Former Alabama safety carted off field during NFL preseason game

Former Alabama safety DeMarcco Hellams started his way from seventh-round draft choice to a spot on the Atlanta Falcons’ regular-season roster with his performance in his first pro game one year ago.

But this year in the Falcons’ preseason opener, Hellams was carted off the field with a leg injury on the Atlanta defense’s second play on the field against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night.

The Falcons training staff ran on the field to attend to Hellams and placed an air cast on the safety’s left leg before he was carted to the locker room.

Hellams led Alabama in tackles in the 2022 season, but he didn’t get picked in the 2023 NFL Draft until the 224th selection.

On Aug. 11, 2023, during the first series of his first preseason game with Atlanta, Hellams got his first tackle when he brought down Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft at the Falcons 15-yard line. On the next snap, Hellams got his second tackle on a rushing attempt by running back Myles Gaskins. And on the next snap, Hellams intercepted Miami quarterback Mike White in the end zone. Hellams returned the interception 15 yards to the Atlanta 13.

Hellams made the Falcons’ regular-season roster. In Atlanta’s first 10 games, he got on the field for 64 defensive snaps and 144 special-teams plays. After the Falcons’ Week 11 bye, Hellams played 305 defensive snaps and started four times at safety in Atlanta’s next six games. He missed the final contest of a season with a concussion.

Hellams’ increase in playing time meant less playing time for Richie Grant, a 2021 second-round pick who started every game in 2022 and 15 in 2023. Both players returned this year to compete to start with Jessie Bates III at the back of the Falcons’ defense.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.