As Falcons' elder statesman, Dwight Freeney relishes shot at Super Bowl

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – These are the days that Dwight Freeney will ultimately miss about the NFL.

Freeney, who will be 37 next month, is the oldest player on an Atlanta Falcons defense that is serving youth to the hilt, and is now 60 minutes away from another Super Bowl. He was in this spot last year, too, with an Arizona Cardinals squad that was trounced in the NFC Championship Game.

Now comes another shot. Maybe his last.

“At this stage in my career, this is why I play,” the 15th-year veteran told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday, preparing for Sunday’s clash against the Green Bay Packers – and the headache of trying to contain Aaron Rodgers.

“It’s not about the regular season. It’s about this feeling. The race. The playoffs. Championships. Super Bowls. That’s what drives me. As you get older, you really start to have more appreciation.”

It has been a great run, evidenced by a resume that includes a Super Bowl title, an NFL defensive player of the year award, multiple Pro Bowl selections and all-pro honors. He’s produced 122 ½ career sacks, which will someday help his case for Canton.

Yet in the here and now, the Falcons could sure use a blast from Freeney’s past prowess in dealing with the NFL’s hottest quarterback, the scrambling Rodgers.

Freeney, who comes off the bench as a situational pass-rusher and had three sacks during the regular season, has gone 11 games without a sack – matching the longest sack-less stretch of his career, from the 2014 season.

Even so, sacks don’t always tell the whole story, even with one of the premier pass-rushers from his era. Freeney -- who played more than half the defensive snaps in the NFC divisional playoff victory against Seattle and tallied two hits on Russell Wilson -- can still generate a rush.

And if you listen to his young teammates, Freeney has brought tremendous value as a guru who resembles a coach on the field.

“It’s so much deeper than the physical thing,” said second-year defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.

Years ago, Jarrett was in middle school, looking up to Freeney as a model for a D-lineman who succeeded despite lacking the prototypical size. Remember, the knock on Freeney coming out of Syracuse in 2002 was that his arms were too short to win in the trenches.

Now Freeney’s also the one freely sharing his mind.

“His knowledge of the game is amazing,” linebacker Vic Beasley said.

Beasley, in his second season, led the NFL with 15 ½ sacks, which is kind of like Freeney leading the league in his third season with 16 sacks. They have formed a special bond, in part because Freeney sees his younger self in Beasley, who possesses a quick burst off the snap.

Then again, Freeney – who credits a strict diet based on his white blood cell count for his longevity – feels anything but old.

“That trips me out, when you see people born in ’94 or ’95, that you’re playing with,” Freeney said. “I was almost going to college then.

“And what’s really crazy is that I’ve got to run around with these dudes.”

Freeney remembers a particular chat during a walk-through session this season, when Beasley told his that his knees were sore.

“I said, ‘Vic, do you realize when you were 10 years old, I was you now?’ “ Freeney said. “ ‘Imagine you talking to a 10-year old right now. That’s you! I don’t want to hear about no knees.’ “

Call it a Zen moment. Beasley chuckled when reminded of the exchange.

“That was pretty funny,” he said. “The same guy I watched when I was growing up.”

Every team needs a guy like Freeney, in the playoffs for the 13th time in his career.

It’s not lost on Freeney that each team in the conference championship game includes the significant presence of an aging veteran. Packers linebacker Julius Peppers just turned 37 on Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is rolling with 38-year-old linebacker James Harrison, who will be trying to put a rush on 39-year-old New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

“They’re not just there,” Freeney said. “They’re going strong. It’s a testament to their consistency. Whatever routine they’ve done in their careers, it’s worked out well.”

Freeney knows. There’s nothing like being relevant with a chance to hit the big stage again.

Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell

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