Falcons Rookie Marlon Davidson Out With Short-Term Injury

Marlon Davidson

Getty Atlanta Falcons DT Marlon Davidson.

On Saturday, both Todd Gurley and Alex Mack sat out of practice which was expected. What wasn’t expected, is that Falcons rookie defensive tackle, Marlon Davidson, who missed his second consecutive practice.

Dan Quinn confirmed Saturday morning that Davidson has a knee strain, but it’s nothing to worry about.

“Player wise, we’ll limit a few today, (center Alex) Mack and (running back Todd) Gurley again, just from a work-load spot,” Quinn said via the Atlanta Journal-Consitution. “They’ll be back at it tomorrow. We’ll also hold Marlon Davidson. He had a knee strain, we’ll hold him for a few days, but it’s nothing that’s going to set him back long term.”

Falcons Draft Most Savage Play in 2020 NFL Draft

There’s no question that Davidson will be back out at practice in no time, considering his drive and determination. The Falcons fulfilled their defensive needs when they selected Davidson in the second round of this year’s draft.

The massive DT had a memorable date with the media at the NFL combine in February that would forever define him:

“What I love most about the game? Most about the game…this is true now, this is true”, Davidson began saying. “I love most about the game is that I can literally go out there and hit a man consistently and pound him, and the police not come. That is the most enjoyable moment about the ball—to go out there and just really abuse somebody. And they won’t say nothing about it in the press, anything. I ain’t on no headlines or handcuffs, no bullet shots, no nothing. I’m out there just physically abusing a man.”

Davidson had the chance to go pro junior year, but instead, he stayed true to the Tigers and stuck around another year. He also had to fulfill his promise to his mother and get his college degree.

In his last season at Auburn. Davidson recorded 12.5 tackles for loss and was the team’s sack leader with 7.5 along with 48 tackles and two fumbles.

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Davidson’s Love-Hate Relationship With Coach Lupoi

The Auburn grad is coached by his rivarly and another former Tiger.  Atlanta’s defensive line coaches are Tosh Lupoi, a former Alabama Crimson Tide coach, and Jess Simpson, who played football at Auburn.

“Me and Tosh have this love-hate relationship because he (coached at) Bama,” Davidson said at training camp this week. “I don’t buy in with that. I don’t like Alabama at all. That’s the only type of hate we have toward each other because of our schools. Coach Simpson, he’s an Auburn guy. Me and Coach Simpson, we talk every day. He tries to teach me how to become better, what I can work on to be better, just different things like that. It’s hard being a rookie. I can really tell you that. It’s hard. You don’t know what’s coming. You don’t know how to get yourself out of it. You have to just do it.”

Although Davidson says he “doesn’t buy into it,” I know that he loves to trash talk, so you can only imagine the words (or future words) that Lupoi and Davidson might exchange. At least, Davidson has Simpson on his side.

Grady Jarrett’s Twin

Quinn has emphasized over and over this offseason about wanting to get more pass rush from the interior. To do that, Davidson is their weapon next to Grady Jarrett. The two are nearly identical.

Jarrett weighs in at 303 pounds and Davidson is just about the same size. They each have size 10 hands and both have nimble feet. They both know how to shoot gaps and absolutely disrupt the run and quarterback pressure. They also share a “ready to eat” mentality.

Jarrett, of course, has turned into an All-Pro. Davidson? Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

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