FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Arthur Smith felt a few jitters Thursday as he began his first training camp as coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Once the first horn sounded on the field, however, he jumped right in and took charge.
“My mind was working on trying to get some sleep last night. You’re restless. You’re excited,” said Smith, the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator who is a head coach for the first time. “It’s like the first day of school, but once that horn goes, it’s on. I’m coaching, trying to make sure I touch every part of the team and do my job.
“It was fun. It was fun to be out there.”
The Falcons, who open Sept. 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles, are coming off a 4-12 season that included the firing of Smith’s predecessor, Dan Quinn, and general manager Thomas Dimitroff after an 0-5 start. They’ve essentially cleaned house from the 2016 team that made it to the Super Bowl, with only four starters from that season – quarterback Matt Ryan, left tackle Jake Matthews, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and linebacker Deion Jones – still with the Falcons.
That should make it easier for Smith to imprint his vision on how the team should look and play.