Wide receiver Roddy White spoke candidly on the expectations he has for the team and for himself as the Falcons wrapped up their first padded practice of Russell Athletic Training Camp on Saturday.
Last season, White was ranked ninth in the NFL with 1,351 receiving yards and tied for 10th with 92 catches, and that only means that expectations are ramped up even more.
"We've taken off and haven't looked back," White said Saturday. "We've had a lot of success, won a lot of games and had a lot of great moments. We set the expectation and the bar very high around here. Every year we have to live up to it."
Even though White is a veteran, he knows that there is always room to improve. He made it a point to say that it's all about the fundamentals.
"Be as crisp as possible throughout camp," White said. "(The) less mental mistakes you make now, the less mental mistakes you will make in the game and everything will go smoothly."
For White, it's all about the execution for offense and defense. Knowing that everyone is in the football spirit and playing to win keeps practice competitive.
And White said that's a positive thing for younger players who are in the process of learning how the Falcons do things in practice with the expectations for this year heightened.
White mentioned young cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford as examples, and said the two have already embraced the competitive spirit that those expectations merit.
"They're getting some interceptions," White said. "Getting their hands on balls and knocking things down. We're going to expect a lot from those guys and they're doing a good job."
