Here’s what Falcons punter Sterling Hofrichter had to say on a conference call with the Atlanta media after being selected in the third round of the NFL draft on Saturday:
On finding out he was going to be a Falcon: "It was a surreal experience. Definitely something I've never experienced before. A super feeling to get that call."
On his best attributes: "Definitely do directional punting, it's what we did at Syracuse a lot. Hangtime is something we value highly at Syracuse, always trying to alienate the returner as much as possible. Something I strive to be as good as I can at and something I'll continue to work on."
On whether or not he kicks off: "Yeah, I did kickoffs at Syracuse the last two years as well."
On whether or not kicking in a dome at Syracuse will give him a competitive advantage in Mercedes-Benz Stadium:
“I think it definitely can a little bit. Being used to that kind of enclosed environment, I think it will help some. A similar stadium, so I’d say it will probably help.”
On whether or not he's excited to be in competition with Ryan Allen: "I've always loved competition growing up. I've always felt like it made me a better punter. You're always going to have competition in the NFL. There's always going to have to be top guys that stay there. I'm excited for that. I've always been competing at Syracuse, just trying to be better than I was the day before. I tried to compete against myself more than others. I feel like I'm a little different than everyone else. I try to improve every day, but I've had some competition at Syracuse. My freshman year I had Riley Dixon as the starting punter who is the punter for the New York Giants now, so I definitely learned quite a bit from that."
On coming back to the South and the city of Atlanta: "I'm definitely excited to come back to the warm weather. I don't think snow is too much of my favorite season, so definitely excited for warmer weather again. Growing up, I was an Atlanta Braves fan. Big Chipper Jones fan. In college, I wore number 10. That's what I grew up wearing and it's all because of Chipper Jones. I'm excited to go to Atlanta and enjoy the time there."
On being aggressive and helping out in coverage: "Absolutely. My big thing is just winning football games. I'm always trying to do what I can to help my team win. If it meant making a tackle or anything like that, I was all for it. I'm ready to do whatever the coaches ask me to do."
On his family's reaction to the Falcons drafting him: "Definitely just excitement. The overall excitement of Draft Day and being picked as one of 255 guys super cool. Coming back to the south, having similar connections to Atlanta, it's going to be a cool experience. Definitely ready for that."
On whether or not he's ready for baseball and other sports to return: "Absolutely. I don't know how I've been going so long without any sports. I can't wait for them to all come back and finally have something fresh to watch on TV."
On spending the weekend with his family and waiting for his name to be called: "I mean, all weekend definitely just watching the draft all day every day. From the first round until I got picked. Just waiting around, obviously knowing if I got drafted that it would be today. Just waiting around to see who would give me the call. Hoped that I would get one and preparing for anything at that point. It's been a long day, but definitely super fun to be around close friends and families and enjoy the time."
On whether or not he was nervous this morning: "I wouldn't say I was nervous this morning. I got the most nervous right before Altana came up for the pick, knowing I could possibly be the pick. It's a super weird feeling."
On his versatility: "For versatility, it's stuff I grew up doing. In youth football, I did kickoffs and punts. In high school, I did all three. That was something I wanted to continue to work on and something I did at Syracuse too. I punted and kicked off during games, but at practices, I also took some field goal reps so I could be ready just in case. We only had one main kicker that traveled so I always tried to be prepared. Definitely something I've always worked at and if they want me to continue to work at it I will."
On his communication with the Falcons during the draft process: "I think the weird feeling came from talking to them over the last few weeks continuously. They were the team I talked to the most through this whole process. They showed the most interest in me and I was super excited about possibly becoming a Falcon. Just knowing that I was coming up and knowing they didn't have any fifth or sixth-round picks, only one seventh-round, it was kind of like, 'Let's see what happens here' if it's a free agent type of thing. I feel like that's how it all led into it. A cool experience that I will cherish forever."
AJC’s 2020 POSITION BY POSITION DRAFT SERIES
Quarterbacks: Joe Burrow leads class | Top 10
Running backs: Cam Akers' life lesson | Top 10
Tight ends: Harrison Bryant top prospect | Top 10
Guards/Centers: Solomon Kindley a late-rounder | Top 10
Offensive tackles: Austin Jackson's life lesson | Top 10
Wide receivers: Jeudy or Lamb | Top 10
Defensive tackles: Brown, Kinlaw stand out | Top 10
Defensive ends: A 'generational' talent | Top 10
Linebackers: Simmons a position-less LB | Top 10
Safeties: Loaded with Georgia talent | Top 10
Special teams: Georgia's kick-centered | Return with flash | Top 10
Cornerbacks: Jeff Okudah a lockdown CB | Top 10
--
The Bow Tie Chronicles Podcasts:
Can be found on Google, iTunes and TuneIn
For more content about the Atlanta Falcons:
Follow me on Twitter @DorlandoAJC
On Facebook at Atlanta Falcons News Now
Atlanta Falcons coverage on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have a question? Email me at dledbetter@ajc.com
About the Author
