Instagram Stories and Locker Leadership: How A.J. Terrell Became Falcons' Leader

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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell often starts his day with a trip to social media and the same four words: Good Morning, Big Timer.

Variance follows, but the theme never changes. Terrell takes inspirational messages received from his Under Armour High School All-American coach Donald Cox, who calls his players "Big Timers," and pastes them onto his Instagram story. Sometimes, Terrell types his own messages.

The purpose is motivation -- both for himself and his 107,000 followers.

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"I've been doing it for a minute," Terrell said Wednesday after Atlanta's second minicamp practice. "So, for me personally, when the message don't come through for me -- sometimes they don't hit me -- but there will be other people looking (and) it may spark something in their brain to get active or do certain things."

The 26-year-old Terrell is entering his sixth NFL season, and his social media servitude matches his steady grown into a leader on Atlanta's defense. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who was the team's defensive coordinator when it drafted Terrell in the first round in 2020, has touted Terrell's presence in the defensive backs room.

Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes, who started 15 games opposite Terrell last season, said Terrell brings the best out of those around him.

"We see what he does on the field. He sets the example -- the standard is very high in the room, and he's a big part of that," Hughes said Wednesday. "We respect him and everything he does and how hard he works. And it just carries over, adds that chip to everybody's shoulder in the room."

But Terrell's voice goes beyond his position mates.

When Morris sees fit, he makes recommendations about where certain players' lockers are positioned. He put Terrell next to first-round rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr., citing similarities in demeanor and personality.

Pearce is five years younger than Terrell and still only a month and a half into his NFL career, but the University of Tennessee product has already formed a close bond with the 2021 second-team All-Pro corner.

"That's my guy," Pearce said. "He takes ball very serious. Very passionate guy, down to earth."

Searching for career longevity, Pearce wants to pick up tips from Terrell on how to find sustained success. Part of it starts on the practice field, where Terrell faces high-level competition from reigning 1,000-yard receiver Drake London.

There's mutual respect between the two -- they've battled each summer and each practice dating back to London's entry into the league in 2022, and London still sees immense value in going against Terrell at IBM Performance Field.

"It's iron sharpens iron at the end of the day," London said. "He's a hell of a player. He's a lockdown corner -- you can look at all his stats, everything like that. And two, he's a very, very good person. Somebody who wants to work, as well. We piggyback off each other with that."

Terrell, who attended Westlake High School in Atlanta, has long been committed to giving back to the community that built him. He's held football camps through the A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation each year since 2022.

He won the NFL Players Association's Week 12 Community MVP last season for hosting "Crownucopia," a two-day, culturally inclusive event before Thanksgiving that offered self-care support for families experiencing homelessness.

Terrell's off-field work correlates to his in-house leadership, where he believes he has a natural style rooted in being himself. He leads by example, be it how he walks around the building, approaches meetings, interacts with teammates and coaches and his competitive nature on the field.

And as he's grown more experienced, Terrell's leadership toolbox has added a deepened perspective.

"I don't take none of it for granted," Terrell said during OTAs. "I was just telling the boys today out there on the field, like, 'We've got the best job in America. Like, we wake up and play football.' You know? Not too many people get that opportunity. I know y'all probably heard it before, but it's so real.

"I lace up, put on my cleats, I'm 26 years old. Like, I still got a lot of ball left, I feel. Just, what a blessing."

Terrell's resume isn't as decorated as the Falcons believe it warrants. He has only one All-Pro nod -- second-team in 2021 -- and hasn't been to a Pro Bowl, though he was a fifth alternate last season.

Prior to the 2024 season, Atlanta proved it valued Terrell more than any honor can dictate, giving him a four-year contract worth up to $81 million. The deal included $65.8 million guaranteed, which made Terrell the second-highest paid cornerback in NFL history at the time.

Terrell delivered with a quality campaign. He started all 17 games and snapped a two-and-a-half-season interception drought, ultimately finishing the year with a pair of takeaways. He made 66 tackles, his most since 2021, and allowed an average of three catches for 35 yards per game, according to Pro Football Reference.

Now entering his sixth year as a starter, Terrell feels he still has plenty to check off his proverbial bucket list.

"I feel like (the) sky's the limit, for real," Terrell said. "Of course, I want the accolades and all of those. But just the work and things I put in outside the field, and on the field with production, things like that, it'll all come. So, coming in, taking it one day at a time, it'll come."

Terrell also has team goals. He hasn't made the playoffs, let alone experienced a winning season in the NFL -- Atlanta went 4-12 in his rookie season, 7-10 the next three years and 8-9 in 2024.

There's a blend of old and new around Terrell. First-year defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was on staff during 2020 and spent the final 11 games as an interim defensive coordinator, guiding Terrell's first professional defense. Morris, secondary coach Justin Hood and assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray are all back, as are Hughes and All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III.

The scheme, however, is new. The Falcons are playing more match-man coverage, Terrell said, and the team drafted a pair of defensive backs in April with safety Xavier Watts and nickel corner Billy Bowman III.

After the Falcons released defensive tackle Grady Jarrett this spring, Terrell took over the spot as the longest-tenured player on Atlanta's defense. He trails only offensive tackles Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary and right guard Chris Lindstrom as the longest tenured players overall.

Terrell remembers learning lessons from the final remaining pieces of Atlanta's NFC-winning squad in 2016. He doesn't have anyone else around him to carry on the legacy, but he doesn't need it.

Now an established leader, Terrell has found his voice -- and he's ready to help snap Atlanta's seven-year playoff drought, one motivational message at a time.

"We know what we want," Terrell said. "It's all right there."