We’ve told you thins week about Falcons defensive end John Abraham’s adjustment to a new defense.
But the most impressive thing he’s done this offseason has nothing to do with football.
Abraham has taken in three of his nephews and the mother of two of them into his household, to try to get his relatives back on the right path.
In a great story by D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Abraham details the reasons for helping his relatives. Citing the influence of his grandmother (who took in his cousins and others), Abraham said it was part of his responsibility since he remembers growing up without a father around.
“When I was younger, I probably couldn’t do this,” Abraham said. “But just seeing my grandma taking my cousins in and everybody else in when they were doing bad and all of that stuff, I feel like I was comfortable doing it.
“I feel like I’m old enough and can handle it. I can juggle both.”
Abraham’s pumping the brakes on his nephews’ requests to play football, as he wants them to concentrate on getting their grades in order, and learning a little responsibility by keeping their rooms clean and doing chores around the house.
And having turned down other offers this offseason to stay close to home with the Falcons, Abraham feels better able to look after his own, and pass along the lessons he learned the hard way during his own youth.