The smile that lit up the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago Thursday night hasn’t left Vic Beasley’s face. More than 15 hours after the Falcons selected him with their No. 8-overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Beasley arrived by plane to his home state of Georgia, early Friday afternoon.
Welcoming Beasley and his family at team headquarters were Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, head coach Dan Quinn and their collective staffs. Following a tour of the facility, Beasley was front and center for his introductory press conference and described his last 24 hours.
“It’s been a sigh of relief and excitement all at once,” Beasley said. “Just having my family here (and with me) on draft day for that special phone call (from Dimitroff), that one moment that you can say you’re finally selected, and I’ve been drafted here, this is a sigh of relief. I’m excited to be here. Words can’t express how excited I am.”
Beasley’s smile remained unchanged throughout the media presser, sitting between Dimitroff, who said the Falcons were “very, very fortunate to have an opportunity to pull Vic’s tag off the board when we did,” before allowing Quinn to share more about their newest player’s on-field strengths.
“The way he plays, the style, the speed and how fast he plays (and his ability to) get turnovers,” Quinn said. “It was really clear for me to see how he would fit in with our defense.”
Beasley said he looks forward to working with his new Falcons teammates, including his fellow rookies on the team, each drafted within rounds two through seven over the next two days. Before the Falcons know it, training camp will be here in July, followed by the preseason games, including a home matchup against the Tennessee Titans, Friday, Aug. 14 at the Georgia Dome.
“Honestly, my first NFL game will be the game that I’m playing in,” Beasley said. “So, it will be a special moment, playing in Atlanta.”