FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- He was told he was too small to play in the NFL. But, 11 years in to a historic professional career, Warrick Dunn is on the cusp of putting up a big number.
With 58 more rushing yards Dunn, who has been with the Falcons since 2002, will reach 10,000 for his career. He will then be one of just 22 running backs in NFL history to reach the milestone.
"He's going to get the 10,000. There's no question," Head Coach Bobby Petrino said after practice. "We would love for him to get it this weekend. He's been the guy that's kind of been carrying us."
Dunn, who's listed at 5-foot-9 and 180-pounds, leads Atlanta with 481 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He's made a living with speed, dedication and a knack for moving inside and around the pile with his small stature.
"He still makes it happen day-in and day-out," said fullback Ovie Mughelli. "He's definitely highly respected in this league."
Dunn said he isn't sure what he'll do when he passes the mark, especially if it's against the Buccaneers -- the team that drafted him in 1997.
"I'll be speechless," Dunn said Wednesday. "It's crazy because a lot of guys are talking about it and they're more excited than I am. I'm just trying to stay calm, cool and collected so I don't get too nervous and try to make things happen."
THOUGHTS ON THE QUARTERBACK: Quarterback Byron Leftwich returned to practice Wednesday after missing more than two weeks with a high ankle sprain. Petrino said the team will keep a close eye on his progression and, if ready, Leftwich would retake the role of starter.
"I thought he looked pretty good," Petrino said. "He actually looked a little better than I thought he would... The thing you worry about is what's going to happen tonight and tomorrow morning -- how it reacts to all that work."
When asked specifically about the depth chart, Petrino confirmed Leftwich's status as an injured No. 1 quarterback. Joey Harrington started two games after Leftwich's Oct. 21 injury. Leftwich was named the team's starter prior to that game.
"We made the decision a while back that Byron is the starter and Joey is the backup," Petrino said. "Right now it's just a health issue."
"I'm not going to create a fuss," added Harrington. "I'm going to do my job for this team... I feel like I've done what they asked me to and I'm going to continue to do that."
READY FOR MOBILITY: Sunday the Falcons will face Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia, who has been known as one of the league's more mobile signal callers over his nine-year NFL career.
The 37-year-old has 30 rushes for 111 yards and one touchdown this season. For his career, Garcia has more than 1,900 yards on the ground and 25 touchdowns.
The Falcons defense is definitely aware of that skill.
"I played against him a while back," said defensive tackle Rod Coleman, who was nominated for Defensive Player of the Week after his three-tackle, two-sack performance at Carolina. "You just have to stay active and keep putting pressure on him. It's hard to get sacks so you just keep pressure on him."
Garcia falls into an interesting category of mobile quarterbacks.
"Some guys are shifty and get out and run," Coleman said. "Some guys run when they have to. Some guys run to create space to pass the ball. There are all different styles of mobile quarterbacks. I like the ones that can't run, myself."
ROSTER MOVES: It's been busy over the past two days around the Falcons campus as a litany of roster moves made news. Monday the Falcons promoted running back Jason Snelling from the practice squad and released linebacker Travis Williams.
Tuesday the team placed tight end Martrez Milner (ankle) on injured reserve and filled a spot with tight end Courtney Anderson.
Wednesday the team officially added Williams back to the practice squad.
The Snelling move drew the most attention however, as the seventh-round pick led the team in rushing during the preseason. He's now listed as third-string fullback. Petrino said the move was made, in part, because another team attempted to sign Snelling to its active roster. By rule, the Falcons could avoid losing Snelling by promoting him to their 53-man roster.
"We really like Jason," Petirno said. "We've been talking for a month about how to get him on the roster. This was the time we needed to do it."
Petrino said Milner will undergo surgery soon.
"It's the high ankle and they are going to do some surgery on it," the coach said. "I think he'll come back, it's just a matter of how long that time was. So, we decided to put him on IR."
INJURY UPDATE: The Falcons rested some veteran players Wednesday, including Dunn, and reported improvement on other injuries.
Notably, running back Jerious Norwood returned to practice.
- RELATED: Falcons-Buccaneers Injury Report
"I thought (Norwood) looked good in his quickness and his cutting," Petrino said of the second-year player's effort. "I think the other day he maybe had a chance to go but, when we worked him out before the game, he couldn't make the cut back toward his left and the decision was that he couldn't do it."
Norwood is second on the team with 311 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
MUGHELLI NAMED MAN OF THE YEAR: Mughelli was named 2007 Falcons Man of the Year Wednesday. It's the first time Mughelli has been given the honor in his career.
The award is given annually to a member of the Falcons for his work in the community. Each team selects a Man of the Year and a national, Walter Payton Man of the Year is selected each season at the Super Bowl.
"It's extremely flattering," Mughelli said. "I don't know other adjectives to use."
