Shockley waiting, helping Falcons any way he can

FLOWERY BRANCH -- D.J. Shockley knows how to play the waiting game.

He may not like it, but Shockley knows how to handle it.

“You’re never satisfied. Everybody wants to be a starter. You grew up wanting to be the best and competing at everything, and you want to be the best at what you’re doing,” said Shockley, who is entering his fourth season with the Atlanta Falcons -- each spent as a back-up quarterback.

“The competitor in you is going to force you to come out and practice your best. I think that’s the biggest thing -- keeping that drive and motivation to come out and work hard every day, because, like I said, you never know when it’s going to be your time.”

After the showing Matt Ryan put on in his rookie season for Atlanta -- 61.1 completion percentage, 3,440 yards passing, 16 touchdowns against 11 interceptions -- few would think any back-up QB would gain any real playing time in 2009. Nevertheless, Shockley -- who is battling for the No. 2 spot with fellow back-up Chris Redman -- says he is approaching the upcoming season with the same mindset he has displayed throughout his three-year NFL career.

“You want to come in and work hard and help the guy that’s ahead of you; you always want to help him in any way you can as far as being extra eyes and help him see things he may not see on the field -- being on the sideline, you can see different things,” Shockley said. “So my role is to help him [Ryan] prepare, but you’ve also got to prepare like you’re going to play because you never know when you’re going to be thrust in there.”

Though he hasn’t gotten much of a chance at the highest level yet, Shockley showed more than enough talent and drive to take a similar opportunity when it was presented to him in the past.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback spent three years as a back-up for the University of Georgia before finally taking over the reins in his senior season.

If that same opportunity comes in Atlanta, Shockley can only hope the result is similar.

If it is, it would read like a fairytale.

After taking over in Athens from David Greene -- the all-time leader in college wins -- Shockley led the Bulldogs to a conference title in 2005, being named All-SEC along the way. The showing was enough to earn him a seventh round draft pick by the Falcons in 2006. After earning his way onto the team as a third-string quarterback, Shockley might have had a chance to better his position coming into 2007, but an injured knee in a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills sacked Shockley just when the Falcons were entering uncertain times at quarterback due to Michael Vick’s incarceration due to dogfighting charges.

Shockley spent 2007 on injured reserve, returning to the active roster in 2008 but has since taken a backseat -- as all Falcons quarterbacks have -- to Ryan.

Yet Shockley says he continues to approach his position in the same manner and has enjoyed the challenge of learning the position in the pros.

“I think I’m a much better quarterback now because I get to do it a lot more because it’s my job now,” Shockley said. “I’m a lot more fundamentally sound; I get to watch film more; I get to spend more time on it, because it’s my job. I get more time to enjoy it and put in to it.”

That certainly extended to this summer’s Organized Team Activities – offseason workouts and practices that ended Thursday after beginning May 20.

“I think overall team-wise it’s gone really good. We’ve been able to add in a couple new wrinkles just from last season to this year,” Shockley said of the OTAs. “Personally it’s been good as well. I’ve been able to get out here and move around. It’s been an offseason where I’ve been in the system for more than one year, so that’s made things easier.

Shockley says he has also seen increased comfort from Ryan, who is looking to build on that stellar rookie campaign.

“It’s a comfort level throughout everything. He’s been in this offense for another year as well,” Shockley said. “Last year he was feeling guys out a little bit more; this year he’s more comfortable with everyone around him -- the guys he’s throwing to and the O-line. He’s also more comfortable with the checks and calls you gotta’ make.”

Speaking of comfort, Shockley has also reached out to another quarterback who is looking to take control -- this time in Shockley’s old spot in Athens.

After waiting four years and getting mostly spot time at quarterback, fifth-year senior Joe Cox is about to get his turn to start full-time for the University of Georgia.

“Joe was there my senior year, and he could see how we handled certain things. The pressure is going to be on him now,” Shockley said. “I have talked to him a few times. I think he’s ready for it. He’s an intelligent guy. He’s been in the system four or five years now, so he knows the system. As far as pressure-wise, I think he’s going to be all right, because he knows what to expect. I just told him to take it one game at a time and not to force a lot of things just because he’s got one year. Do your best each time you’re out.”

As Shockley knows sometimes that can mean some big things.