Amid the learning curve and uncertainty experienced by all NFL rookies, Marlon Davidson found some comfort in the Iron Bowl.
The Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman, a second-round pick out of Auburn, is coached by both sides of Alabama’s fierce college football rivalry. The defensive line coaches are Tosh Lupoi, a former Alabama Crimson Tide assistant, and former Buford High coach Jess Simpson, who played football at Auburn.
kAm“|6 2?5 %@D9 92G6 E9:D =@G6\92E6 C6=2E:@?D9:A 3642FD6 96 W4@24965 2EX q2>2[” s2G:5D@? D2:5 2E EC2:?:?8 42>A E9:D H66<] “x 5@?’E 3FJ :? H:E9 E92E] x 5@?’E =:<6 p=232>2 2E 2==] %92E’D E96 @?=J EJA6 @7 92E6 H6 92G6 E@H2C5 6249 @E96C 3642FD6 @7 @FC D49@@=D] r@249 $:>AD@?[ 96’D 2? pF3FC? 8FJ] |6 2?5 r@249 $:>AD@?[ H6 E2=< 6G6CJ 52J] w6 EC:6D E@ E6249 >6 9@H E@ 364@>6 36EE6C[ H92E x 42? H@C< @? E@ 36 36EE6C[ ;FDE 5:776C6?E E9:?8D =:<6 E92E] xE’D 92C5 36:?8 2 C@@<:6] x 42? C62==J E6== J@F E92E] xE’D 92C5] *@F 5@?’E <?@H H92E’D 4@>:?8] *@F 5@?’E <?@H 9@H E@ 86E J@FCD6=7 @FE @7 :E] *@F 92G6 E@ ;FDE 5@ :E]”k^Am
kAm!=6?EJ :D 6IA64E65 7C@> s2G:5D@? 2D 2 C@@<:6] p=@?8 H:E9 E@A 7C66 286?E 24BF:D:E:@? s2?E6 u@H=6C[ s2G:5D@? :D 2 A=2J6C E96 u2=4@?D ?665 E@ AC@5F46 2== 2=@?8 E96 5676?D:G6 7C@?E]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 A=2J65 AC6EEJ >F49 6G6CJH96C6[ =:<6 W9625 4@249 s2? "F:??X H2D D2J:?8[ x’> A=2J:?8 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 :?D:56 E92? @FED:56[” s2G:5D@? D2:5] “qFE D9@@E[ H96C6G6C J@F AFE >6 2E[ x’> 8@:?8 E@ 8@] %92E 2:?’E E96 3:886DE E9:?8 23@FE >6] x ;FDE H2?E E@ 36 @? E96 7:6=5 2?5 36 23=6 E@ D9@H >J 2E9=6E:4:D> 2?5 36 23=6 E@ 4C62E6 92G@4]”k^Am
kAm%96 G6CD2E:=:EJ E@ A=2J E24<=6 @C 6?5 H2D 2 3:8 724E@C :? pE=2?E2 5C27E:?8 9:> D@ 9:89]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< H92E Ws2G:5D@?’D 9:89=:89EDX D9@H65 H2D 96C6 H2D 2 3:8 8FJ 2?5 :7 E96 H6:89E :D C:89E 96 42? C62==J >@G6[” "F:?? D2:5] “$@[ 7@C 9:>[ E96 >@DE 67764E:G6 7@C FD H2D D66:?8 9:> 2E ahd A@F?5D] *@F D2H 9:> 2E 5676?D:G6 6?5 D@ >2?J E:>6D[ D@ 96’== A=2J D@>6 5676?D:G6 6?5 3FE H6’== 2=D@ D=:56 9:> :?E@ 5676?D:G6 E24<=6 H96C6 96 42? FD6 E92E BF:4<?6DD 2?5 FD6 E92E DA665 E@ 362E D@>63@5J E@ E96 AF?49] x’G6 366? C62= :>AC6DD65 D@ 72C H:E9 9:D 5:D4:A=:?6] (6:89E :D 6I24E=J H96C6 :E D9@F=5 36[ 2?5 D@ H96? J@F D6?5 >6DD286D =:<6 E92E 2D 2 C@@<:6 E@ D2J[ ‘w6J >2?[ E9:D :D H96C6 J@F H2?E >6 E@ 36] %9:D :D H96C6 x’> 2E]’ *@F 5@ H92E J@F D2J J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 5@] %92E’D 46CE2:?=J 366? E96 42D6 D@ 72C H:E9 |2C=@? H:E9 FD 96C6]”k^Am
kAm%96 A=2J:?8 H6:89E E96 u2=4@?D =:<6 7@C E96 e\7@@E\b s2G:5D@? :D ahd A@F?5D]k^Am
kAm“x 42>6 :? ahd[ x’> ahe C:89E ?@H[ D@ x’> >2:?E2:?:?8 >J H6:89E 8@2=[ H9:49 :D E96 H6:89E E96J H2?E65 >6 E@ 36 2E[” s2G:5D@? D2:5] “(96? E96 A25D 4@>6 @? 2?5 J@F DE2CE CF??:?8 2 =:EE=6 >@C6[ E96 H6:89E DE2CED 4@>:?8 @77[ 3FE E96J H2?E >6 E@ >2:?E2:? 2C@F?5 E9:D H6:89E]”k^Am
kAmw6 92D 366? 3@E9 =:89E6C 2?5 962G:6C E92? ahd 2E E:>6D[ A=2J:?8 4=@D6C E@ afd\ag_ 2E pF3FC? 2?5 H6:89:?8 b_b 2E E96 }u{ r@>3:?6] w6 D2:5 96 92D 366? 5:D4:A=:?65 H:E9 9:D 5:6E 2E E96 C64@>>6?52E:@? @7 9:D }u{ E62>]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 92C5] *@F H2?E E92E =:EE=6 7C:65 7@@5 96C6 2?5 E96C6[ E92E =:EE=6 3FC86C[” s2G:5D@? D2:5] “q6:?8 23=6 E@ DE2J 4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 J@FCD6=7[ DE2J 4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 J@FC 5:6E :D :>A@CE2?E] r962E:?8 @? J@FC 5:6E >62?D J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 4962E :? J@FC =:76 D@>6 H2J] x’G6 8@E E@ 36 23=6 E@ DE2J ECF6 E@ >JD6=7 2?5 DE2J ECF6 E@ E96 42FD6 2?5 E@ >JD6=7 2?5 H92E x H2?E E@ 36] x 766= =:<6 >6 2?5 $E6G6? q6?;2>:?[ @FC ?FEC:E:@?:DE[ H6’G6 366? =@4<65 @? :E 2?5 H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 =@4<65 :? 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5@ C:89E 7@C >JD6=7 2?5 2=D@ C:89E 3J E96 E62>]”k^Am
kAmp 5:776C6?E EJA6 @7 9F?86C — 2 56D:C6 E@ A=2J 7@@E32== — H2D E96 3:886DE C62D@? "F:?? 2?5 86?6C2= >2?286C %9@>2D s:>:EC@77 =:<65 s2G:5D@?] w:D 9FDE=6 >256 9:> 2 7@FC\J62C DE2CE6C 2E pF3FC?[ H96C6 96 A=2J65 :? d` 82>6D H:E9 `fd E24<=6D[ ah `^a E24<=6D 7@C =@DD[ `f D24<D[ ?:?6 A2DD6D 5676?565[ 7@FC 7@C465 7F>3=6D[ E9C66 3=@4<D 2?5 7@FC 7F>3=6 C64@G6C:6D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 62C?:?8 p==\p>6C:42? 9@?@CD :? a_`h]k^Am
kAm“&DF2==J J@F’C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 7:?5 2 9F?86C :?56I @? 2 8FJ E@ D66 H96C6 E96J’C6 2E 2?5 E9:D 8FJ =@G6D 7@@E32==[” "F:?? D2:5] “xE D9@HD :? 9:D A=2J] uC@> E96 D4@FED H9@ H6?E E@ AC24E:46[ :E D9@HD :? E96 H2J 96 AC24E:46D] q6:?8 2C@F?5 9:> 2?5 962C:?8 9:> E2=< 23@FE 5:776C6?E E649?:BF6D @C E9:?8D 96’D 366? :?G@=G65 H:E9[ :E ;FDE 42>6 24C@DD D@ DEC@?8 2?5 4=62C 23@FE 9@H >F49 96 =@G65 E@ 4@>A6E6 2?5 A=2J] $@[ 2== @7 E9@D6 2EEC:3FE6D[ J@F AFE E96> E@86E96C 2?5 E96 H:==:?8?6DD :D E96C6 E@ 86E 36EE6C[ E96 677@CE[ 2== @7 E92E 724E@CD :?] x E9:?< 96’D 8@E 2 3:8 7FEFC6] x C62==J 5@ 766= E92E H2J]”k^Am
kAms2G:5D@? A=2JD 7@@E32== 7@C E96 =@G6 @7 E96 82>6[ 3FE 2=D@ 7@C 9:D =2E6 >@E96C[ rJ?E9:2 r2CE6C[ H9@ 5:65 7C@> 3=@@5 4=@E 4@>A=:42E:@?D :? a_`d] $96 H2D ;FDE cf]k^Am
kAm“x H2<6 FA 6G6CJ 52J E@ 2 A:4EFC6 @? >J A9@?6 @7 >J >@E96C[” s2G:5D@? D2:5] “x’> D6C:@FD] tG6CJ 52J @? >J 2=2C>[ ‘s@ :E 7@C |@>>2]’ (96? x H2<6 FA 6G6CJ 52J[ E92E’D H92E x 5@ :E 7@C]”k^Am
Recommended for you
Instacart shares findings and highlights from its 2024 food and grocery trends report. Click for more.7 key food trends for 2025 forecasted by Instacart purchasing data
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.