Ex-Falcon Jamal Anderson pleads guilty to DUI but avoids prison

A popular former Atlanta Falcons running back was sentenced to 12 months on probation after pleading guilty to DUI charges Tuesday in Gwinnett County.

Jamal Sharif Anderson, 43, won’t have to serve jail time, but he had to surrender his driver’s license, must avoid alcohol and complete 40 hours of community service as part of his sentence. As part of a plea deal, Anderson pleaded guilty to a DUI charge in Gwinnett County, though charges are pending in a separate case in Hall County.

Anderson wasn’t drunk, but was instead jet-lagged and fell asleep behind the wheel in November 2014 when he was arrested on I-85, his attorney told the court Tuesday. Anderson told Channel 2 Action News he has already made positive changes in his life.

“I’m just happy to be moving on with my life,” Anderson said outside of the courtroom. “That was the whole point for me, to accept responsibility for my actions and move on.”

Drafted by the Falcons in 1994, Anderson played eight seasons wearing No. 32 before a knee injury ended his career. It may be his “Dirty Bird” dance, however, that fans remember the most.

Since his playing days ended, Anderson has mostly made headlines for drunken driving arrests.

When he was arrested in Hall County in September, it was the second DUI charge for Anderson in 10 months, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Three days after his September arrest, Anderson was in a Gwinnett courtroom for an arraignment in his prior case.

In November 2014, Anderson was passed out behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade in the travel lanes on I-85 when an off-duty police officer asked him to move onto the shoulder, according to a report released by the Georgia State Patrol.

Anderson previously faced a drunken driving charge after being arrested by DeKalb police in June 2012. In December of that year, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay a $700 fine. He was also ordered to perform 64 hours of community service, complete a defensive driving program and attend a drunken driving impact panel.

In February 2009, Anderson was charged with cocaine and marijuana possession after an off-duty officer said he saw the athlete using drugs at a Buckhead bar. The charges were later dismissed, according to Anderson’s previous attorney.