By MICHAEL BOYLAN

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!

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