The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CONVERSATION WITH ... Cornerback had made plans to join Marines
Family members involved in different military branches.
FLOWERY BRANCH — Each week during the season, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will conduct a question-and-answer session with a Falcons player about his off-field interests and activities. The intention is to give fans some insight into the players and a little sense of what makes them tick. This week we spoke with cornerback Robert McClain.
McClain joined the Falcons as an unheralded free agent during the offseason but has become a key part of the secondary after injuries forced him into action. McClain has played well enough that he might have a future in the NFL, something he never counted on while playing at the University of Connecticut.
McClain, 24, talked about his interest in art and a possible career in the military.
Q: Was there ever a point during your time at UConn when you thought you could play in the NFL?
A: If things worked out, they worked out. I was actually planning on joining the Marines after college. But (football) worked out for me. Football, it was there, but I was really concentrated on getting my education. I graduat-
ed in 3 ½ (years). Q: Why the Marines? A: I am in a militarylike family. My dad and mom work for the federal government; my dad is on the Navy side. My brother is in the Army. My grandfather was in the military. I was in the ROTC when I was in middle school until my freshman year of high school. I was thinking I was going to keep the family name going on that.
Q: Do you still spend a lot of time thinking about your future?
A: Oh, yeah, all the time. You always have to have plans outside of football. Football is not going to last forever. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do after football, like with my art or the government.
Q: What kind of art do you do?
A: I draw.
Q: What kind of things do you like to draw?
A: Anything. I have a bunch of stuff posting on my Instagram (social photo-sharing account). All my art is posted there. I haven’t drawn anything in like a month. I’m thinking about drawing a little something today.
Q: Is drawing something you’ve done for a long time?
A: Yeah, I’ve always done it since fourth grade.
Q: Have you ever studied art seriously or done any competitions?
A: I haven’t studied or done any competition or anything for it. It’s just something I’ve always done naturally. I took regular art classes in college, high school and middle school and stuff. I came in as an art major (at UConn) and I switched over to political science.
Q: It’s pretty rare to see football players who are art majors, right?
A: (Laughs). Yeah, it was just so much being on football scholarship and then going to art class and spending three hours and thirty minutes drawing still life. It kind of put a little pressure on the knees. I was tired out there.