Jalon Walker didn't know about any curses.

On Thursday night, the former Georgia linebacker became the first Bulldog ever drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. Walker didn't know that history, nor did he realize the running joke that the Falcons' supposed anti-UGA bias became among Georgia fans.

What Walker does know, however, is that the program in Athens set him up to succeed down the road in Atlanta.

"The whole program, they taught me how to work," Walker said Friday during a press conference in Atlanta. "I knew how to have a consistent work and grind before high school, but being at Georgia, you’ve got to work hard. And if you work hard, you're going to be successful. Just keeping that mentality of being able to be determined and work hard should excel my career to the next level."

Walker said he is still "in disbelief" after hearing his name called by Atlanta Thursday night. But the relationship with the Falcons has been there during the process.

At a recent pre-draft event in Atlanta, Walker spent much of his time with Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot.

"I mean, it was just a neat opportunity for him just to talk and get to know each other a little bit more and just recap," Walker said. "He's telling me about, you know, the new upgrades coming along to the building, got to meet his son, things like that. I mean, it was really informal, but it was a great conversation that I had with him... He’s very smart to begin with, but he is someone that the Falcons organization is glad to have. He is on a mission and he is setting things up to put this program on the rise."

Walker wasn't the only SEC player drafted by the Falcons in the first round.

Atlanta traded back into the first round to select Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce Jr., who, like Walker, grew up in North Carolina. Walker found out about the trade in the car on the way to Charlotte on Thursday and caught up with Pearce on the Friday plane ride to Atlanta.

Walker feels his and Pearce's games will complement each other well for a Falcon defense that desperately needs pass-rushing help.

"James, he's on a mission," Walker said. "We're all on a mission. We are here today because we have a mission. We have a pride about how we perform and how we go about things. And my goal for me and James is just to keep pushing each other to the best ability we can."

Walker has been described as a versatile chess piece throughout the draft process. His skillset, his ability to both rush off the edge and play off-ball linebacker, drew Fontenot and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to him in the middle of the first round.

What does the plan look like moving forward?

"I'm here to be that piece," Walker said. "If they want me there, I'll be there. If they want me here, I'll be there. I'm just excited for the game plan to see what we're going to work with."