They don’t make many running backs like T.J. Duckett anymore.
Duckett, who was a fan favorite with the Atlanta Falcons for his bruising running style, has long since moved on from his NFL career.
But this week, he has gained some newfound attention. He’s going a bit viral on social media, and for good reason — he’s awesome.
T.J. Duckett Viral Post
There’s a social media account called “That Guy Rocked NFL.”
The premise is to post a player and then write, “That guy rocked.”
For Duckett, it’s very true.
A highlight video of Duckett was shared by the account on Thursday of Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season, and it’s approaching 100,000 views by Saturday:
TJ Duckett
That guy rocked. pic.twitter.com/VEUpQG4t1G
— That Guy Rocked NFL (@NFLRocked) September 17, 2026
One reply wrote, “That, he did. Those Michael Vick years were fun with Duckett and (Warrick) Dunn in the backfield.”
Another sounded a bit salty: “Fantasy touchdown vulture.”
A third with some admiration: “TJ Duckett was untackleable in NFL Street.”
And this one: “Falcons may have the greatest collection of niche RBs who were so much better than anybody remembers.”
Who is T.J. Duckett?
Duckett was an NFL running back who was listed at 6-feet tall and 254 pounds.
He went to Michigan State, where he was a star before the Falcons made him the No. 18 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Duckett then spent his first four NFL seasons with the Falcons.
As a rookie, he ran for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
The next year, Duckett had a career-high 779 rushing yards to go with 11 touchdowns.
In his third season, the bruising back ran for 509 yards and eight scores. It was then another 380 yards and eight more TDs in his final Falcons season.
Duckett then went to Washington for a year and ran for 132 yards and two TDs.
In 2007, he joined the Detroit Lions for 335 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
His final NFL season was 2008 with the Seattle Seahawks, and he had 172 yards and eight scores.
Duckett concluded his career having played in 93 games. He ran 717 times for 2,814 yards and 44 touchdowns.
He’s now 45 years old and has written a book called: “The Student-Athlete Blueprint – The Ultimate Guide to Excellence in School and Sports.”
— T.J. Duckett (@ToddJDuckett) September 8, 2026
They don’t really make NFL running backs like Duckett anymore. Derrick Henry is huge but can also run quite quickly. Back in the day, guys like Duckett weren’t about speed but just raw power.
Especially in a Falcons offense with the super speedy Vick and Dunn, Duckett was a totally different vibe, and it made life tough on defenses.
Social media isn’t all good, but it’s cool that this week it gave Atlanta fans a chance to recall the fun moments Duckett provided in a Falcons uniform.
Falcons’ Fan Favorite Recalled in Viral Social Media Post