Falcons Legend Jamal Anderson's Son Announces College Commitment

Jamal Anderson, a four-star recruit, is headed to a recent national champion.

Former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson is a man of many titles: the original Dirty Bird, Pro Bowler, All-Pro, third-place MVP finisher in 1998, and perhaps most important at this stage, father. His son, Jamal Anderson II, is a four-star recruit who just made his college decision.

Following in the footsteps of a famous parent is far from the easiest path, but Anderson is well on his way to doing just that with Monday's announcement that he'll be joining the three-time national champion Clemson Tigers.

Anderson, who measures in at 6-4, 202-pounds, plays outside linebacker for Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia. He chose Clemson over Utah, Michigan State, and USC. 

His reasoning for the decision was straightforward.

“First and foremost, it was the relationship I have with the coaches and how they truly make it feel like home,” Anderson told 247sports' Steve Wiltfong. “Coach Swinney is a great head coach and an even greater person. Coach [Wes] Goodwin along with other coaches on the staff have shown to have great development.

“We all like to win and that’s exactly what Clemson does year after year, and I’m excited to be a part of the culture,” Anderson said. “This class we are about to sign is going to be great and I’m confident we can win a national championship.”

His father played two seasons at Utah before being selected by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. While the eldest Anderson's career started a bit slow, he posted four consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, excluding 1999, in which he only played in two games due to a knee injury.

Anderson's best performance in Atlanta came in 1998, when he led the Falcons to their first Super Bowl appearance. While Anderson led the NFL in touches, he capitalized on the touches, running for over 1,800 yards and fourteen touchdowns.

While the youngest Anderson's high school journey has still yet to end, he's clearly on the right path to reaching the top level of the sport. If he does, nothing would be more storybook than joining his father's team.