Questions For Atlanta Falcons DE Jamaal Anderson

2007 draft pick Jamaal Anderson has had a rather difficult time transitioning into the NFL.  In his first two full seasons, he has battled through injuries and lost some playing time, leading him to produce a borderline pathetic two total sacks.  Anderson has been a rather polarizing figure in the city of Atlanta.  He has had his fair share of supporters, but as he struggles to fully live up to his lofty top ten draft pick status, those supporters can and have quickly turned into critics.

Despite all the pressure and despair from fans, Anderson must move on and forget his past failures if he hopes to make it in this league.  His story is a very interesting one, with an ending still left for him to decide.  If I could personally interview any players on the Falcons’ roster for the upcoming season, I would choose his story because it is one that almost everyone could relate to. 

Failure to live up to life’s expectations is a tough concept to deal with for any individual.  Those with the mental makeup to persevere and keeping pushing forward are the ones that get things done in the end.  Interviewing Anderson could give readers the chance to see where he is mentally, as well as get a chance to get insider perspective on the type of individual he really is. 

If given the opportunity to sit down and interview Jamaal Anderson, I would use some of the following questions:

What are your biggest goals heading into this new season?

How did it feel for you to finally get that monkey off your back when you brought down Kyle Orton for that elusive first sack?

What where the biggest challenges to you in your transition to the NFL?

If you could sack one quarterback in the NFL, past or present, who would it be?

What advice would you give to this year’s group of high draft picks?

What kinds of things have you been working on individually this off-season to become a better player?

Who are some guys around the league that you look up to?

You played a little basketball in high school, how do you think LeBron James would actually fair in the NFL?

Who are the funniest players on the team?

After your days in the league are over, what is the one thing you hope to be most proud of?

What are your thoughts on Michael Vick’s situation, and do you think he will ever again play quarterback in this league at the level we are accustomed to?

What are some of the things you like to do when you are not playing football?

What were your thoughts when Bobby Petrino left the team in 2007, and also how did you feel about him replacing your former coach Huston Nutt as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks?

What are your early thoughts on this defense’s prospects for the coming season, and how are some of the younger players looking so far?

What would you tell to your doubters about this season going forward?