"Darnell Mooney walked over to the iPad in the Atlanta Falcons locker room on a Friday afternoon last month. Zach Bryan's "Something in the Orange" was playing, a rare country music song blaring over the team's sound system. Mooney, a wide receiver, didn't hit shuffle or change the Spotify app to another playlist. He turned the volume up. Cody Johnson's "Diamond in My Pocket" followed at the same decibel level."
"Rap and hip-hop -- with the occasional mix of rhythm and blues -- are the most played genres in the Falcons locker room. Country is more common than rock and roll or pop, but still unusual. Mooney doesn't discriminate when it comes to tunes. His versatility and ability to recognize the emotions of the locker room have earned him the unofficial title of the Falcons' best DJ, according to teammates."
Darnell Mooney functions as the Atlanta Falcons' unofficial DJ, selecting songs and adjusting volume to match locker room moods. He sometimes increases volume rather than shuffling or changing playlists, and he plays country tracks such as Zach Bryan's "Something in the Orange" and Cody Johnson's "Diamond in My Pocket." Rap and hip-hop, with occasional R&B, are the most-played genres in the Falcons locker room, while country appears more often than rock or pop but remains unusual. Mooney's versatility and his ability to read teammates' emotions have earned him a reputation as a primary music selector who either rides or shifts the room's energy.
Read at ESPN.com
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