During a three-day time period when rookies are put through the mental gauntlet of meetings, playbook dissections and practices, Desmond Ridder’s head should be spinning. However, he was very adamant on the second day of the Falcons rookie minicamp that it’s not. He’s confident, and he’s confident because of… poker chips?
Ridder got the Falcons playbook a week and a half ago, and as soon as he did he went to work. Recently, Ridder picked up a new study habit: Using poker chips to learn formations and proper positioning of the offense. His trainer, Jordan Palmer, shared this hands-on learning trick with him. And it’s not just Ridder doing this, but Drake London, too.
“Drake has them in his room using them because he trains with (Palmer), too,” Ridder said. “Being able to use them, move them around that’s what helped me pick up the information of the offense.”
After the personal work, it was a week’s worth of Zoom meetings with Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London diagnosing overall offensive concepts, how film is broken down in-house and going over keys to defensive recognition. By the time Ridder got out to Flowery Branch on Thursday, he felt good about the knowledge he’d already stored up.
And truth be told, that’s what he wanted. Ridder wanted to showcase that he can lead right away. He wanted to be the person other players came to if they had questions about the playbook. Being under prepared was not an option for Ridder.
“I’m in the playbook 24/7,” he said. “I have it down pretty good. So, when they’re coming over to me, asking questions, being able to fire it back at them real quick. And they understand I have a good grasp and knowledge of the offense. That builds trust within the offense and our relationships within each other.”
It would seem that foundation of trust has already been laid, with his dorm mates, especially.
John FitzPatrick called Ridder a leader. Tyler Allgeier said the quarterback is a genius in the playbook. London said he’s someone…