A Falcoholic Interview With Michael Boley

by Dave Choate on Oct 1, 2008 8:00 AM EDT in Editorial

Yes, that Michael Boley.

Thanks to the fine folks at Reebok--the official outfitter of the NFL-- I was given the chance to interview Michael Boley. Unable to escape the clutching clutches of work, I got to send a short list of questions to Boley. Next time I hope to have a real opportunity to talk to him, but I'm very grateful that he took the time.

If you've always wanted to see a blogger clumsily interview a famous football player through e-mail, you'll have to check it after the jump.

Dave the Falconer: Michael, do you like what you're seeing from the team so far this season? I don't think anyone expected you guys to be sitting at 2-2 right now. Is the team buying into the new coaching staff's philosophy?

Michael Boley: I like what I’m seeing. It’s a big turnaround from last year. As far as Coach Smith, the guys like him a lot and they’re buying into his philosophy.

DtF: What do you think of playing alongside Curtis Lofton?

Boley: I like playing alongside Curtis. Curt’s an energetic guy. He plays hard from snap to whistle. He’s a playmaker, and from where he was in the preseason to where he is now, he’s gotten a lot better, and will only continue to get better.

DtF: Where do you think you, Lofton and Brooking rank among other linebacking corps in the league?

Boley: If you ask me, I say we’re the best. The talent we have – I don’t think we’ve even reached our limit yet. We can just keep on going.

DtF: Any lingering issues with the neck strain, or are you good to go for Green Bay ?

No lingering issues. I’m good to go. That’s a thing of the past.

DtF: In your experience, who is the toughest running back to tackle in the NFL?

Probably Adrian Peterson. He’s the toughest I’ve had to go through thus far.

DtF: You've practiced against Michael Turner; does he rank up there?

Boley: Most definitely. He’s a big bruising running back. You go against him and he’s pretty tough to tackle.

DtF: Mike Smith has talked about concentrating on the process and not the number of wins, which I think is a good approach for a young team. That said, can you see this team beating expectations and going .500 for the year?

Boley: Most definitely. I think we can go even further than that. I think this team is still growing, and there’s no limit to how far we can go this year.

DtF: How tough was last year for you? Are you enjoying playing for the Falcons more this year, and are you hoping to stay here for the long haul?

Boley: Last year I would have to say was my toughest ever in football. This year is much better than last year. And I am hoping to be here for the long haul.

Again, a huge thanks to Boley for answering my questions. Be sure to weigh in on his answers in the comments. And don't forget that you can buy Boley's jersey and other Falcons gear from Reebok.

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Comments

I love Michael Boley

Every time I play Madden I try and rake up 14 tackles a game with him and get a few INT’s

by Grayson on Oct 1, 2008 10:13 AM EDT reply actions

Boley's great

Though for my money, nothing beats the season I put together with Keith Brooking in Madden ’06. 225 tackles, 17 sacks, 12 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries.

by Dave Choate on Oct 1, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Michael "Bone Crusher" Boley

He is correct about the talent of our linebackers. As the season progresses they’ll develop more chemistry and confidence. By mid-season expect above average numbers from that unit every week.

Falcon Fans UNITE!

by Blue Falcon on Oct 1, 2008 2:17 PM EDT reply actions

I hope so

One question I asked but didn’t make the cut dealt with why the front seven has been so ineffective in pass rush. Hopefully it’s just been a fluke.

by Dave Choate on Oct 1, 2008 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Good question

about the pass rush. The Falcons as an organization seem to be extremely regimented about who is allowed to address questions of that nature. It’s as if players are not allowed to comment at all when the performance of other players or coaches might be seen in a less than favorable light. You see the same thing whenever players are interviewed on local TV. The players are absolutely never asked questions about why something is not working right, only questions that don’t reflect on other Falcons’ personnel.

Blank is a totally committed believer in managing public perceptions and controlling the message, going back to Home Depot days. When the company was just starting out in Atlanta, we would actually stock some of our shelves with empty boxes to make the store look more prosperous and cultivate Blank’s public image of the company. He’s a Public Relations man down to the bone, and the Falcons will always reflect that as long as he’s the owner.

Sorry to ramble, that’s my personal little manifesto for today! Cheers!

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Oct 1, 2008 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

What a good soldier

to say that “there’s no limit to how far we can go this year”, when the question was only “can we go .500”! I can’t help but smirk at that one a little. He’s a fine talent though, and our future leader apparent at LB when Brooking leaves.

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Oct 1, 2008 3:59 PM EDT reply actions

He's a company man

Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I chuckled over that one, as well.

by Dave Choate on Oct 1, 2008 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Nice!

Gratz on getting the opportunity to interview Boley Dave! But, me thinks that he probably never even saw those questions and they were answered by someone in the PR department. Unless you are sitting in front of the guy and can actually see his lips moving, then I wouldn’t put anything past the PR groups of an NFL franchise.

Also, that Jupiter/stupider comment is so old and stupid I laughed for about three straight minutes. Love it!

by Jesse28 on Oct 3, 2008 3:22 PM EDT reply actions