It’s rare for a team to have practically all their best players return from last season, yet still undergo two of the biggest changes an organization could make on the field. Hiring a new coach and signing an established franchise quarterback represents a new era, no matter how unchanged the roster is at the top. Despite having the same franchise cornerstones and key starters, there is a strong sense of rejuvenation and optimism about the Falcons.
No matter how talented a roster may look on paper, it’s difficult to maximize a team’s potential when the head coach makes weekly questionable decisions and the quarterback position couldn’t be more unstable. The Falcons endured that cruel reality last season. They had to make significant moves leading to hiring one of the more beloved coaches in the league Raheem Morris and signing one of the more respected quarterbacks in the league Kirk Cousins.
Tyler Allgeier knows the importance of being adaptable to succeed in the NFL. In the first part of our interview, he discussed how he remained resilient during the highs and lows of last year. What was envisioned to be a season filled with dynamism and memorable moments ended up being long stretches of struggling to find a rhythm offensively and Allgeier learning how to make an impact when unable to run the ball efficiently.
The new regime knows the offense must make significant strides in 2024. Morris comes in with plenty of positive urgency, considering his history with the Falcons. Allgeier is fully aware of it, as he can’t get enough of his new head coach’s enthusiastic coaching style.
“His energy is off the charts,” Allgeier stated. “I love his personality. He’s got genuine character. Every day with him is like ‘Let’s go, let’s get after it.’ He pushes you to get better every day. He wants you to work your tail off to be in a position to perform at the highest level. Everyone in the locker room is fully behind him. We bought into what he stands for. We love the coaching staff he has brought here. We couldn’t be more excited to be with Raheem.”
As the Falcons were planning to make a major move at quarterback, Allgeier was eager to to know who his new teammate would be. It didn’t take long to find out, because Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons a few hours into the free agent negotiating period. The former BYU star couldn’t have been more ecstatic. Cousins is well-known for his overall command and leadership qualities. Allgeier instantly recognized that in getting to work with him from the start.
“Ever since the day he signed with Atlanta, I automatically felt his presence,” Allgeier said glowingly. “His knowledge of the game is incredible. I got chills being around him at first. I would be like wow, that’s Kirk! His leadership on and off the field has been awesome. Whatever wasn’t touched on or understood, he’ll make sure to talk to us about it to make sure we are informed. He will let us know what we can do to get the offense going or make a play or drill more effective. He pushes us forward to understand the offense while taking the time to connect with us off the field. Kirk has done it all to bring everyone together as a true leader.”
As Allgeier starts to feel the physical and mental toll of being in the league, he has picked up on hobbies to take a break from football. Bowling has become one of his favorite things to do to bond with his teammates and keep the competitive juices flowing. The Atlanta Falcons digital team recently produced a video of him talking about bowling and how it connects to his running style. It showed what he enjoys doing off the field while bringing teammates together for fun activities.
“The original bowling group was Drake London, Desmond Ridder, John Fitzpatrick, and me,” Allgeier said. “We’ve had our fair share of memorable games. It’s a great way to unwind. If I’m not too sore or have some free time, I’ll do something active that doesn’t involve football. You have to give the mind a break from the grind of the sport. It’s cool for me to do something competitive while away from football. I’m a competitor at heart. I love being able to compete in different ways. Bowling allows me to do that. It’s also great to play with Drake because he loves to talk. You know it’s going to be entertaining when he’s around. I’m looking to get more players consistently involved.”
One of the most distinguishable qualities of the bruising running back is his desire to give back to the community. Allgeier comes from a background of frequently helping others and making sacrifices. We discussed how that helped him build character in his football journey two years ago. Being charitable comes with the responsibility of being an athlete to him. He knows the path was strenuous to get to where he is now. To host a football camp last summer was a huge moment for him to teach kids about fundamentals and give them something they will never forget. Allgeier knows what he wants to do next to make a difference off the field.
“I’m planning to help animals, specifically paying for pet vaccines,” Allgeier told me. “I’m a big pet guy. I grew up with a lot of dogs. Once you connect with a dog, you become so passionate about taking care of them. I haven’t gotten into the process of how I want to do this yet. I’m thinking of partnering with animal hospitals and paying for vaccines. That’s something I believe can make a big difference in the community.”
“From my personal experience, I had a dog who died from Parvovirus. She was a puppy. I was 16 years old and just got my learner’s permit. I had to take her to the hospital by myself to put her to sleep. It was too expensive to pay to get help at the time. Being in that scenario was a lot to emotionally handle. To lose my puppy to a virus made me want to figure out how I can change that for other people who are in a similar situation with their pets. It’s heartbreaking to lose your pet, especially when you know help could be out there. I want to do everything I can to help save animal lives and provide solutions to people in a time when they need support.”
As the early days of training camp begin, Allgeier couldn’t be more energized going into his third season. He feels more comfortable and assured than ever. The team is headed in the right direction to compete against the best. That puts him in a position where he knows he must elevate his game. His growth isn’t to be measured by yards, touchdowns, and other statistical categories. There are no specific totals he wants to hit for his gratification. What matters the most to him all comes down to the team’s success. Any way he can consistently impact games to help the team win will be most satisfying to him.
“It’s all about the playoffs and competing against the best,” Allgeier stated. “Of course, I want to make strides and improve my game. The ultimate goal for me is all about making the playoffs and going as far as we can. The Super Bowl is a dream. It’s really hard to get there. It’s hard in itself to win your division. Right now, we know the importance of winning the division. That puts you in a place where you can take the next step. We can really start looking at the big picture, facing the best teams.”
“The main goal must be to win the division. We have a great squad that can do it. If I put together any individual goals, it all comes down to putting this team in the best position to win. I want to continue to be more of a threat in the passing game. There are some areas in the run game I know I can improve on. Pass blocking will always be a huge focus of mine as well.”
“What’s great for me is that I’m continuing to get more confident. Once your confidence level is up, you know you can be a difference-maker and make great strides as a player. I feel like I’ve been steadily improving since my first year. I know how to identify what needs to be fixed by watching film and finding the best way to address the issue. It’s exciting to know I am in a place where I can go to work and improve on this particular day. We know what is expected of us. This elevated pressure on our team is a good feeling. You want people to have high expectations of you. If you can strive through pressure, you can do many great things. We plan on doing several great things this season.”
