Atlanta Falcons: Franchise icon’s son commits to nearby Clemson

Many Atlanta Falcons fans recognize the name Jamal Anderson who was a running back with the team from 1994 to 2001. He is a franchise icon that invented the “Dirty Bird” dance during his time with the Dirty Birds.

As they say “like father, like son” as Jamal Anderson Jr. will be playing college football with the hopes of making it to the NFL just like his dad did. Only he will be switching it up by playing linebacker at Clemson.

One of the best Atlanta Falcons ever has a son who will create his own legacy at Clemson

Way back in the 1994 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons were on the clock in the seventh round with the 201st pick. They decided to take a running back from the University of Utah named Jamal Anderson.

Anderson went on to become a first-team All-Pro player and a Pro Bowler in 1998 as he helped guide his team to their first Super Bowl. He was second in the league with 1,846 rushing yards and would have led the NFL if not for Terrell Davis racking up 2,008 rushing yards. That year Anderson rushed for more yards than Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Eddie George, Curtis Martin, Fred Taylor, Jerome Bettis, Warrick Dunn, and others.

His career ended up being cut short a few years later when he tore his ACL. He ended his career with 5,336 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns.

Now, here we are in 2022 when his son—also named Jamal Anderson—has committed to play linebacker at Clemson. He will graduate from Mill Creek High School in the summer and then continue his football career a couple hours from Atlanta.

He is six-foot-four and just over 200 pounds. 24/7 Sports has him as a three-star recruit but he is just one point short of being considered a four-star recruit. He also has a .9192 composite rating, meaning other services are higher on him.

He certainly chose the right school to pursue his career as a linebacker. Clemson has been producing elite prospects at the position recently with the likes of Stephone Anthony and Isaiah Simmons who were both first-round picks and Trenton Simpson who will likely be one in April. Throw Barrett Carter into the mix as well in the near future.

Interestingly enough, he will be joining another former NFL player’s son who is playing linebacker for the Clemson Tigers. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will be a junior next year. His father, Jeremiah Trotter, played for the Eagles, Redskins, and Buccaneers. He went to the Pro Bowl four times—all with Philadelphia.

Also Read: The Atlanta Falcons have one player named to the 2023 Pro Bowl.

Hopefully, the next Jamal Anderson can convince the Atlanta Falcons to draft him throughout his next few years in college. He certainly would be welcomed to the Dirty Birds.