Cornerback Dunta Robinson
How excited are you to get this camp started?
"It feels great. I was sitting in meeting with my practice jersey on and everyone was kind of looking at me weird. It felt good to get back out here and run around with my new teammates. It was overall a good morning for me."
How impressed were you with Matt Ryan today?
"I'm very impressed. I guess, the way he was watching me during the offseason, I was watching him the same way. I've never seen a quarterback put in as much work as he has in these past six weeks. It was great to see the leader of the team work as hard as he did and it makes you want to work hard as well. I know we don't talk about it much, but we always kind of look at each other to see who is going to be the last one in the weight room. It's a lot of fun going up against a guy who is very competitive."
Talk about the competitiveness of the secondary today.
"That's the type of secondary that we need to be. We need to set the tone when we are lining up against the receivers. We want to move up the charts as a unit and that's the mindset we have to have going into the season. We were 28th last year and we have to be way better this year. We want to be number one. The work to get to that has to start today. It's going to make us better coming out here and competing with these receivers and we hope we'll make them better too."
Do you kind of have a chip on your shoulder feeling like you have to get the secondary going this year?
"Definitely. I'm a part of this thing. I know I wasn't here last year, but if we stay at 28th again this year, than it's all on us. That's why I say 'we.' We have to be a lot better than we were last season and I think everyone understands that. Everyone is coming out with the right attitude and we're working as hard as we can. You never want to be at the bottom and I think these guys understand that."
How do you feel about the new rookies?
"Rookies are rookies. They are floating around right now and you just have to keep them upbeat. I remember when I was a rookie thinking that I wasn't going to last a week in this league. You try to stay positive. You have to keep them focused and keep them positive."
Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon
Talk about your first practice today.
"I felt I did pretty well. I was a little bit rocky and had to get used to the NFL tempo. I started feeling a little bit better at the end and I'm looking forward to the afternoon practice."
Was today's practice a little bit overwhelming?
"I hope to come out and show them what I can do. The big thing is learning from the older guys and they did a good job pulling me aside and teaching me things. I'm soaking it all in and planning to be a sponge."
Talk about the guidance you received from Mike Peterson.
"He's been in the league for a long time and he knows how to be a professional. I'm also trying to be a professional. I'm listening to him and he's kind of taken me under his wing. He's teaching me some techniques that are going to be very helpful to me."
**What's one of the biggest lessons so far today that Mike Peterson has taught you?
**"He told me that no matter what the situation, make sure I'm running full speed. That's one thing I can take from him because even if I don't know what I'm doing, I can run hard."
**Was there anything else Mike Peterson has done for you in these first couple of days?
**"Well, he gave me a nickname. I'm called baby lion and he's the daddy lion. Right now, I'm carrying his helmet and I have to take it in before I go down to my locker."
Were do you get your enthusiasm?
"I'm just excited. It's been a long time since I've had a chance to play football with my teammates and now I'm living my dream. I'm in shock just being out here. I'm going to go out here each and every day with a positive attitude and that's going to help me out."
Quarterback Matt Ryan
Talk about your first practice here at mini-camp.
"I think a lot of it is about knocking the rust off and getting acclimated to the routine. I think we did a good job of it this morning. I did feel rusty, but it really felt good to get out and get ready for 2010."
How great is it to get everyone on the field for the first time?
"It's been good. I think we made some really good additions to our football team. I've had the chance to work closely with Dunta Robinson during off-season conditioning and I've been really impressed with his work ethic. I'm excited about the additions and I certainly think we're going to be better in 2010."
Coming off back-to-back winning seasons, what do you see with this current team?
"I think there is a lot of optimism and I think everyone is excited. It was great for the organization to knock off the back to back winning seasons, but we want more. We want to be in the playoffs and have an opportunity to play late in the season. We are working hard to get there."
What is your impression with this crop of rookies?
"Good. You're going to have to ask me in a couple of weeks though. Early on in practice, I thought they practiced hard and smart. You want them to get acclimated to practice. Right now, I'm still trying to learn their names. I'll give you a report in a couple of weeks.
Running back Michael Turner
Talk about the rookies on the practice field today.
"It's only the first day and they haven't had a lot of reps. I can't make a judgment yet and we still have tape to watch. It looks like we have a pretty good group coming in."
How good is it to see everyone back on the field?
"It feels great and I feel great getting back on the field as well. I didn't get a chance to finish the 2009 season the way I wanted to."
How is your health?
"My health is pretty good, but I still have some things to workout. I'm practicing as if I'm 100 percent. I have to get some kinks out, but I'll be ready to go."
How was your offseason?
"It was good. I rested and took care of my ankle. I worked out and conditioned with my teammates."
**Talk about the chemistry and comfort level of the team.
**"The comfort level is different from years past. It seems like everyone is more excited this year. Even though we went through a lot to get to 9-7 last year, that wasn't our main goal. We're trying to keep everyone healthy this year and we have a chance to do something special."
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MORE ON MINI CAMP:**
ROSTERS: Click here for the updated Falcons roster * PRINTABLE ROSTERS:Alphabetical (PDF) | Numerical (PDF) | Position (PDF) * BLOG: J. Michael Moore's updates on Falcons mini camp * NEWS:News updates on Falcons mini camp * PHOTOS:Images from Falcons mini camp * DRAFT:Click here for 2010 Draft coverage from AF.com * HOMEPAGE: Mini camp information and news archive * FAQ:Common questions about attending Mini Camp * DIRECTIONS:Info and directions to Flowery Branch * TWITTER: Updates on weather if necessary during mini camp
