Atlanta Falcons fan Da Falconator Goes Viral

Since Vinny Dorsey, aka Da Falconator, made the 2023 7th Round NFL Draft announcement for the Atlanta Falcons, he's been in a media whirlwind. A quick-witted reply to a "28-3" heckler is a moment that will forever live in Falcons' fan history.

Dorsey was unexpectedly asked by the Falcons to make the 7th Round announcement. He was happy to oblige as making a selection for the Falcons is something he has always wanted to do. He didn't have anything grandiose planned. All he wanted to do was make the announcement, raise his belt overhead, then give a quick "Rise up" and "ATL Yo" at the end before exiting the stage.

A random heckler changed all of that. Unbeknownst to the viewing audience, Dorsey was on the receiving end of a common reference to Super Bowl LI. It was only when Dorsey retorted, "28-3. Good one. We've heard that before,” did the viewers know that something was amiss. The response was actually in three parts: a point to the section where the remark came from, Dorsey's reply, then a triumphant walk-off from the stage. His expressions were priceless. They were the perfect mix of sarcasm and clap back.

Dorsey's outfit deserves mention as well. Decked from head to toe in a red blazer and pants that had the Falcons' logo repeated throughout, he also held a wrestling belt over his left shoulder that has ATL Da Falconator on it as well as the Falcons' logo.

With a nickname like Da Falconator, we had to know its origin story. Dorsey said it was born in 2017 as a member of the now-defunct fan group named the ATL Cast. His favorite movie is Gladiator, so he meshed Falcons and Gladiator together to come up with this unique portmanteau.

What about the wrestling belt? Dorsey explained that the belt is a tribute to the World Championship Wrestling title when the New World Order spray painted NWO on it during its takeover. He replaced the NWO with ATL.

Dorsey takes the belt with him when he travels to road games. He even got NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, to take a picture with it at this year's Draft. His belt has also been pictured with Falcons' cornerback, A. J. Terrell, and last year's first-round draft pick, Falcons' wide receiver, Drake London.

Since his moment on stage at the NFL Draft, Dorsey has been featured on Good Morning Football, 92.9 The Steakhouse, 11 Alive News, and the Rich Eisen Show. He's been the featured guest on podcasts such as One Time For the Fan and 95 North Sports Machine. The Falcons also posted his retort on their social media with the simple, but effective caption, "Icon."

It should be noted that after his clap back, Dorsey initially thought he was in trouble with the Falcons. The NFL Draft is one of the NFL's marquee events. The fans selected to make Draft announcements are expected to represent their team in a manner befitting of the moment. Dorsey did just that. His response was authentic, and he spoke on behalf of every Falcons fan worldwide.

Dorsey is a season ticket holder and sits in the Falcons' super fan section called the Dirty Birds Nest. He lives in North Carolina, so he makes the trip to Atlanta for each home game. Now that he has made an NFL Draft announcement for the Falcons, his next milestone is being named Falcons Fan of the Year. If Falcons fans have any say, he already has this won.