FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Some will stay close. Some will go far. All will get a well deserved -- and rare -- hiatus from their high-profile, heavy-pressure careers.
No game for the Falcons this weekend. It's bye week time in Atlanta.
"Everyone needs to refresh a little bit, mentally (and) physically," Head Coach Bobby Petrino said Wednesday after the first of two quick practices this week before the Falcons take a three-day break.
What players do during time off varies as much as their backgrounds and experience. Some get as far away from football as possible. Others take the opportunity to watch the NFL from a comfy chair instead of a sideline seat. Others, like wide receiver Michael Jenkins, combine the two philosophies.
"It's kind of a chance to get away a little bit and re-charge your batteries," the four-year veteran said when asked about his weekend plans. "I'm relaxing and just hanging with the (family). I might catch a few (games)."
Petrino said coaches will also get some time off. He will take some time to go to Columbus, Ga. to watch his daughter play in the state softball tournament. He said he doesn't offer his opinion to players when it comes to watching games on the bye week, but said he "would bet most of them (watch)."
Linebacker Michael Boley likely won't turn on the television.
"I think I'll just go home, hang out with my dad and my brother and do a little fishing," said the Falcons tackle leader. "I might not even turn on my TV on Sunday. I just want to be football free right now."
Quarterback Joey Harrington will watch football -- in person.
"I don't do big trips on bye weeks," he said. "My little brother, Michael, had been playing at the University of Idaho. He was the quarterback there for four years so I would go and watch him play. This is the first year since '02 I think that I've had a chance to go back and watch Oregon play. I'll see my family and have a home-cooked meal and spend some time back in Portland for a day or two."
Rookie cornerback Chris Houston will also visit family and help his mother settle into a new home.
"I'm ready for a bye week to sit and relax and come back and work on the things I need to improve on," he said. "I'm going back to Texas. I just bought my mother a new house. I want to go home and see what that's like because I haven't seen it yet."
Houston said his mother's move is complete, so he won't get suckered into moving any boxes. That's good considering rookies tend to have the most need for rest during a bye week. Including the preseason, the Falcons have already played 11 games this season (that's one less than an average college season).
He's aware of the issue, but said he's tried to stay fresh during the year.
"I didn't start at the beginning of the season so I still have my legs a little bit," Houston said. "I'm not at the wall. I haven't hit the rookie wall yet. I still have lots in me."
Such youthful exuberance meshes well with Joe Horn's bye-week mentality.
The 12-year veteran has had many an in-season break and never lets the beauty of the game slip his mind. He falls into the "relaxation" crowd when it comes to bye week mantras, but doesn't let the Falcons 1-6 start escape reflection.
For some, the spirit of the game will always stay close.
"I just like to sit back in the country, drink some sweet tea, sit out on the balcony at a nice resort and lay low," said Horn, who will also play golf over the weekend. "I'm not the Vegas, Hollywood, red carpet type dude. I respect that. I like it, but I'd (rather) go down to the country and hear about my father-in-law rabbit hunting and stuff like that.
"I'm going to call (younger players). I'm going to text them and say: 'Think about the goodness that we have in this sport... We've been blessed to be in the NFL and have a job like we have. So, in the bye week, instead of thinking about those loses, go somewhere and be thankful and have a better spirit when you come back to work knowing it can be gone at any minute.'"
