Meet Atlanta Falcons’ ‘Captain America,’ a rookie LB who has a ‘very enthusiastic’ staff

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — As hot dogs came off the grill and fireworks flew overhead to celebrate the Fourth of July, a Captain America stuffed animal sat inside Atlanta Falcons linebacker JD Bertrand’s apartment, which also houses shirts and other merchandise related to the popular comic book superhero.

No, Bertrand is not a Captain America super fan – on the contrary, those around him think he embodies the character.

Bertrand was nicknamed “Captain America” ​​while he was at the University of Notre Dame. He was called that a few times, but not often. He believes the nickname comes from his eating habits and the way he takes care of his body.

Regardless of how or why, the name isn’t going anywhere. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris confirmed that during his draft-day call, when Atlanta selected Bertrand with the 143rd overall pick in April.

“Get your little Captain America ass over here and let’s get to work,” Morris told Bertrand within the first 15 seconds of the call.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot has a different nickname for Bertrand: Blessed Trinity’s finest, a nod to Bertrand’s high school years as a standout in Roswell, Georgia.

But Morris seems to have persisted, as Bertrand’s birthday party featured more Captain America gear than he knew what to do with.

Morris said he doesn’t know exactly why the nickname was created, but he said it made sense from seeing Bertrand’s approach in his film and learning more about him as an individual.

Bertrand’s selection process impressed Morris, who said he received more phone calls about the 6-foot-1, 233-pounder than any other player selected in the draft. Morris had several opportunities to meet, including from Bertrand’s coach, former New York Jets safety Victor Green, and other linebackers Morris trained alongside.

After Atlanta selected Bertrand, familiar faces from outside the organization continued to heap praise on him.

Jimmy Lake, the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, got a call from one of Bertrand’s college coaches at Notre Dame, who praised his character both in and out of football. Fontenot got a text from former NFL star linebacker James Laurinaitis, with whom he worked during the 2016 season as a member of the New Orleans Saints.

Laurinaitis’ text was full of praise, nourished by several years of work that allowed Bertrand to reach the heights of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“He’s been unbelievable,” Bertrand said of Laurinaitis. “He’s one of the coolest coaches I’ve ever had. Just being able to have a player’s perspective — he can almost describe what he sees as a coach and how he teaches it basically through my eyes, what I see on the field.

“So it’s a really unique experience, and (Falcons linebackers) coach (Barrett) Ruud has a similar background, so I’m really excited to be able to work with him.”

Laurinaitis, a natural contact as a former college teammate of Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, is one of Bertrand’s many mentors.

One of the biggest turning points in Bertrand’s career — and his path to becoming Captain America — came when he met Laurinaitis. Bertrand asked Laurinaitis and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden which player he was most like, and they told him Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee.

During his eight-year NFL career, Laurinaitis developed a long list of contacts and he gave Bertrand the phone numbers of Lee and former Carolina Panthers star linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Bertrand capitalized on the wealth of resources suddenly placed in the palm of his hand, applying small details to a lifestyle that spawned the opportunity he now holds.

“It started with phone calls. ‘Hey, how do you watch film? What do you do on your off weeks?’” Bertrand says. “It just grew from there. I’d sit on the phone and Sean Lee would talk to me: ‘Hey, this is how I play Cover 1, this is how I play Cover 3.’”

“And the good thing is that you’re able to tackle very technical subjects that are difficult to learn without putting them into practice.”

Bertrand, 24, said he pulled different information from his various sources to form his process, which has reached a new level of cleanliness over the past two years.

Bertrand explains that his schedule is almost calculated to the minute. He does this from time to time, for example, creating a two-hour window with a description of what he wants to do during that time.

That process emerged on Bertrand’s first day of practice in Flowery Branch: May 10 for rookie minicamp. The Falcons provided a schedule that started at 8 a.m., but before that, Bertrand stuck to the morning routine he has in the Notes app on his iPhone.

After waking up, he would meditate, go to the facility, have breakfast, take care of his body, and prepare for his workouts. He had his own personal schedule planned the night before.

Bertrand’s meticulous preparation process was high on Atlanta’s scouting report, as was his list of mentors, whose influence was reflected in his name on the Falcons’ draft board.

“This guy, he eats, breathes, sleeps football,” Fontenot said. “With him, it’s all about football. It was so exciting to spend time with him, sit down, go through and talk about the process. We’re very excited about him.”

Bertrand spoke with Atlanta decision-makers at the team’s local pro day on April 12 and made an immediate impression.

Morris said the Falcons had a trio of linebackers in Kaden Elliss, Nate Landman and Troy Andersen that created a “tremendous problem” in terms of who their opponents were. Bertrand recognized that, and instead of focusing on a defensive role, he turned his attention elsewhere.

Aided by the guidance of his mentors, Bertrand arrived in Flowery Branch with an advanced understanding of the steps needed to carve out a role as a Day 3 pick — a process that includes playing the long game and finding every way possible to get on the field.

“He has that type of approach, and we immediately came here and talked to him about special teams because of his mindset,” Morris said. “He’s a grown man; he’s a veteran that’s already built and comes in here and helps us earn and earn the stripes that he’s going to earn on special teams to put himself in a position to play for us.”

After the draft, Fontenot declined to reveal whether Bertrand would play special teams, but such versatility was a central part of his evaluation and appears to be a likely path to the field this fall.

Still, Bertrand has three years of proven production in the middle of Notre Dame’s defense. He broke out in 2021, recording 101 tackles and seven tackles for loss while starting all 13 games. The following year, he recorded 82 stops and 8.5 tackles for loss. In 2023, he recorded 76 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

And the Falcons believe that Bertrand, no matter how ahead of his time he may be, will eventually be able to impact games defensively.

“You’re talking about a smart, instinctive football player, his character, his build,” Fontenot said. “He’s a four-down player because of what he can do as a run defender in coverage and also in the kicking game, which is key.

“When we select everybody, we have a vision – we have to have a vision for them and how they’re going to contribute in that area. We’re excited that he’s contributing in all of those areas.”

The Falcons’ enthusiasm for Bertrand isn’t just a play on words — Morris left one of his biggest boxes unchecked when evaluating Bertrand, but it ultimately proved indifferent.

A few years ago during the offseason, Morris and former Falcons assistant turned New York Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich conducted a study on the variables of arm length.

For linebackers, Morris and Ulbrich found that length was important in clearing blocks and correlated well with Morris’ defense. At all positions, length led to fewer missed tackles and became what Morris described as a “major factor that we really fell in love with” and wanted to emphasize in his scheme.

The Falcons are placing a premium on arm length this draft, and Morris said the team has accomplished that feat, with the exception of Bertrand. Bertrand’s arms measured just 30 5/8″ at the NFL Combine.

“I skipped over it because I liked him a lot,” Morris said. “And I told him that when he was here, so I’m not saying anything bad about him.”

Morris’ affinity for Bertrand comes largely from his mindset – the Captain America approach and process. There’s also the fact that Morris has more cross-references to Bertrand than the usual rookie.

The pre-draft process has given Morris as deep an understanding of Bertrand as anyone — to the extent that Morris predicted before rookie minicamp that he would have to cut Bertrand so he wouldn’t reinjure the foot that limited his practice availability this spring.

“This guy is the definition of a roster,” Morris said. “Captain America himself is going to be able to come in here and contribute in every way he can, just like he has been and what he’s been throughout his career. I’m sure you’ll see that any time we ask him to play, whether it’s kicking or defensively.

“And this guy might volunteer for the offense, who knows. He might give (Dwayne) Led (Ford), the Falcons’ offensive line and running game coordinator, some snaps as a fullback – one of those types of guys.”

The week after he was drafted, Bertrand had lunch with his high school coach, Tim McFarlin. The two took a photo as they left, and then McFarlin told another person that Bertrand was playing for the Falcons.

It’s a microcosm of the excitement surrounding Bertrand, whether it’s from his family, coaching staff or management. He described his return home as an incredible opportunity, expressing gratitude to his parents who live just 45 minutes away after driving 10 hours to get to Notre Dame.

Whether it’s the family energy or the fact that he’s been mentally prepared for this moment – his return to Flowery Branch on July 24 for his first training camp – for several years, Bertrand feels confident.

And with a nickname like Captain America, it’s not hard to see why.