FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Wide receiver Roddy White started feeling pressure early in his career. There was just one problem. He and other Falcons wide receivers, didn't get many opportunities to get their hands on the ball.
Atlanta led the NFL in rushing yards last season, running the ball on 56.3 percent of its plays for more than 2,900 yards. As a result, White and fellow veteran Michael Jenkins could sometimes count on one hand how many times the ball came their way.
A dropped pass or imprecise route could sometimes fester in their minds for an entire game as they weren't quite sure if the mighty running game would stumble and a pass would fly their way.
"You know you have to make every play because your chance is limited," said White, who leads the team with 530 receiving yards and nine catches of 20 yards or more. "There was a bit of tightness there trying to get myself going knowing, if I did have a drop, I might not get the ball the rest of the game."
That's not to say they were disappointed or even frustrated with their NFL station. On the contrary, The Falcons powerful running attack paid dividends in other areas.
"It made me a good blocker," White said. "I learned how to block a lot. That was the scheme. We led the NFL in rushing two years in a row. That was our thing. I just played my part in the offense we were running. Basically I just had to do what was asked of me."
He's still doing what's asked of him in 2007... and a whole lot more.
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