DIRTY BIRDS In 1998 the Atlanta Falcons had a season to remember both on and off the field They took the National Football League NFL by storm with a 14 2 record and a crazy end zone dance that their fans loved to mimic The Dirty Bird dance became a popular sight in Atlanta that year Running back Jamal Anderson is said to have invented it Tight end O J Santiago helped popularize it when he started doing it in games too Players flapped their elbows like wings and jumped around after scoring touchdowns They had plenty of chances to dance that year
Jamal Anderson surges into the end zone against the San Francisco 49ers in a January 1999 playoff game
Quarterback Chris Chandler had the best season of his 17 year career Anderson rushed for 1 846 yards Wide receivers Tony Martin and Terance Mathis both topped 1 000 receiving yards And linebacker Jessie Tuggle led a strong defense But despite that great season one team was even better that year The Minnesota Vikings went 15 1 and set an NFL record for points scored They chewed up their opponents all year And they were waiting for the Falcons in Minneapolis To get to the Super Bowl the Falcons would have to beat the Vikings in the noisy Metrodome Atlanta quarterback Chris Chandler had a career year for the Falcons in 1998
FAST FACT Through 2015 Jamal Anderson's 1998 totals of 410 carries and 1 846 yards were still Falcons team records Riode Falcons tight end O J Santiago demonstrates the Dirty Bird
