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Falcons' Devin Hester: Having Keith Armstrong back is 'very important'

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong will be returning to the team for an eighth season, and return specialist Devin Hester couldn't be happier.

"It's very important," Hester told ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss in a report by Vaughn McClure. "I think we finished like No. 2 overall in special teams. At one point, we were No. 1. And that speaks for itself. Coach Keith, he's the type of coach that knows how to get guys rallied up and to not get complacent. 

"Guys on special teams, when they have one good game, they tend to relax. But he's the type of coach who is going to keep you going. At the end of the day, he's a players' coach. When things are not going right, he'll come to a veteran player and say, 'Give me your opinion on what we should do.' That speaks volumes. I'm just happy they brought him back. I was hoping they would bring him back." 

Armstrong worked with Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in Miami, which should make the transition easier if Quinn lands the Falcons' head-coaching job. Atlanta is also reportedly retaining defensive line coach Bryan Cox, who served as Quinn's assistant with the New York Jets from 2007-08.

Asked what would have happened if Armstrong had left, Hester replied, "I think we would have lost the fun, the desire and the emphasis of keeping guys on their toes.

"There is no relaxing in that special-teams room," Hester continued. "If you don't take notes, you're going to get chewed out. He's going to quiz you. He's going to ask you a question out of the blue. And if you mess up, he doesn't care who you are. Me being a veteran guy and all the records that I have and making the Pro Bowl, if I mess up, he's going to get on me just as bad as he's going to get on the rookie. He's just straightforward to everybody."

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