‘Cool’ Quinn a hit with players

HOUSTON — There are times when Falcons players come across their head coach Dan Quinn and have a difficult time viewing him as their boss.

The players look at Quinn more as an equal, as one of them.

Just two years into his tenure as Atlanta’s head coach, Quinn has endeared himself to his players, who have become drawn to his positive personality.

“I don’t even feel like ‘ DQ’ is my head coach sometimes,’’ linebacker Deion Jones said. “He’s that cool. He’s that down to earth.’’

Some of Quinn’s story can be told by the music he has pumping around the Falcons’ complex all the time.

“I’ve never really been around a coach like him that likes to have fun every day, and listens to loud music everywhere you go,’’ right tackle Ryan Schraeder said. “I never thought I’d be listening to music blaring at 8 in the morning. But it’s awesome, because it’s motivating. Hip-hop is his favorite. It gets the juices going and you can really tell in those meetings, guys are excited to be there. I honestly, even in college I’ve never seen guys get this excited.’’

Quinn said there is a “byproduct’’ to the music.

“We wanted the beats to be fast, so we could feel that energy,’’ he said. “We did make it a competition in terms of some of the music that was played, so we have had different DJs that have come through. We call them DJs, but they’re really a part of our organization.

“It’s been a big job to fill to be a DJ and the playlist, because you definitely get some critics out there amongst the 63 guys on the field and the coaches. So we’ve had a lot of fun with it.’’

Schraeder called Quinn “a special coach.’’

“The way he carries himself, he’s just an awesome guy, he’s like another one of the guys on the team,’’ he said. “When you have that going on the sky’s the limit. We want to play hard for Coach Quinn because he’s our guy.’’