Falcons Rookie Demarcco Hellams Praises Jessie Bates III, Richie Grant: 'It's Been Great'

Demarcco Hellams is a seventh-round rookie learning from Atlanta Falcons All-Pro Jessie Bates III and rising star Richie Grant.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 15, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Every young player needs a veteran or two to look up to. For Atlanta Falcons seventh-round rookie Demarcco Hellams, that's Jessie Bates III and Richie Grant.

“It’s been great being around those guys," Hellams said of Bates and Grant.

Bates and Grant, like most of the starters, didn't appear in Atlanta's preseason win against the Miami Dolphins, but their impact was still felt.

"They did a great job of encouraging us and just letting us know what we can do with our first preseason game, and we were ready for the moment," Hellams said.

When the Falcons signed Bates this offseason, Atlanta knew it wasn't just getting an All-Pro on the field. That's why they paid him one of the richest contracts for a safety in NFL history.

“Everything he can bring, outside of obviously the football player, he’s been a good football player in this league. We also know the person he is and what he’s going to bring to the locker room," general manager Terry Fontenot said.

The same can be said for Grant. After drafting him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the former UCF Knights defensive back is emerging into a young leader for the Falcons defense.

"Richie’s made a pretty big impact here," coach Arthur Smith said. "Richie has a knack for getting to the ball (and) he’s a fun player to coach. We don’t have a lot of social media stars so maybe he doesn’t get the hype but Richie Grant’s a damn good football player. ... I’m very pleased with Richie."

If a player can impact more than just himself, he's doing more than what's technically asked of him, and that adds huge value in the long run.

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Published Aug 15, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.