The Falcons touched down in London and headed straight to Bushey Meads School to get local kids excited about football during a Play 60 event.
WR Devin Hester steps off of the bus in London
RB Devonta Freeman heads from the bus to the Play 60 event
RB Jerome Smith, G Harland Gunn and T Ryan Schraeder walk to the Play 60 event
C James Stone walks away from the bus in London
WR Julio Jones and WR Devin Hester pass with the kids
QB Matt Ryan
K Matt Bryant and P Matt Bosher show the kids the tricks of their trade
WR Julio Jones and WR Devin Hester pass with the kids
A few of the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders were also in attendance at the event
CB Robert Alford
WR Harry Douglas and WR Eric Weems
Catching a pass from Matt Ryan is a great way to start Monday morning!
GM Thomas Dimitroff and WR Julio Jones
LB Joplo Bartu
OLB Jacques Smith high fives his group
TE Levine Toilolo makes the kids work for a high five
RB Devonta Freeman
DE Stansly Maponga
A girl shows the Falcons her best touchdown dance moves
A few of the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders were also in attendance at the event
TE Levine Toilolo encourages a kid through a drill
K Matt Bryant and P Matt Bosher show the kids the tricks of their trade
OL Gabe Carimi
CB Desmond Trufant passes the ball during the Play 60 event
A few of the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders were also in attendance at the event
RB Steven Jackson
GM Thomas Dimitroff speaks with the media at the Play 60 event in London
DE Malliciah Goodman
CB Robert McClain gives high fives at the event
DE Stansly Maponga works with the kids
The Falcons abide by what head coach Mike Smith calls the 24-hour rule; that is, win or lose, the team has 24 hours to either celebrate or mourn before turning their focus to the next game. This week, that rule shortened up quite a bit.
About four hours after Sunday's 29-7 loss to Baltimore, the Falcons boarded a plane and headed overseas to begin their preparations for this week's International Series matchup against the Detroit Lions at London's Wembley Stadium.
After a seven-hour flight, the Falcons arrived in London around 9 a.m. local time and bused more than an hour to the Bushey Meadows Elementary School, where players participated in American football drills with students there. The long trip seemed to be wiped away by the enthusiasm of the students getting an up-close look at NFL players.
"The kids have a lot of energy," running back Steven Jackson said. "They're doing a really good job of grasping an understanding of the American football game."
The entire active roster along with the Falcons practice squad took part in coaching students through drills. At one station, kids could catch a pass from Matt Ryan or get instruction on how to make a perfect catch from Julio Jones.
On the other end of the field, the offensive and defensive linemen ran drills near each other that focused on agility, speed and power — and more importantly, fun.
"I think it's good to get out here. We always enjoy giving back to the community, but these kids are a little different," defensive tackle Corey Peters said. "They don't get to see as much football, so they seem to be a lot more into it, a lot more excited about it. We're having a good time right now."
