The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is counting down the Top 50 players in Atlanta Falcons history during the franchise’s 50th anniversary season. No. 18 is running back Jamal Anderson.
Years played for Falcons: Selected in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft out of Utah, it took two years before the original Dirty Bird made his mark as a bell-cow back for the Falcons. His 1,846 yards rushing during the 1998 march to the Super Bowl is still a single-season franchise record. That year he was named a Pro Bowl selection and an All-Pro. He played from 1994 to 2001 in Atlanta before a career-ending knee injury ended his playing life as a 29-year-old.
Jersey No.: 32
His impact on the team: Jamal Anderson was the heart and soul of the greatest Falcons team in history. A 14-2 regular season and a Super Bowl XXXIII appearance was large in part thanks to Anderson's downhill running. His 1,846 yards is still a record and his 14 rushing touchdowns also stood for 10-years before Michael Turner broke it with 17 in 2008. Anderson is credited for creating the infamous "Dirty Bird" dance that swept the nation. In a 1998 press conference he exclaimed, "people break out and do the Dirty Bird in the strangest places." He ranks fifth all-time in franchise history with 5,336 yards rushing and third with 34 touchdowns.
On the 1998 Falcons: "One thing that was so special about our football team is that we were genuinely, tremendously close. We were a very close group. And what we accomplished, we'll never forget [it]."
Where he is now: Anderson, now 43, lives in the Atlanta area and has had numerous run-ins with the law. He was arrested in February 2009 on suspicion of cocaine possession, DUI in 2012 and was charged with two more DUIs in a span of 10 months with his latest arrest coming in September.
50: Chuck Smith
49: Michael Haynes
47: John Zook
46: Ken Reaves
45: Lynn Cain
44: Justin Blalock
43: Bobby Butler
42: Tim Mazzetti
41: Buddy Curry
40: Scott Case
39: Jeff Merrow
38: Elbert Shelley
37: Matt Bryant
36: Alge Crumpler
35: Michael Turner
34: Ray Buchanan
33: Chris Hinton
32: Terance Mathis
31: Devin Hester
30: Don Smith
29: Greg Brezina
28: Chris Miller
27: John James
26: Bob Whitfield
25: Rolland Lawrence
24: Alfred Jenkins
23: Billy Johnson
22: Chris Chandler
21: Morten Andersen
20: John Abraham
19: George Kunz
18: Jamal Anderson
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