Falcons Star A.J. Terrell Reveals Thoughts on Preseason Standouts Alford, Bernhardt
With the Atlanta Falcons' 53-man roster finalized, the Cinderella stories of receiver Jared Bernhardt and cornerback Dee Alford are officially official.
Bernhardt, an undrafted rookie who won the Tewaaraton Award given to the best collegiate lacrosse player, made the transition from Division II option quarterback to NFL receiver this offseason, showing substantial progress en route to a roster spot.
Alford, who signed with the Falcons in January after starring as a rookie in the Canadian Football League, flashed during OTAs before breaking out in the preseason, making plays throughout training camp and the exhibition contests.
In the process of scrapping for their spot on Atlanta's Week 1 roster, both Bernhardt and Alford impressed Falcons star corner A.J. Terrell. If there are two positions Terrell knows better than the rest, it's corner and receiver, and he's seen good things from the two preseason stars.
"Athletic guy," Terrell said of Bernhardt. "You look at him and you wouldn't really think he can move, but he's been definitely putting on a show, opening people's eyes, opening my eyes. I haven't really (gone) against him a lot, but every time I see, he's making a play."
Bernhardt didn't see tons of reps with the starters during the preseason, but if he continues his strong form into the regular season, will almost certainly see his fair share of snaps against the All-Pro corner.
With the standout showings displayed time and again by Bernhardt during the offseason, it's easy to forget that he's only been playing receiver for four months. The adjustment from lacrosse star to undrafted football receiver was never going to be easy, but Terrell believes Bernhardt has done as good of a job as possible in handling the transition.
"I know it's an obstacle, but at the same time, he's in this profession for a reason," said Terrell. "It's nothing that he can't handle, so he's definitely been doing good. It is a wild (story). Before I knew him, I didn't know he had that in his history. But knowing that he was just playing lacrosse and just came out here, that's a big jump."
Alford's path doesn't include a stint as a college lacrosse star, but it certainly hasn't been straightforward. A Division II walk-on out of Griffin, Georgia, Alford's pre-draft process was disrupted by COVID-19 and he didn't get an NFL opportunity until this offseason.
By all accounts, Alford has seized the moment, coming down with a diving interception against the Detroit Lions in the preseason opener and making several impressive tackles the week versus the New York Jets.
Despite being considered a smaller corner at 5-11, 175 pounds, Terrell has been impressed by Alford's effort and activity.
"He's a gnat around the ball," Terrell said. "He's always around the ball. Athletic guy, he's smart. Even though he's short, he makes plays all the time. You really couldn't tell (he's undersized) when he comes down and tackles. Just always around the ball. Down to earth guy."
The Falcons are seeking to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, and receiving surprise breakouts from players like Bernhardt and Alford only serve to help speed up the process as Atlanta navigates through a rebuild.
Bernhardt, Alford and the rest of the Falcons will start their journey on Sept. 11, as the team hosts the arch rival New Orleans Saints.
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