Sports Editor

When Morten Anderson's field goal split the uprights in the

Atlanta Falcon's NFC Championship game against the

Minnesota Vikings, one era came to an end and a new one began. For

Keith Brooking, the former East Coweta Indian and Georgia

Tech Yellow Jacket, it was just another blessing in an incredible year.

"So many thoughts were going through my mind at that

moment," Brooking said. "To be drafted by my hometown

team and to make the Super Bowl in my rookie year is just

incredible. I feel like I'm going to wake up and it will have been a dream."

Most of the state shares Brooking's feeling that this

situation feels like a dream. The Falcons know the reality of the

situation though as well. One more win and a championship

is their's." The turning point for this team was the game against

the Jets. That was the last time we lost," Brooking said. " We

realized that they were a top team and a contender and we knew what

we had to do to get to the next level."

What the Falcons had to do was continue to prepare to the best

of their ability and follow the true leader of the team, Coach

Dan Reeves.Coach Reeves has been to the Super Bowl three times.

He has put together a Falcon team balanced with young talent

and veteran leadership. That team has been united behind their

coach and the belief in their talents this season. They've made

believers out of millions of other people as well. Even Keith

Brooking. "When I was growing up, I would watch the Falcons but they

never won anything. Now we can be world champions. I really like

our chances of staying focused."

Keith Brooking plays linebacker for the Falcons. He

backs up Cornelius Bennett, a six time Pro Bowler, and Jessie

Tuggle. Bennett is having another Pro Bowl year this year and that

motivates Keith. "I get more reps now because we play more in

the nickel package (a pass defense). The more I play, the more I get

in a groove. Being a good linebacker means you are getting

quick reads." Keith must be getting quicker reads, in the

Falcon's game against the Vikings, Brooking recorded a season high

eight tackles.

The defense is not full of superstars. It is eleven guys in

a good stance playing soundly. They each know their roles

and they consistently help each other get better. They have one goal

and that's a Super Bowl victory. According to Keith, the

Falcons have not instituted their game plan yet but he has a feeling

he knows the most important part of the game on Sunday, "Stop

Terrell Davis." Brooking was a freshman at Georgia Tech during

Terrell's last year at Georgia. They got a few brief looks at each other but

Georgia didn't fully realize the talent they had in Davis. On

Sunday, they should run into each other at least once or twice.

" I feel incredibly fortunate," Brooking said. "Most people

that play in the NFL never get the opportunity to play in the

Super Bowl and here I am in my first year." It is fitting that in a

dream like season for the Falcons, a local boy's dream of playing in

the Super Bowl came true. Brooking peppered our conversation

with words like "juked", "unbelievable" and "having a blast". That

about sums it up for Falcon fans, too.

Go you Dirty Birds!

<!--##############