Crime & Safety
Ex-NFL Star Jailed For Probation Violation
Jamal Anderson's lawyer suggested concussions play a role in the former Falcon's legal troubles.
Former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson was jailed this week, with his lawyer saying concussions from his playing days may play a role in his repeated legal troubles.
The Gwinnett County Solicitor's office announced Thursday that Anderson, 44, was arrested after failing to show for a probation meeting. He has a court date set for January 6.
The incident came one week after Anderson was banned from a QuikTrip convenience store in Suwanee for allegedly exposing himself. Police said Anderson appeared to be under the influence of alcohol during that incident, but a clerk at the store asked that no charges be filed.
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Anderson's attorney told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that "concussion traumas" may be a factor in his run-ins with the law.
"The concussion trauma syndromes which are the subject of litigation often leaves its victims to suffer depression and to deal with things by self-medicating with alcohol or the like," lawyer Arturo Corso said in an email to the paper. "The NFL has offered to bring Jamal into a therapeutic treatment program to address these matters, and we hope to do so successfully as soon as he's released from jail in Gwinnett County."
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In August, Anderson, who lives in Suwanee, was arrested in Forsyth County for driving with a suspended license.
He was charged with driving on a suspended license and failure to move over for vehicles alongside the road and released on a $1,780.50 bond.
In January, Anderson pleaded guilty to DUI in Gwinnett County, avoiding jail time in a case in which he parked his vehicle on Interstate 85 and dozed off during rush-hour traffic.
Anderson, who popularized the “Dirty Bird” end zone celebration while helping lead the Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, received 12 months probation and was required to avoid drugs and alcohol.
His license was suspended at that time.
Anderson also was arrested for DUI in DeKalb County in 2012, although that charge was later reduced to reckless driving.
Photo by GamerScore Blog, via Wikimedia Commons
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