'He Made His Play': Falcons DB Dee Alford Comes Up Clutch vs. Browns

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford hasn't had a straightforward path to representing his hometown team, but the trials and tribulations of his journey were summed up to good effect in the team's 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns last Sunday.

For several years, the Atlanta Falcons have fought the narrative surrounding their inability to finish games when holding late leads.

After blowing a 16-point fourth quarter advantage against the New Orleans Saints in the season opener, the Falcons appeared to be drifting down a similar path. Another close loss in Week 2 to the Los Angeles Rams, this time after a storming comeback that ultimately fell short, did little to quell the concerns.

The following week, a fumble by the Falcons' offense set up a similar situation: late in the fourth quarter, a small lead for Atlanta and the defense on the field with a chance to close it out. 

This time, the unit managed to flip the script, as defensive tackle Grady Jarrett had a key sack to set up safety Richie Grant's fourth down interception of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, giving the Falcons a road victory.

The week after, Atlanta's defense received another opportunity to prove its learned from the season opener and is capable of finishing. With kicker Younghoe Koo connecting on a 45-yard field goal inside of three minutes, the Cleveland Browns' offense had the ball, down three points with no timeouts.

On the second play of the drive, quarterback Jacoby Brissett connected with rookie receiver David Bell on a 20-yard gain against Falcons corner Dee Alford. Earlier in the game, Alford allowed a 42-yard completion from Brissett to receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

However, in both instances, Alford was in good position to make a play but lost out at the catch point.

Later in the final drive, Brissett attacked Alford again. Much like the first two times, the 24-year-old corner was in good position - but this time, he snatched the ball out of the air for his first career NFL interception, sealing Atlanta's consecutive win and backing up the late-game statement made the week before.

For Alford, the play served as an even louder statement: he's arrived, and he's going to continue doing everything he's done to make it as far as he has.

"He fought through the adversity," Falcons left guard Elijah Wilkinson said. "He let up a play earlier in the game and he kept pressing, kept pressing, kept pressing and look, he's rewarded with a pick. That's how we work, and that's a credit to what we do every single day when we come to work, and it shows."

In a sense, the game served as a microcosm of Alford's career on the gridiron, from the early obstacles to the momentous finish.

During stops at Division II Tusculum to the CFL, Alford formed a reputation for being a ballhawk. He left Tusculum tied for third on the team's all-time interceptions list with 10 and recorded four interceptions in his rookie season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, over a year and a half removed from his last competitive snap.

After signing with the Falcons in January, Alford immediately went to work, impressing during the early phases of offseason training. He carried the momentum over into a strong training camp and starred during the preseason, fighting his way onto the Falcons' 53-man roster.

With starting nickel Isaiah Oliver out due to injury, Alford appeared primed for a significant number of regular season snaps. However, he played in just one-third of the snaps in Week 1 and less than 20 percent the week after.

The lack of reps took a toll on Alford, but when it was time to rise to the occasion against Cleveland, he capitalized on the opportunity and brought the Falcons into a tie for the NFC South lead.

"In LA, (Alford) was kind of discouraged because he wasn't getting a lot of play time," revealed Falcons running back Caleb Huntley. "I was like 'Bro, just stick with it, keep grinding, we're built for this.' Me and him both come from the South side, so things can get kind of hard, but we're here, and I was like 'It's only a matter of time,' and when it was his time, he made his play. I'm proud of him."

Huntley made several plays in his own right, coming from the practice squad to take 10 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown, sparking Atlanta's fourth quarter offensive surge. It was only fitting that his breakout paired with Alford's to push the Falcons over the top, considering they've been simultaneously breaking barriers for years.

Huntley, an Atlanta native who went to Locust Grove High School, and Alford, from Spalding High School in nearby Griffin, Georgia played each other at a camp in high school, per Huntley. The two went their separate paths, as the former ended up at Division I Ball State and the latter at Tusculum but have found their way to the top of professional football, right where it all began.

Nobody knows the difficulties of making it to that point quite like somebody who went through a similar thing. While their journeys are still different in several ways, the arduous climb from high school camps to making winning plays in Mercedes-Benz Stadium has fostered a mutual respect.

"Once he told me what school he went to, I was like 'Okay, respect,'" said Huntley. "I know how hard it is coming up from down there and making it to this level. It's kind of hard - nearly impossible - but we did it."

While different in the details of the play, Alford's interception mirrored Grant's versus Seattle in that it was the first of his career and sealed the game in the process. Arguably Atlanta's two biggest standouts in the secondary during the offseason, Alford and Grant have created a strong relationship built on work.

"I'm so happy for that boy, man," Grant said, smiling from ear to ear. "He's been working hard the entire camp and he got to finish it out for us."

"Finish" has been the focal point of the Falcons' season, from its presence to the lack thereof.

However, for Alford, the finish to last Sunday's game was far from closure. Instead, it's the polar opposite - his play, journey and professional career is just getting started.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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