Ravens Georgia Natives Look Forward To Homecomings vs. Falcons

Although the Baltimore Ravens will be the visiting team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday night when they take on the red-hot Atlanta Falcons in primetime, two of their core leaders and best players on the defensive side of the ball will not only feel right at home but will also have a large contingent of supporters in attendance.

Both three-time All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton and four-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker Roquan Smith grew up in Georgia and are looking forward to business trip that will double as homecoming for them.

Hamilton hails from Atlanta and attended Marist School, a private Catholic school located in Brookhaven, Georgia. This interconference Battle of the Birds will be a true "full-circle moment" for him, given that his first opportunity to play at the Falcons' home stadium was supposed to be while he was in high school for a state championship game. But Mother Nature had other plans that fateful day.

"That got snowed out, and they moved it to my home stadium my junior year of high school," Hamilton said. "We actually lost that game. It still bugs me. But, yes, it will be cool to play in front of a ton of people that I know, grew up with and have people from Mobile, Alabama — where my dad's side is from — coming up. So, it will be really cool to just see everybody. My family does not have to travel, so that will be easy for them, and hopefully [we will] leave with a win."

Smith is a country boy from Macon County, Ga., which is about a two-hour drive from Atlanta. Unlike Hamilton, who starred at Notre Dame, when it came time to choose where to play at the collegiate level, he opted to stay closer to home and play for the University of Georgia.

While he got to play in some big games on the Falcons' home turf in front of fans as a Bulldog, he has yet to do so as a pro since he got traded to the Ravens during the 2022 season, prior to the Chicago Bears road game in Atlanta in Week 11 of that season. He plans on making the most of this opportunity not only for himself but for the small community that raised him.

"I have my high school football team coming up. I have the rec department coming up. I have like countless family members, countless friends and stuff showing up," Smith said. "It will be pretty sweet, man. [It's] obviously a quick little drive, about two hours, two hours and 20 minutes, and guys [are] coming from the country.

"There will be a heavy 'Macon County Roquan Tribe' out there. I am excited about that, but obviously the mission stays the same. With all the people coming to support, [I] definitely have to show up in a big-time way. That is just going to take me just doing my job, play in and play out, and playing violent."

Ravens defense hopes to make statement in primetime

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) celebrates an interception against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. — Sep 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) celebrates an interception against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As two of the central players in the spine of head coach and defensive play-caller Jesse Minter's unit that has underwhelmed and struggled with consistency through the first four weeks, both Hamilton and Smith are determined to take advantage of the opportunity to right the ship under a national spotlight.

The whole world will be watching, and we will be doing what it takes to get the job done," Smith said. "We know that it will be a challenge, but we are all excited for it.

"We are just excited to continue to showcase who we are and just keep building off our positives week in and week out, and building off the negatives as well and not having self-inflicted things.

They both serve as physical tone-setters for the team on that side of the ball and are well aware that any hopes they have of cooling or at least slowing down a 2-2 Falcons team that has looked like a juggernaut and averaged 40 points a game over the past two weeks begin and end with how well they defend First Team All Pro running back Bijan Robinson.

"I think [Robinson] is super talented in everything that he does," Hamilton said. "He is very sudden, very strong, explosive. Obviously, he has the stats to back it up and, you know, there is not a lot like him. So, it is up to us to be where we are supposed to be. I think that is the big thing first and foremost, especially in the run game. Do not get out of your gap, trust guys to come and do their job and I think we will be fine."

The Ravens have particularly struggled when it comes to tackling in space and run defense when it comes to yards given up before contact. They can't afford for either tendency to persist or rear its ugly head against the Falcons because they get steamrolled by one of the hottest and best-balanced teams in the league in primetime.

"I think it is an exciting challenge for us, when you pride yourself on stopping the run," Smith said. "[I have] a lot of respect for [Bijan Robinson] as a runner, their offensive line, their receivers, with their willingness to block. I think it is a great challenge for us. I look at this as a front-seven game. It is about showing up, and obviously the whole world's watching, so showing up and showing out."

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