The Atlanta Falcons drafted Calvin Ridley in the first round this past spring in hopes of forming the NFL's most dynamic receiving corps. The individual who stood to potentially gain a great deal from the addition also has aided the rookie the most.
Ridley appeared on the latest edition of the RapSheet and Friends podcast and explained how Julio Jones immediately took the him under his wing.
"Like a big brother," Ridley said. "He definitely takes control of the room and it doesn't matter who you are: He wants you to do well and get better. When we're on that field, he's coaching everyone, and it's just amazing to see Julio Jones out there working just as hard as we are. I really feel like when you've got Julio Jones on your team, the expectations in the room are high. We all should go out there and play good -- not only for us and the team -- but for him."
The drive is real. Ridley is tied for second in the NFL with a team-high seven touchdowns. His 463 receiving yards are good for second on the Falcons, behind Jones, who's second in the league with 933. The Alabama product said he's already inherited a number of good habits in his brief time with the Falcons' All-Pro wideout.
"I probably catch like two to three hundred balls a day -- and that's just in-between reps," Ridley said. "I might catch like 15 to 20 passes in-between a rep. I might have two or three reps off and we just go on the side and catch. So, we do that all day. The way he runs his routes -- he's so detailed -- and he knows coverages and the way he lines up, it's just amazing to be around Julio Jones."
Given his production, it's good to have Ridley around, too.
