Bijan Robinson follows Michael Vick after being drafted by Atlanta Falcons

03 May 2023 , 13:44

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Bijan Robinson was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the draft last Thursday (Image: AP)

Atlanta Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson will wear No.7 in the NFL to follow in the footsteps of iconic and controversial quarterback Michael Vick.

Robinson was selected by the Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The running back enjoyed a dominant spell at Texas and was highly regarded heading into last week’s draft.

Robinson wore No.5 at Texas, but that number is already assigned in Atlanta to receiver Drake London. As a result, Robinson has taken No.7, which was previously worn by kicker Younghoe Koo. Koo will switch to a new number, although all single digits on the Falcons are taken.

The No.7 shirt is famous in Atlanta after it was donned by Vick. In six seasons with the franchise, Vick was named to three Pro Bowls while he led the NFL in yards per carry on four occasions en route to becoming the first quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season.

However, Vick went from hero to zero when the franchise star admitted to dogfighting charges in 2007. The 42-year-old was suspended and ultimately went to prison as he missed both the 2007 and 2008 campaigns before resurrecting his career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Vick is the all-time leader for rushing yards by a quarterback with 6,109, averaging a remarkable 7.0 yards per carry. Robinson would certainly like to imitate such production, especially in Arthur Smith’s rushing offence in Atlanta.

Bijan Robinson was heralded as one of the best players available in the 2023 NFL Draft (AP)

The 21-year-old is set to be the centrepiece in the Falcons rushing attack that starred in 2022 on the shoulders of Tyler Allgeier. Robinson had the fourth-most rush yards (3,410) in Texas program history, behind only Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, and the legendary Earl Campbell.

Robinson tallied 258 carries for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns (6.1 yards per carry) last season, while averaging 16.5 yards per catch (19 catches). After he was drafted by the Falcons, he said: “I just want to be a piece in that offence, man, and do as much as I can no matter where they line me up at. I’m just trying to help the offence. Obviously, help the whole team. You know, make us the team that we are.

“I know that the rushing attack is really, really good, with a really good running back already. Man, I just want to go in there and learn from him and be a good teammate, and hopefully we can make something special happen out of it.”

Andrew Gamble