There will be a noticeable difference for Roddy White when he runs out the Georgia Dome tunnel Friday night.
True, White and the Atlanta Falcons have a new coach guiding them in Dan Quinn. And White has new receivers alongside him in Leonard Hankerson and rookie Justin Hardy. But as much as it's time to start a new chapter, White knows the feeling will be different without No. 83 in the huddle.
Yes, Harry Douglas will be missed.
"I love him like a brother," White said. "It's bigger than football. He was great for the organization. He did a lot of great things for us. And I'm going to especially miss him in pregame. He was our energy."
Douglas, a third-round draft pick of the Falcons in 2008 and an Atlanta-area native, will walk into familiar territory for the first time as the opponent. The veteran receiver is now with the Tennessee Titans after the Falcons released him this offseason.
Douglas has fond memories of dancing in the middle of the pregame circle and hyping up his teammates. He'll try to treat Friday like another game, although he knows such will be a tall task based on the relationships he established through seven seasons.
"The toughest part, really, is not being able to be around Roddy and Julio (Jones) and my receivers coach, Terry Robiskie," Douglas said of joining a new team. "We did everything together, off the field. Roddy and I hung out a lot (this offseason). The guys came to a dinner before I left town. We went bowling together: me, Roddy, Julio , Matt (Ryan), (Leonard) Hankerson, (Eric) Weems, Antone (Smith).
"Even though we're on different teams, we're still truly brothers from another mother. Our families talk to each other all the time. It's truly a brotherhood. I asked Roddy for some tickets and he said, 'I got you.'"
Douglas' release came as a surprise to many in the Falcons' locker room. He posted 1,067 yards receiving in 2013, the same year Jones went down with a season-ending foot fracture. A lingering left foot injury hampered Douglas' play last season. Then when the Falcons changed coaching staffs with Kyle Shanahan coming in as the offensive coordinator, Douglas became a casualty. The team saved $3.5 million against the cap by cutting him.
"I understand this is a business," Douglas said. "I don't let a business get in the way of emotions. Was I upset? Of course. You're naturally going to be upset. But I had no harsh feelings toward anyone in the organization. I did know they had to do what they had to do. And on my end, I had to do what I had to do.
"It's one of those things where you try to stay in good standing. I had a great seven years there. But it was time for both of us to move on."
Jones said it was difficult to see Douglas go.
"We're still family," Jones said. "It's a business. I know he's going to do great things over there. And I know he's going to be pulling for us. ... No doubt it hurt, because he's like a brother to us. We did a lot of things together. We still hang out and kick it."
It's hard to imagine Friday being just any other game for Douglas, even if he tries to treat it as such.
"It's football," Douglas said. "Whether I'm an opponent or whether I'm in the Dome as the home team, it doesn't matter to me. It's another football game for Harry."