ATLANTA (WANE) – Fort Wayne native and Snider High School graduate Jessie Bates made quite an impression on Falcons fans in his first game with Atlanta – and now the former Highlight Zone standout is bringing home some hardware.

Bates, a safety who signed a 4-year, $64 million contract with Atlanta in the off-season, has been named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for week one of the NFL season.

Bates turned in a masterful performance against the Carolina Panthers, racking up two interceptions, a forced fumble, and 10 tackles in a 24-10 Falcons win.

Bates played the first five years of his NFL career for the Bengals in Cincinnati.

Next up, the Falcons are set to host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.