September 7, 2020 • 13 mins
The Falcons' No. 1 draft pick talks about the draft process, how he felt when the Falcons picked him, his Clemson days, growing up in Atlanta, how everyone in his family has a name beginning with the letter ‘A’ and more with Matt Tabeek.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Aj Terrell, the twenty twenty first round pick of the
Atlanta Falcons, joins us today. And I know that was
only one hundred and six days ago at the time
of this recording. Anyway, Aj, but does it get old
for hearing that? No? I don't get well, Hey, thanks
for joining me here and welcome to Bird Noises. It's
(00:23):
an Atlanta Falcons podcast about football and mostly everything else.
So we're gonna just stay right on the topic of
birds right off the top here and names. So one
thing I do, by the way, do you like birds?
I did not question. So one of the things I
(00:46):
do with every guest here, whether it's Thomas Mittruff, Dan
Quinn or Caleb McGarry, whomever, is asking about the name,
So what do you think about the name Bird Noises?
And being on a podcast, uh called Bird Noises? You
can be throughly honest. I didn't go a lot to
the confuse what you talking about? You? I had. I
(01:11):
had Hayden Hurst on, and you know, he came from
the Ravens, so he's like, yeah, you know, I get it.
They have something called the flock and he was a
game talk and so he kind of likes the whole
bird thing. But yeah, no, that's that's that's a great reaction.
So um, well, this is the U sixteenth episode. We're
doing a bird noises, so let's just jump right in
(01:33):
and uh you know, I know that. Uh um, you
know we're talking about names and everything like that. We'll
get into that. I know names are important to you,
but one thing I noticed right away was that you
were born in upstate New York. Correct Rochester, Rochester, New York.
It's right. I'm from upstate New York. So, yeah, I'm
(01:54):
from Binghamton. I don't know what Binghington. It's a southern tier. See.
I moved when I was two years old. I don't
even remember. Okay, so is your dad from upstate? Okay?
I know names are important to you, and your your
full name is what Dell? Yeah? Okay? And uh in
(02:19):
what's the J stand for Julia? Okay? Because dad is
Undel right? And mom, if I got this right, is
Aliyah right? Correct? And then you've got three siblings, yeah, Aril, Arianna,
and the youngest who is Avion correct? Correct? You got
(02:40):
an a thing going on? We got anything right, that's right?
And and then you also have a son, which who
is also an unbil right thir third. So you know,
I was sitting there, I'm like, this is kind of
cool that the whole family's got all a's. But what
(03:03):
would happen if, like, you know, you have another child
someday and you say, hey, Mom or Dad, I'm gonna
name the kid Brandon or Bridget? Would they would they?
Would they do? Sewing you over that? Or what? You
gotta keep the A think? No, it would be my decision. Okay,
So it's not like you. It's not a decision between
(03:25):
me and that and whoever. Yeah, all right, I just
had to ask it. I don't know if it was like, no,
it's gotta be an A. It's gotta be an A.
It's gotta be an all right. Well, I'm glad. We uh,
I'm glad we got all that out of the way.
Let's just talk about Clemson for a minute. Um, so
much tradition there, Grady Jared, great Grady Jared. Another Clemson Tiger. Um,
(03:47):
I just gotta I just want to ask you a
couple of questions just about Clemson. So, first, first thing
I think it Clemson, is that the most awesome game
entrance coming touching touching Howard's Rock. Right, what was what's
that like? What's what was it like? You know, just
coming into the stadium for the first time, it feels like,
(04:11):
I don't know, it's just it's a it's a great feeling.
I don't know. The other entry, you know what I'm saying.
Just getting on the bus and going around the whole
stadium with our fans. Yeah, you know, our fans rocking
the whole stadium. And then when we get around, get
off the buses and go by the hill lock arms.
They let the cannon go off and we touched the
rock and go down the hill. Definitely, you definitely got
(04:35):
to go see it. If you didn't, I've never seen it.
I've only watched it, and it just looks it looks awesome. Uh,
it sounds it sounds like you're based on your facial expression,
looks like it was great. Yeah, you still get chills maybe.
Um So, when when you think of Clemson and all
(04:56):
the you know what you accomplished there, Uh, what's the
one moment or the one story, or the one play
or the one memory that you take away from your
college experience. If there's just one moment or a funny
moment or just something you'll just never forget. I never
forget you know. Of course the National championship play at me,
(05:20):
but outside of that, it would definitely be just a
locker room. Yeah, a lot of stuff. A lot of
stuff go down in the locker rooms, like in football
in general, like it's a you just everybody got you know,
unique personalities and everybody just becoming, you know, a brotherhood
and just expressing all that at one It's just it'd
(05:41):
be a lot of stuff, a lot of funny stuff
going on, and just really the locker rooms I will
miss the most. Yeah, hopefully, you know, I know one
thing Dan Quinn talks a lot about and has worked
really hard to build here as a brotherhood here and
be interesting to get well we'll talk to Falcons a
little later, but be interesting to get your take on
you know, the brotherhood here and how that's going. Um
(06:04):
So that's a pretty good moment, uh you know, because
that's the one moment I'm glad you brought it up.
The two uh Tiago Vyla interception on the was the
opening drive of that National championship, right if you know,
that's when I think of you in your college career
that's that's the one. I go, oh yeah, ag troll
(06:24):
And I think of that forty four yard pick six
when you when you look when you I'm sure you
relived it. I'm sure you've been asked about it probably
a gazillion times. But just walk me through that play.
What were you Is that something that was scouted you
were kind of sitting on or just walk me through
that plane, just what that was like. And yeah, we uh,
(06:46):
coach IV do a good job of getting us prepared,
you know, definitely for uh schemes and stuff like that.
So um, basically just came down to trust in the
system and uh we we see I seen that play
before practice. We ran it multiple times and it came
(07:07):
you know, it came on the first drive we we
had that specific call for that play and it was
there and I you know, made a play on it,
so that yeah, go ahead. Yeah, it's just like I
caught like I seen the ball coming, but I don't
(07:27):
really like, you know, I caught it and just when
I was running, I just kept looking back but when
nobody there, but I was still looking just because Yeah.
It was a good moment though. Definitely, Yeah, for sure,
he given me the whole world watching. Um. You know,
that's it's interesting because you know some people you think,
(07:50):
oh my gosh, and everything slows down and they see
that ball coming. At any point, you know, are you thinking, oh,
don't drop it, don't drop it, none of that? No? Um,
so yeah, I mean, so you've made a lot of
big plays and that's that's a big reason why you're
(08:10):
here today. But you know, speaking speaking of clumpson before
a wrap up the clumpson stuff, you know, if you
got did you know Grady Jerk before U before you
got here here? Yeah, now I did. I didn't. I
didn't know him personally. He came up there and talked
team one time. Yeah, but uh he I didn't. I
(08:31):
didn't know him personally. Okay, Um, has he kind of
taking you under his wing at all or showing you
the ropes here now that you're here or have you
guys been singing Tiger Rag together? You know? The So
you know, first the first day I came, first day,
the vets came back. Um, you know, we dapped it
up then, you know, chopped it up a little bit.
We can't speak. We didn't speak too much about it,
(08:51):
but we know it's good. Vibes, um, a lot of
mutual respect, good stuff. Um. So when the Falcons picked
you at sixteen, were you surprised at all? Were you expecting?
I know you had taken some or talk to some teams.
I've read some articles and things like that, but we're
the Falcons on your radar at all. They were on
(09:12):
the radar. But I was, Um, of course, Uh not,
I was surprised. I knew, I knew it was coming
um in the round. But that one did shock me
a little bit. And it did, but um, it was
still a great feeling of course right here, you know, Yeah,
(09:35):
and it's just all falling in place. Yeah, coming back home? Um,
were you were you watching it? I forget were you
in Atlanta or were you? Um? We're were you were you?
You're with your family? Right? Yeah? I was right in Atlanta? Okay. Um,
who was your team growing up? H? Who was your
(09:56):
team growing up? Your favorite team? Oh? My dad is
a forty nine fan, So that's what the whole house was.
Oh really, now that's where we had going. That's what
that's all I had around me. So some pretty good teams, yeah,
some pretty good players through the years. Um, who's your
(10:18):
favorite player growing up. Was it a Niner or was
it who? Did you? I like the whole bunch of players? Yeah,
definitely um Ray Lewis and I read my vision. Um,
I keep going. Yeah. I used to collect football cars
(10:38):
when I was living, so I took time in them.
So yeah I still collector are you so you're still
a big collectors stuff? Nah? I know my dad probably
hit the stash. Like, I still got the cards somewhere.
I don't know where they. I can't go get them
right now, but I know they're somewhere in the house. Yeah,
I gotta meet your dad. I think I think we
get along between the Buffalo connection the football paras um.
(11:03):
So is there a player you tried to emulate yourself?
Your your game after or no? Um no, no, just
your own? Um? So, what's how's how's the strength and
conditioning drills going now that you're here? Yeah, they're going
to smooth. Um. I feel like you know they gave
(11:25):
us they we don't have to, you know, wear our masks.
Why are we running for that? That part? For the
conditioning part when we lift weights and though and stuff,
we got our mask on when we go outside condition again,
take off. But you know, we'd be everything, be good,
be good competition. We'd be doing uh indie drills with
our position groups and uh just going over some of
(11:47):
the drills that we're doing practice on a daily basis
and stuff like that. So it's really just light work.
It's good. Is there one player that you are really
anticipating seeing meeting for the first time you got here? Uh? Nah,
I just you know, I just try to just you know,
(12:08):
just going about my my business. And of course it's
good to see everybody. Sure was uh is you know,
guys like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones when you see
him on the field for the first time and running around,
are they his big as or as good as or
as fast as that you thought? Or or were you
(12:29):
surprised at all by anybody? Oh? When I first seen
him in Julio and met um, you know, I didn't
never see him in person like that. Um. It's just
you know, they've they've my teammates now, um, And I
try not to make it too big of what it is, sure,
(12:49):
you know, but it's it's good to have him on
the team and have my you know, pat myself be
a part of it and just be able to work
with him. What's the nun number one thing that AJ
Torell is focused on is you know right now camping
as you head into this rookie season. Uh, definitely making
plays during my part and uh, you know, like you said,
(13:13):
being nervous and all that, No, not not having that
on my shoulder, no pressure, just you know, coming in
and making plays and uh, just having fun. It's you know,
it's football, just had the next level, but you just
make make fun out of it and just make plays.
Is that what Falcons fans can expect from a J. Trrell?
Just the guy out there having fun making plays. Definitely,
(13:34):
That's That's that's what it's all about. Well, they'll love
hearing that. And uh, AJ, thanks for coming on, Burdeny,
it's been fun. I hope you come on. Uh maybe
maybe at some point the season we get you on
here and talk about how it's going
Aj Terrell, the twenty twenty first round pick of the
Atlanta Falcons, joins us today. And I know that was
only one hundred and six days ago at the time
of this recording. Anyway, Aj, but does it get old
for hearing that? No? I don't get well, Hey, thanks
for joining me here and welcome to Bird Noises. It's
(00:23):
an Atlanta Falcons podcast about football and mostly everything else.
So we're gonna just stay right on the topic of
birds right off the top here and names. So one
thing I do, by the way, do you like birds?
I did not question. So one of the things I
(00:46):
do with every guest here, whether it's Thomas Mittruff, Dan
Quinn or Caleb McGarry, whomever, is asking about the name,
So what do you think about the name Bird Noises?
And being on a podcast, uh called Bird Noises? You
can be throughly honest. I didn't go a lot to
the confuse what you talking about? You? I had. I
(01:11):
had Hayden Hurst on, and you know, he came from
the Ravens, so he's like, yeah, you know, I get it.
They have something called the flock and he was a
game talk and so he kind of likes the whole
bird thing. But yeah, no, that's that's that's a great reaction.
So um, well, this is the U sixteenth episode. We're
doing a bird noises, so let's just jump right in
(01:33):
and uh you know, I know that. Uh um, you
know we're talking about names and everything like that. We'll
get into that. I know names are important to you,
but one thing I noticed right away was that you
were born in upstate New York. Correct Rochester, Rochester, New York.
It's right. I'm from upstate New York. So, yeah, I'm
(01:54):
from Binghamton. I don't know what Binghington. It's a southern tier. See.
I moved when I was two years old. I don't
even remember. Okay, so is your dad from upstate? Okay?
I know names are important to you, and your your
full name is what Dell? Yeah? Okay? And uh in
(02:19):
what's the J stand for Julia? Okay? Because dad is
Undel right? And mom, if I got this right, is
Aliyah right? Correct? And then you've got three siblings, yeah, Aril, Arianna,
and the youngest who is Avion correct? Correct? You got
(02:40):
an a thing going on? We got anything right, that's right?
And and then you also have a son, which who
is also an unbil right thir third. So you know,
I was sitting there, I'm like, this is kind of
cool that the whole family's got all a's. But what
(03:03):
would happen if, like, you know, you have another child
someday and you say, hey, Mom or Dad, I'm gonna
name the kid Brandon or Bridget? Would they would they?
Would they do? Sewing you over that? Or what? You
gotta keep the A think? No, it would be my decision. Okay,
So it's not like you. It's not a decision between
(03:25):
me and that and whoever. Yeah, all right, I just
had to ask it. I don't know if it was like, no,
it's gotta be an A. It's gotta be an A.
It's gotta be an all right. Well, I'm glad. We uh,
I'm glad we got all that out of the way.
Let's just talk about Clemson for a minute. Um, so
much tradition there, Grady Jared, great Grady Jared. Another Clemson Tiger. Um,
(03:47):
I just gotta I just want to ask you a
couple of questions just about Clemson. So, first, first thing
I think it Clemson, is that the most awesome game
entrance coming touching touching Howard's Rock. Right, what was what's
that like? What's what was it like? You know, just
coming into the stadium for the first time, it feels like,
(04:11):
I don't know, it's just it's a it's a great feeling.
I don't know. The other entry, you know what I'm saying.
Just getting on the bus and going around the whole
stadium with our fans. Yeah, you know, our fans rocking
the whole stadium. And then when we get around, get
off the buses and go by the hill lock arms.
They let the cannon go off and we touched the
rock and go down the hill. Definitely, you definitely got
(04:35):
to go see it. If you didn't, I've never seen it.
I've only watched it, and it just looks it looks awesome. Uh,
it sounds it sounds like you're based on your facial expression,
looks like it was great. Yeah, you still get chills maybe.
Um So, when when you think of Clemson and all
(04:56):
the you know what you accomplished there, Uh, what's the
one moment or the one story, or the one play
or the one memory that you take away from your
college experience. If there's just one moment or a funny
moment or just something you'll just never forget. I never
forget you know. Of course the National championship play at me,
(05:20):
but outside of that, it would definitely be just a
locker room. Yeah, a lot of stuff. A lot of
stuff go down in the locker rooms, like in football
in general, like it's a you just everybody got you know,
unique personalities and everybody just becoming, you know, a brotherhood
and just expressing all that at one It's just it'd
(05:41):
be a lot of stuff, a lot of funny stuff
going on, and just really the locker rooms I will
miss the most. Yeah, hopefully, you know, I know one
thing Dan Quinn talks a lot about and has worked
really hard to build here as a brotherhood here and
be interesting to get well we'll talk to Falcons a
little later, but be interesting to get your take on
you know, the brotherhood here and how that's going. Um
(06:04):
So that's a pretty good moment, uh you know, because
that's the one moment I'm glad you brought it up.
The two uh Tiago Vyla interception on the was the
opening drive of that National championship, right if you know,
that's when I think of you in your college career
that's that's the one. I go, oh yeah, ag troll
(06:24):
And I think of that forty four yard pick six
when you when you look when you I'm sure you
relived it. I'm sure you've been asked about it probably
a gazillion times. But just walk me through that play.
What were you Is that something that was scouted you
were kind of sitting on or just walk me through
that plane, just what that was like. And yeah, we uh,
(06:46):
coach IV do a good job of getting us prepared,
you know, definitely for uh schemes and stuff like that.
So um, basically just came down to trust in the
system and uh we we see I seen that play
before practice. We ran it multiple times and it came
(07:07):
you know, it came on the first drive we we
had that specific call for that play and it was
there and I you know, made a play on it,
so that yeah, go ahead. Yeah, it's just like I
caught like I seen the ball coming, but I don't
(07:27):
really like, you know, I caught it and just when
I was running, I just kept looking back but when
nobody there, but I was still looking just because Yeah.
It was a good moment though. Definitely, Yeah, for sure,
he given me the whole world watching. Um. You know,
that's it's interesting because you know some people you think,
(07:50):
oh my gosh, and everything slows down and they see
that ball coming. At any point, you know, are you thinking, oh,
don't drop it, don't drop it, none of that? No? Um,
so yeah, I mean, so you've made a lot of
big plays and that's that's a big reason why you're
(08:10):
here today. But you know, speaking speaking of clumpson before
a wrap up the clumpson stuff, you know, if you
got did you know Grady Jerk before U before you
got here here? Yeah, now I did. I didn't. I
didn't know him personally. He came up there and talked
team one time. Yeah, but uh he I didn't. I
(08:31):
didn't know him personally. Okay, Um, has he kind of
taking you under his wing at all or showing you
the ropes here now that you're here or have you
guys been singing Tiger Rag together? You know? The So
you know, first the first day I came, first day,
the vets came back. Um, you know, we dapped it
up then, you know, chopped it up a little bit.
We can't speak. We didn't speak too much about it,
(08:51):
but we know it's good. Vibes, um, a lot of
mutual respect, good stuff. Um. So when the Falcons picked
you at sixteen, were you surprised at all? Were you expecting?
I know you had taken some or talk to some teams.
I've read some articles and things like that, but we're
the Falcons on your radar at all. They were on
(09:12):
the radar. But I was, Um, of course, Uh not,
I was surprised. I knew, I knew it was coming
um in the round. But that one did shock me
a little bit. And it did, but um, it was
still a great feeling of course right here, you know, Yeah,
(09:35):
and it's just all falling in place. Yeah, coming back home? Um,
were you were you watching it? I forget were you
in Atlanta or were you? Um? We're were you were you?
You're with your family? Right? Yeah? I was right in Atlanta? Okay. Um,
who was your team growing up? H? Who was your
(09:56):
team growing up? Your favorite team? Oh? My dad is
a forty nine fan, So that's what the whole house was.
Oh really, now that's where we had going. That's what
that's all I had around me. So some pretty good teams, yeah,
some pretty good players through the years. Um, who's your
(10:18):
favorite player growing up. Was it a Niner or was
it who? Did you? I like the whole bunch of players? Yeah,
definitely um Ray Lewis and I read my vision. Um,
I keep going. Yeah. I used to collect football cars
(10:38):
when I was living, so I took time in them.
So yeah I still collector are you so you're still
a big collectors stuff? Nah? I know my dad probably
hit the stash. Like, I still got the cards somewhere.
I don't know where they. I can't go get them
right now, but I know they're somewhere in the house. Yeah,
I gotta meet your dad. I think I think we
get along between the Buffalo connection the football paras um.
(11:03):
So is there a player you tried to emulate yourself?
Your your game after or no? Um no, no, just
your own? Um? So, what's how's how's the strength and
conditioning drills going now that you're here? Yeah, they're going
to smooth. Um. I feel like you know they gave
(11:25):
us they we don't have to, you know, wear our masks.
Why are we running for that? That part? For the
conditioning part when we lift weights and though and stuff,
we got our mask on when we go outside condition again,
take off. But you know, we'd be everything, be good,
be good competition. We'd be doing uh indie drills with
our position groups and uh just going over some of
(11:47):
the drills that we're doing practice on a daily basis
and stuff like that. So it's really just light work.
It's good. Is there one player that you are really
anticipating seeing meeting for the first time you got here? Uh? Nah,
I just you know, I just try to just you know,
(12:08):
just going about my my business. And of course it's
good to see everybody. Sure was uh is you know,
guys like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones when you see
him on the field for the first time and running around,
are they his big as or as good as or
as fast as that you thought? Or or were you
(12:29):
surprised at all by anybody? Oh? When I first seen
him in Julio and met um, you know, I didn't
never see him in person like that. Um. It's just
you know, they've they've my teammates now, um, And I
try not to make it too big of what it is, sure,
(12:49):
you know, but it's it's good to have him on
the team and have my you know, pat myself be
a part of it and just be able to work
with him. What's the nun number one thing that AJ
Torell is focused on is you know right now camping
as you head into this rookie season. Uh, definitely making
plays during my part and uh, you know, like you said,
(13:13):
being nervous and all that, No, not not having that
on my shoulder, no pressure, just you know, coming in
and making plays and uh, just having fun. It's you know,
it's football, just had the next level, but you just
make make fun out of it and just make plays.
Is that what Falcons fans can expect from a J. Trrell?
Just the guy out there having fun making plays. Definitely,
(13:34):
That's That's that's what it's all about. Well, they'll love
hearing that. And uh, AJ, thanks for coming on, Burdeny,
it's been fun. I hope you come on. Uh maybe
maybe at some point the season we get you on
here and talk about how it's going
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