FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- They are the same height, are within five years of each other’s age, bear a striking physical resemblance and both have at times called Atlanta home.
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White first noticed the resemblance between punt/kickoff returner Eric Weems, 24, and actor/rapper T.I., 29, when he first met Weems in 2007, Weems’ rookie year.
But the way Weems has played in his first three games, he is going to start making a name for himself in his own right.
Averaging 27.0 yards per return on kickoff, the 5-foot-9 Weems, out of Bethune-Cookman, ranks 10th in the NFL and four of those who rank ahead of him (including teammate Jerious Norwood) have returned only one kickoff.
Among those with six returns or more, Weems ranks fifth and that comes with his long being only 41 yards.
“I can’t say enough about what Eric has done,” Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith said. “He has stepped in and done a very good job returning kicks in the last two games. When Jerious went down [with a concussion] he stepped in and he’s averaged almost 28 yards. He catches the ball and he gets going north-south.
“I think that’s another weapon for us to help us on our drive starts. If they’re not kicking it into the end zone 7-or 8-yards deep for touchbacks, we feel confident with Eric and Jerious, now. So I think we’ve got two guys who can help us in that regard.”
White, whose locker stall still sits next to Weems’, had his doubts when he first saw the receiver.
“When he first got here, I looked at him and said, ‘Man, what’s T.I. doing in our locker room?’ He can’t play no football.”
The nickname has stuck, but Weems is proving the other part of that proposition untrue. With August’s season-ending knee injury to Harry Douglas, Weems has stepped into Douglas’ role on special teams, getting off the practice squad for the first time in his career.
Regardless, Weems said he doesn’t “feel comfortable yet.” But he does feel that that big return could be right around the corner -- as does Smith.
“You never know when it’s going to be that play,” Weems said. “Special teams -- we only get one play on the field at a time.
In college, Weems starred for Bethune-Cookman, which is a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (the former Division I-AA). As a senior, he caught 62 passes for 864 yards and nine touchdowns and also scored the sixth-most touchdowns in a single season in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference history.
For a player to work his way up as an unsigned free agent, to the practice squad and into a regular role is not easy.
“It’s tough coming from a small school,” Weems said. “We don’t get that big exposure that other colleges get. You just got to come out and work. It’s all about hard work.”
Smith said with Norwood’s expected return against San Francisco on Oct. 11 following his recovery from a concussion, the team now has two options at kickoff returner.
Norwood has noticed what Weems has done well and especially likes his timing.
“You know he’s running very hard, setting up his blocks well and hitting the hole,” Norwood said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
NORWOOD BACK: Jerious Norwood, who was injured in Week 2 against Carolina and missed Sunday’s loss at New England, talked at length on Wednesday about his concussion, which he called the fourth of his career.
“I was having minor headaches,” he said. “As time went on those went away and I started feeling better. I knew I’d have a chance to go back out and practice this week.”
Despite getting hurt against the Panthers, he said he wanted to return to the game, but the team’s training staff would not allow him. He said concussions can be confusing.
“I came to the sideline and asked everyone what happened,” he said. “They looked at me with a confused look, so it shook me up.”
He said he’s much prefer a different kind of injury to a concussion.
“Concussion, man, is way different,” he said. “Any time you’re dealing with the head, you’re dealing with a major part of your body. I would much rather sprain a knee than have a concussion because it could lead to something happening down the road, so you got to be careful with your brain.”
As reporters talked with Norwood, who played at Mississippi State, center Todd McClure, who played at LSU, grabbed a microphone and interrupted the interview.
“Mr. Norwood, I know you had a concussion, but do you remember what happened to LSU-Mississippi State last weekend?” McClure asked of LSU’s 30-24 victory that required a late goal-line stand.
“I want to know who egged this on,” Norwood responded. “I do remember. We should’ve won the game.”
BACK TO CAMP: Smith said he never remembered having a bye week this early in the season. He said if it came later, the team would ask the players to practice only once or possibly not at all. As it is, the Falcons practiced on Wednesday and also will on Thursday before giving the rest of the week off until Monday.
As a result, the Falcons are taking a different approach. Smith gave some of the players age 30 and older the day off, but otherwise went back to a training camp-type mode with the first string offense practicing against the first-string defense at times.
“We’re working a practice schedule that we worked in training camp,” he said. “We feel it’s important to get back and work against each other. It gives us a chance to evaluate some younger players that haven’t necessarily gotten a many snaps as the older players.”
Smith said since the season is so short, the coaching staff doesn’t have much of a significant statistical period to analyze both the players and the staff that way, so it’s back to more of a camp feel.
MORE FROM THE BYE WEEK:
- NOTEBOOK: Weems getting credit for success
- TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Mike Smith talks about the bye week
- QUOTABLE: Players talk about the bye week plans
- BEAT BLOG: What They're Saying | Three-and-Out
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: Thoughts on the bye from J. Michael Moore
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Ryan | Mughelli | White
- COMMUNITY: Area YMCA renamed for Falcons Owner and CEO
