The Atlanta Falcons’ streak of eight consecutive drafts without selecting a quarterback ended over the weekend when Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder fell into their lap in the third round.
Prior to draft night, Ridder penned an open letter to all NFL general managers, via The Players Tribune. Inside this letter, headlined “Dear NFL General Managers,” Ridder highlighted how he had been overlooked coming out of high school, which fueled his desire to win. He also discussed the reward that came with overcoming those early obstacles in his life.
“I played well in high school, but I wasn’t a guy who had all the college offers,” said Ridder. “I remember when Coach Wolford sat me down and we had, let’s say, a very honest conversation, about what I was going to have to do to play at the next level. He let me know that it wasn’t going to be easy, that I was going to have to fight for my spot.”
