'Jamal Sharif Anderson' (born
September 30,
1972 in
East Orange,
New Jersey) was a
running back in the
National Football League, with the
Atlanta Falcons. He played eight seasons with the Falcons, amassing 5,336 rushing yards, 156 receptions for 1,645 yards, and 41 touchdowns before he suffered what became a career-ending tear of his
ACL in 2001. His best season came in 1998 when he carried the ball an NFL single-season record 410 times (surpassed by
Larry Johnson in 2006) for 1,846 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was just 162 yards away from league leader and NFL MVP
Terrell Davis for rushing champion. All of his efforts helped lift the 14-2 Falcons to the
Super Bowl before losing to the
Denver Broncos led by
John Elway and league MVP Terrell Davis. He rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons playoff win against the
San Francisco 49ers, and 96 yards in the Super Bowl.
Jamal is currently trying his hand sports broadcasting, skydiving and wine tasting. He played in the NFL Pro Bowl alumni game on
February 10,
2007, during which he scored a touchdown and did his trademark
Dirty Bird celebration.
Jamal was one of the celebrity participants in MTV's
Celebrity Rap Superstar, which premiered August 30, 2007. He ended up being the first contestant cut from the show.
He was well-known for his Dirty Bird touchdown celebration, in which he flapped his arms like
wings and gyrated in the crowd's direction. The dance has been widely copied; in a press conference Anderson stated that “people break out and do the Dirty Bird in the strangest places. Somebody asked me in the bathroom. I said, ‘Whoa, buddy.’â€
[1]
Notes
1. Jamal leaves a lasting image Susie Kamb