FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Raheem Morris answered honestly when asked during a recent media availability about third-year linebacker Troy Andersen. Truth be told, Morris said, he didn't know Andersen as well as he did Andersen's fellow linebackers, Kaden Elliss and Nate Landman.
Through no fault of his own, it makes sense why Morris would feel this way.
Andersen started just five games in his rookie season. Heading into his second year, the expectation was that this line would grow exponentially. However, a concussion and a season-ending pectoral injury kept Andersen off the field for majority of 2023. It wasn't the second year he or the Falcons hoped for.
So, what has Morris noticed about the former second-round pick out of Montana in the months since Andersen returned to full health? Well, of course, he's fast. That much has never really been up for debate. However, what Morris said next is what's most interesting as Andersen heads into a key year with the Falcons.
"You love all the things that he's going through in his mind, the intent for the ball, his communication level," Morris said. "He's got two really great communicators around him in Nate and Kaden. Those guys communicate at the highest level. So, I'm starting to hear his voice become louder and things of that nature. They're exciting to watch."
Very few times is Andersen the loudest voice in the room. However, one shouldn't confuse a lack of volume with a lack of voice.
"Sometimes Troy may come off as a quieter guy, but he's really not," Falcons inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said. "You're going to hear him more when you're sitting at the table with him as opposed to [hear] him coming down the hall."
Though a more reserved figure, Andersen isn't quiet on the field. He's always had a voice. It's been his nature on the gridiron for a long time now, seeing as he was a two-way player at Montana State, playing quarterback and middle linebacker—two communication-centric positions— for the Bobcats.
This is evident in the way Andersen himself answered a question about his voice on the field.
"I mean, as a linebacker you have to be vocal. You have to do it to do your job. You have to have everyone on the same page, get the front set, get the adjustments in on the back end," Andersen said. "If you're not talking, you're not doing your job. It comes with the territory, and I am definitely comfortable with that."
It's why, even in his sometimes-quiet reserve, the way Andersen carries himself still stands out.
"He doesn't feel like a younger player to me. If that makes sense. He feels like a veteran," Morris said. "He feels like a guy that knows exactly how he wants to get his job done. And he knows his process. He's actually teaching his process to other people. And that's fun to watch. ... I have to give Troy a lot of credit for that."
