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The history of 'The Dirty Bird': how to do it and where it came from

Since it's been almost 18 years since the Falcons participated in the Super Bowl, we thought it would only make sense for us to refresh our fans, and our new fans, memories on the all too famous 'The Dirty Bird' dance. 

Atlanta Falcons mascot 'Freddie Falcon' runs on to the field prior to the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome on January 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

Since it's been almost 18 years since the Falcons participated in the Super Bowl, we thought it would only make sense for us to refresh our fans, and our new fans, memories on the all too famous 'The Dirty Bird' dance.

For those fans who already know how to do it, great, but for those who may have forgotten or for those new fans who don't know how to do it, we are going to teach you.

18-year-old Devyne Agapito, from Dance 411 Studios in Atlanta, graciously took time out of his busy schedule to join us here at the studio to teach us how to do 'The Dirty Bird' dance.

The dance originated after Jamal Anderson, former NFL running back, would score a touchdown during games.

Anderson would bounce from one foot to the other, his arms are in a right angle and he would pull up and down and then in and out, and it would end with him flapping his arms like a 'Dirty Bird'.

During the 1998-1999 season, the Falcons were literally soaring with a record 14-2 in the regular season, an NFC West title, and an NFC Championship win. They had a lot to dance about.

That was the season when 'The Dirty Bird' was born. Anderson, along with tight end O.J. Santiago, popularized the dance and brought more attention to our Atlanta Falcons.

Fans and even players from other teams were catching on to the trend and doing 'The Dirty Bird' dance after scoring a touchdown.

Anderson played for the Falcons for eight years before it ended after tearing his ACL in 2001.

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