s program and its consistent ability to attract top-tier talent, acknowledging the Bulldogs’ ongoing legacy of producing NFL draft picks and winning championships.
“Jealously is my relationship with Kirby Smart,” Morris said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, via AJC.com. “Let’s go win some championships like that guy. They’ve done nothing but formulate a great program.”
Morris also noted the significant presence of Georgia supporters in the greater Atlanta area, where the enthusiasm for the Bulldogs has surged in recent years due to their achievements under Smart.
With the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, the Falcons, under Morris’s leadership, have a chance to select players from Georgia’s talented roster, such as Brock Bowers or Amarius Mims, who are expected to be early picks.
Having been hired to revitalize the Falcons earlier in the year, Morris brings experience as a defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and previous head coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Looking ahead, Georgia is poised to enter the 2024 season as a top contender, likely to be ranked preseason No. 1 unless other teams like Ohio State or Texas surpass them. With key players returning, including quarterback Carson Beck and standout defenders like Malaki Starks, the Bulldogs aim to build on their previous season’s success, where they finished as one of the nation’s top teams despite falling short in the playoff race after losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.