'So Many Lessons': Falcons LB Troy Andersen Reflects on Rookie Season
The transition from college to the NFL is difficult - doing so after starring at the FCS level and moving 2,000 miles away from home only adds to it.
That's the situation Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen found himself in last summer, with the Dillon, Mt., native also facing the expectations of being a second-round pick.
By now, everyone knows the story with Andersen - he was an all-conference performer on both offense and defense at Montana State, ultimately winning FCS Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior before running a 4.42 40-yard dash at 6-4, 235 pounds.
But Andersen's learning curve was steep, something Atlanta's coaching staff harped on time and again last year - all the way until the end of his rookie season, when he earned a starting nod in each of the final four games and drew praise for his growth and mental maturation.
The 17-game grind was new in and of itself for Andersen, but so was the atmosphere and lifestyle, leading to a year full of learning that he looked back on during OTAs ...
"So many lessons," said Andersen. "It's the National Football League and everybody's so talented and you're not going to win every play, so you have to understand that you're not going to be perfect. It's just about trying to get better every day and win as many as you can, and then just continue learning."
The 24-year-old Andersen finished his rookie season with 69 tackles, three tackles for loss and a trio of quarterback hits while seeing time in each game, drawing five starts.
Andersen's first career start came in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers when linebacker Mykal Walker was out due to a groin injury - he responded by posting a team-high 12 tackles in Atlanta's 28-14 victory, proving he belonged at football's highest level.
It took Andersen four games thereafter to match his total number of snaps played from his first start, but his moment in the fire served as a guiding light for his in-season development.
The same is true for his stretch as a starter to close the year - he played at least 80 percent of Atlanta's defensive snaps in the final four games, which offered a chance for the staff to evaluate his growth and formulate a specific development plan as they do for each player.
But Andersen already knew where he needed to grow - he saw it firsthand. After all, he took away "so many lessons" from his debut season, largely centering around how he needs to work during the week while building his book on other teams and players.
"I think you just try to take over everything you learned from last year," Andersen said. "How offenses work in the NFL and what certain formations bring with certain types of players, what different teams run scheme-wise. Just try to take it over and continue to learn."
Andersen said he's at the same weight he was a year ago, though now he's had a legitimate off-season as opposed to going through the strenuous workout schedule that accompanies the pre-draft process.
On the field, Andersen has several new faces around him on a rebuilt Falcons defense, with free agent signings Calais Campbell and David Onyemata occupying space in front of him while Kaden Elliss and Jessie Bates stand alongside and behind him.
Elliss, who worked under new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, has already made a positive first impression on Andersen and proved valuable in understanding Nielsen's concepts.
As such, Andersen feels he's in a good spot entering his second professional season, especially in contrast to his first few weeks during the early stages of Atlanta's offseason phase last year.
"Definitely more comfortable," Andersen said. "You know the people, you know the place a little bit more. Now, it's real football a little bit earlier. So, it's been good so far, been good to get on the field."
Moving forward, the goal becomes building on those lessons and capitalizing on that comfortability to make the common Year 2 jump as the Falcons pursue their first postseason berth since 2017 - and Andersen, equipped with a full season of knowledge to boot, believes all parties are off to a good start.
"The whole team's gelling really well, and just excited to get it going," Andersen said.
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