Former Falcons running back Jamal Anderson, the onetime star who did the “Dirty Bird” and led the Falcons to their only Super Bowl, has been arrested for drunk driving.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Anderson was arrested by DeKalb County police on Sunday morning. He was pulled over at 4:30 a.m. for driving so slowly that he was impeding traffic, and officers who concluded that he was drunk took him to Dekalb County Jail. He was released later that day.
In 1998 Anderson had one of the great seasons for a running back in NFL history, carrying 410 times for 1,846 yards as the best player on the team that won the NFC Championship. But he suffered a serious knee injury in Week 2 of the following season and was never the same player again.
Anderson has had multiple off-field problems since his playing career ended. In 2009 he was arrested and charged with cocaine and marijuana possession, although those charges were later dropped. This year a report emerged that he owes the IRS $1.1 million. He also joined one of the many lawsuits against the NFL, saying he expects to have problems in the future from head injuries suffered on the field.