Getty Frank Darby No. 88 during training camp.
The Atlanta Falcons have been putting in work during OTAs this month but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a little fun while doing so.
Over the Memorial holiday weekend, the Falcons’ official social media team posted some videos to Twitter where they had asked a single question and players answered as they headed into the locker room.
Needless to say, the player responses made fans laugh. But the one player who stood out the most was second-year wide receiver, Frank Darby.
When asked “who’s the best basketball player on the team?”
Darby said [with a huge burst of energy], “Ya’ll know I’m from jersey! So, you know I’m the best basketball player on the team! Ball is life!”
We asked our guys who’s the best basketball player on the team 👀
The very next day, players were asked which emoji they “use the most.”
And once again, Darby stole the show.
You just have to see for yourself to understand:
Which emoji do you use the most? 🤔
Darby also received the most votes when players answered “who is the funniest player on our team?”
Who is the funniest player on our team?
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Fan Reactions Pour in Over Darby’s Energy
It’s always good to see the personality of a team off of the field, especially as the Falcons enter a new era and fans get to know the new names on the roster.
And from the looks of fan responses, they enjoyed hearing the player’s answers, especially Darby’s.
Some fans want to know Darby’s secret:
Why Frank Darby always got so much energy 😂
— Perry Saturn 🦁♒ (@LionheartPj) May 25, 2022
In fact, based solely on Darby’s response, Falcons fans want him signed to the ‘A’ forever:
Sign frank darby to a lifetime contract
— FFYT🎱 (@_FootballFilms_) May 25, 2022
And they want nothing to “hurt” him:
Protect Ronald Darby at all costs.
— nflconner (@BigChun68395903) May 25, 2022
But now fans want to see more…:
Love the energy out of Darby but now i wanna see a 1v1 tourney
— Max (@sizedflame) May 26, 2022
Max has a point. Considering most of the team believes that they, themselves, are the best basketball player on the team, it would be nice to see a little 1v1 to get the real truth.
Darby Is Motivated More than Ever This Season
Calvin Ridley’s absence last season may have hurt the Falcons as a whole but Darby, personally, ended up benefiting from his early exit.
He received more snaps in practice, thus getting more looks from coaches and some one-on-one time with former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
“I learn so much from him,” Darby recently told ESPN’s Michael Rothstein in February “He pulled me over to the side, and he’s like do this, this and that. Yeah, you see it on paper, but when it’s on the field, it’s different.”
He also told Rothstein that Ryan went out of his way to tell him, “Frank, you’re doing a hell of a job,” which instilled a boost of confidence in the 2021 sixth-round pick.
Darby saw action in 10 games (0 starts) last season and recorded just one reception for 14 yards. However, his limited playing time didn’t bother him––instead, it motivated him to do better.
“My whole motive was just keep working hard and someone will notice it,” Darby said. “I took each and every day like I’m always happy. I’m happy to be here, so why would I come in here with a bad attitude and everything and not go out there and perform how I’m supposed to perform?”
Atlanta’s former wideout coach, Dave Brock, was also in Darby’s ear helping him adjust to the NFL last season, however, the Falcons have since moved on from Brock.
“[Falcons receivers] coach [Dave] Brock explained to me that there’s people you probably won’t even know that’s decision-makers that’s out there. You don’t even know ‘em, Frank,” Darby said. “It was just like once he said to me, ‘Frank, be on top of your game every day. Go out there and do everything that you need to do at a high level and sooner or later your name will be called and you just got to be ready to go.’”
Whether or not Darby’s name is called this season remains to be seen, but it sounds like it was all a part of Atlanta’s re-building game plan to get him ready to be a legitimate starter in 2022 and beyond.
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