DAZED MAXX THE MAXED OUT ISSUE ATLANTA Bijan Robinson Atlanta When � th�nk of the word “a�r”, � th�nk of end�ess opportun�ty – on the �e�d, �n ��fe, �n work, for happ�ness. No matter your perspect�ve or what you do, that’s what � th�nk ��fe �s: end�ess opportun�ty. � be��eve �t was God who gave me the ab���ty to p�ay footba��. My mom a�ways te��s me the story of how when � was one year o�d, � he�d a footba�� �n the barber cha�r, and took �t everywhere � went. By the t�me � was four, � was p�ay�ng f�ag footba�� w�th a team ca��ed the W��dcats. She put me on the team �ust for fun, and our co�ors were b�ue and wh�te. On my �rst carry, � remember runn�ng backward to the other end zone and peop�e were tr�pp�n’. They were ��ke, “What are you do�ng?” But my �ove for the sport became unquest�onab�e after that game. My mom and my grandma were ask�ng: “Are you sure you want to do th�s?” Even then, � a�ready knew � d�d. � grew up �n a footba�� househo�d – my grandpa was a Pac-�2 off�c�a�, so �t fe�t ��ke a no-bra�ner. My grandpa was my b�ggest �nsp�rat�on. � �ooked up to h�m and the way he ra�sed us. � d�dn’t have my dad �n my ��fe, so he was my dad. P�ay�ng footba�� was the b�ggest th�ng for h�m, so � started young and �t �ust grew from there. When � �rst stepped onto the �e�d for the At�anta Fa�cons, �t was emot�ona� to see the NFL crowd, the new c�ty and a new energy. The fans were a�ready danc�ng and there was a party happen�ng around the stad�um. Thatmoment went through my sp�ne and the fee��ng was mag�ca�: see�ng ��tt�e ones ��ke you when you started. 2 S O C � A L S H O O T E R : Y V E T T E G L A S C O / P R O D U C E R : L � A V � A L V A / P R O D U C T � O N C O M P A N Y : N E W P H O T O G R A P H Y : A N T H O N Y H � L L � A R D / W A R D R O B E : C H E R Y N M O O R E / H A � R : B R � A N A R O B E R T S � D E A / / M A K E P H O T O A S S � S T A N T : J A M � L H A R R � S U P A R T � S T : C H E L S E A C O T T O N / / W A R D R O B E A S S � S T A N T : S A S C H E L L E K � N G / G R O O M E R / B A R B E R : A L E X T H O M A S / L � G H T � N G P R O D U C T � O N A S S � S T A N T S : T A Y L O R L A W S O N & S A L O U M M E N D Y T E C H : A U S T � N P R E S L E Y / D � G � T E C H : � M M A N U E L P O W E L L /