Durant Brings Hard Hits, Leadership to Falcons

It's been way too long since the last snap of the ball for Falcons linebacker Justin Durant. Months before signing a free agent deal with the Falcons in March, Durant suffered a biceps injury in Week 8 that claimed the remainder of his season with the Dallas Cowboys. Following his 2014 campaign, Durant considered different teams to sign with before admitting that he joined the Falcons largely because of new head coach Dan Quinn. "He allows his guys to make the plays," Durant said. "He puts everybody in the best position, and they just go out there and do it. It’s not really too complex, but the guys just do their jobs perfectly, and I'm excited to be a part of a system like that." Long before the ink dried on Durant's contract with the Falcons, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker endured months of rehab work to recover from the biceps injury. Weeks ago, he was medically cleared to participate in offseason activities, which begin Monday. Durant was told early by the club that he'll likely play the Will (weakside linebacker) position, something he's done a lot during his eight years in the league.Describing himself as a "run-and-hit linebacker," Durant plays quick, explosive football. The 29-year-old star plans to be "always around the ball" in 2015, challenging his teammates to meet him there, as well. In addition to the helping the team on the field, Durant will also be relied upon as a mentor in the locker room. "The younger guys, they come up to me now, just wanting to know how to make it in the league," Durant said. "It’s not even about the football things all the time, it’s about how to take care of your body, the best way to go about certain situations and things like that. I think me just talking to them as people will help them even more than me helping them with X's and O's."

Durant Brings Hard Hits, Leadership to Falcons

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