FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When Ike Hilliard was hired as the Atlanta Falcons’ wide receivers coach in February, he had a pitch — give Ray-Ray McCloud III a shot.
New Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was willing to listen. Robinson had seen enough glimpses of McCloud to be intrigued, but that’s about all anyone had seen of McCloud — glimpses.
In his first six years in the NFL, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound wide receiver out of Clemson had been much more return specialist than actual receiver, catching 90 total passes.
Hilliard, who coached McCloud for two seasons in Pittsburgh, thought there was more there. McCloud had his most productive NFL season as a Steeler after moving into the starting lineup when JuJu Smith-Schuster was injured in 2021.
“I saw growth and, most importantly, Ben Roethlisberger, with the variety of options we had there, he said, ‘I want Ray-Ray to stay there,’” Hilliard said. “That helped his confidence, and he learned on the fly.”
McCloud finished that season with 39 catches for 277 yards, but it was the last season for Hilliard and McCloud in Pittsburgh. McCloud would go on to San Francisco, and Hilliard landed at Auburn University the next year, but the two stayed in touch after forming a very tight bond.
“I really feel like Ike is Ray-Ray’s second dad,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said after seeing the pair interact in training camp. “It’s a real relationship. They truly love each other. If (coach Raheem Morris) puts something up in a meeting to make fun of Ray-Ray, (Hilliard) puts his head down. It’s like it’s his son up there.”
Oh hey, Ray-Ray@RMIII_34 pic.twitter.com/5kcaU6aA8F
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 3, 2024
McCloud and Hilliard bonded despite their roots as rivals. McCloud grew up a Florida State fan in a family of Florida State fans. Hillard was an All-America wide receiver at Florida, once scoring three touchdowns against the Seminoles in the 1997 Sugar Bowl to lead the Gators to a national title.
“It’s always good to have a bond with your coach, but he’s not just a coach, he’s more of a mentor off the field,” McCloud said. “He keeps my head where it needs to be at, my spirit where it needs to be at, makes sure I’m being a good dad at home and just a good man in general. Football can end any given day, but just having somebody who is there for you no matter if you’re playing football or not is a blessing.”
Going to bat for McCloud was easy for Hilliard.
“I actually like him,” the coach said. “That helps a lot.”
McCloud arrived in Atlanta with “a chip on my shoulder,” he acknowledged, eager to prove he was more than a return specialist. So far, both he and Hilliard can afford to feel some vindication.
McCloud is third on the Falcons in receiving yards with 111 and fourth in catches with nine, six of which have resulted in a first down. They aren’t eye-popping numbers, but they put McCloud on pace for career highs in both categories. They’re also higher than expected on a team with Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson. McCloud has more targets than Pitts and Robinson.
“You have different types of flavors of receivers,” Morris said. “You’ve got guys who are big and long and can win contested catches. You’ve got guys who can uncover quickly. Ray-Ray is one of those guys.”
McCloud’s quickness and ability to separate from coverage has made him an inviting target for quarterback Kirk Cousins.
“I like him a lot. I like his movement skills,” Cousins said. “It’s not so easy to separate against man coverage in this league. When you feel like you have a guy who can separate against good man-coverage defenders, you want to hold on to him. Ray-Ray is one of those guys.”
McCloud wears jersey No. 34 in Atlanta as a throwback to his days as a high school running back, another connection he shares with Hilliard. (“We always argue about who was the better running back,” McCloud said.) But that’s far from his most noticeable fashion choice.
The Florida native is the most fashion-forward player in the Falcons’ locker room and maybe in the NFL. He attended Paris Fashion Week in June, and his arrival on game days can look like he’s back on a runway.
“When I was younger, my mom always made sure we looked a certain way,” McCloud said. “My dad was in the music industry, and he always had a look.”
McCloud has several. When Justin Simmons signed with the Falcons in August, it appeared McCloud might have a rival in the fashion section of the locker room. Simmons has a custom suit made for every game, but both players agree he’s no real competition for McCloud.
“I’m just versatile,” McCloud said. “I can go suit, I can go corporate, I can go street suit, I can go streetwear, I can go bummy and clean.”
Ray-Ray McCloud II is a music producer who helped form the record production team J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, worked with labels including Capitol Records and Dogg Pound Records, and he gave his son more than a taste for style.
McCloud III is also the CEO of Legend Tribe Entertainment, an entertainment agency and production company for musical artists and filmmaking. The company is based in Atlanta and has been since before McCloud signed with the Falcons. He works out of a content house in the city where artists record music for records and films.
“That’s what I wanted to do since I was a baby,” McCloud said.
The entertainment industry will be McCloud’s full-time job once football is over, but the 27-year-old doesn’t plan on that being anytime soon. One benefit of what he feels has been underuse throughout his career is that he still has plenty of snaps to give.
“I feel young for real,” he said. “I feel fresh. Every year is a new year, especially when you have a new team.”
(Top photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
