The Atlanta Falcons‘ 2022 second-round selection of linebacker Troy Andersen may have been their most intriguing pick to come out of this year’s class.
Andersen, a product of Montana State, played quarterback, running back and fullback before moving to solely linebacker for the Bobcats.
He excelled at all four positions at MSU, so it’s really no surprise that he’s trailblazing through his first year in the NFL.
Atlanta’s linebacker coach, Frank Bush, spoke to the media this week to share some high praise for the rookie linebacker.
“I think it’s incredible,” Bush said of Andersen on his rookie production so far. “The guy is a really sharp football player. The thing that he needs is just time on task. He needs reps. He needs reps, reps, reps. He’s getting those reps through practice and sometimes in the game. He understands. He has a grasp of it. Now, he’s got to go physically do it.”
Just like any rookie, Andersen needs experience, which he has been getting as he has played in all but one game this season, tallying 16 solo tackles.
Andersen’s Best Performance Came Against the 49ers
Andersen made his first NFL start in the Falcons’ 28-14 victory against the 49ers in Week 6.
He started in place of the injured Mykal Walker and finished the day with 12 total tackles, which remains his best outing to date.
At one point, Andersen was matched up against San Francisco’s top passing option George Kittle, but he didn’t back down and forced Jimmy Garroppolo to find another target.
“We worked on that in practice a bit. Kittle is a big target,” Andersen said following the win. “We prepared during the week, and it worked during the game.”
Andersen also played a large role in helping the rest of his teammates hold the Niners’ run-heavy offense to just 50 yards rushing on 16 carries.
Despite exceeding expectations in his first career start. Andersen knows he has work to do.
“All the coaches have faith in us to go out and execute the job, and I tried my best,” Andersen said. “I played hard, listened to the coaches, and I’m looking forward to getting better.”
And Bush knows all it takes is rep after rep.
“Sharp kid. He gets what we are saying. He’s played a lot of different positions. He has a natural feel for football and all of the things that go along with it. Now, it’s just about having his feet in the technique and getting reps at practice, in the game and gaining confidence.”
Andersen’s Impressive College Career
Before coming to the league, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Bobcat product spent his freshman year in the backfield, where he rushed for a team-high 1,412 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The following season he started 11 games at QB and added 300+ more yards and seven touchdowns while also logging 54 total tackles, an interception and 6.5 sacks on defense.
After covid-19 canceled his 2020 season, Andersen returned in 2021 to focus on the linebacker position. Just last fall, Andersen racked up 147 tackles, a forced fumble, two interceptions and two sacks. His impressive season resulted in him being a finalist for the Buck Buchannan Award along with a list of other All-Big Sky and All-American awards.
Despite having a solid NFL debut and being a key contributor on special teams, Andersen remains in a backup role. But his time will come, eventually.
“He is a big guy that can run,” Bush said. “We do try to find situations to get him out there and free him up, let him run around and go make plays. He’s got to know the bulk of the defense. We are not concerned about those things that he knows or not. It’s just that we’ve got two guys out in front of him that are doing a good job. When his opportunities have come, he gets out there, and he’s been doing a good job for us.”
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Falcons Coach Has High Praise for ‘Sharp’ Rookie