A.J. Terrell Jr.
ATLANTA FALCONS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Cornerback | Clemson University | 6 |
Excellence on the Field
Terrell has allowed just 11 receptions and zero touchdowns through the first six games of the season, recording four passes defensed along with 26 tackles (18 solo). Terrell has forced a tight window percentage on 33.3% of targets, according to Next Gen Stats. Opposing quarterbacks have just a 61.1% completion percentage when targeting Terrell this season. He is a key part of a secondary that led the NFL in passing defense through Week 9, allowing just 156.1 passing yards per game. Since entering the league in 2020, Terrell has started all 84 games he's appeared in and tallied 339 tackles (251 solo), 53 passes defensed, six interceptions, 13 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two quarterback hits, one sack and one fumble recovery. He became the first rookie cornerback to record an interception and three forced fumbles in franchise history in 2020 and was named second-team AP All-Pro in 2021.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts This Year
The A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation has experienced colossal success over the last few years, and there is no plan to slow the momentum. The A.J. Terrell Jr. Academy and Crownucopia will exceed previous years' numbers in the coming months, as well as grow additional youth-based programs. With staggering numbers in year one of the A.J. Terrell Jr. Academy, it will expand from two schools to three and broaden the impact to close to 1,000 student-athletes.
In addition to providing women and children at Atlanta Mission: My Sister's House with care packages over the holidays, Terrell has also committed to providing a holiday meal and giveaways to the men at the neighboring shelter, Atlanta Mission: Shepherd's Inn. This year, Crownucopia will serve up to 245 residents from My Sister's House with separate, age-appropriate care packages and bulk donations for men's products. There will also be hair styling, barber services, and natural hair care education.
In November of 2024, Terrell received the Week 12 Community MVP from the NFLPA for his Crownucopia event. The A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation also hosted "Roller Ball" this fall, a celebrity skating experience to raise funds for the A.J. Terrell Jr. Academy, helping to double the reach to more than 800 students by 2026. This summer, the A.J. Terrell Foundation supported youth through the CAMP HBCYouth's field days, investing over $50,000 in growing this partnership to provide extracurricular activities in the summer to those who couldn't afford it otherwise. In July 2025, Terrell sponsored and participated in a field day with CAMP HBCYouth at Morehouse College. This event included a football camp, leadership development, and other activities for pre-K through 5th-grade students. Terrell Jr. also continues to participate in My Cause My Cleats, bringing awareness to the A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation and its efforts to provide youth in Atlanta with opportunities for success. Terrell remains active in the community through team-wide efforts as well, participating in many Tuesday volunteer events throughout the community, and signature Atlanta Falcons events such as 404 Day and Hometown Huddle.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past
As a first-round draft pick for his hometown team, Terrell has made giving back to his community a defining part of his NFL career. A.J. has taken full advantage of being back in Atlanta, and since the day he arrived, he has shown commitment to his community. In his first two seasons with the team, A.J. didn't let COVID parameters stop him from becoming involved; he participated in multiple zoom calls and video visits with high school football teams, children's hospitals, and cancer patients. As he continued to give back through many team events, Terrell felt compelled to engage with the community in his own way. And with that, the A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation was created. The A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation is committed to advancing Atlanta's future by investing in its greatest asset, its youth. Through the values of systemic awareness, sustainable change, creative collaboration, and empathic leadership, Terrell's foundation has quickly made an incredible impact. With its signature programming and events, the A.J. Terrell Jr. Academy and Crownucopia have made an imprint on the future of young athletes, as well as women and children in the Atlanta area experiencing homelessness. The A.J. Terrell Jr. Academy is a school-based leadership and academic coaching program that serves high school student-athletes in under-resourced communities. Trained Academic Athletic Coaches are placed directly into schools to work one-on-one with students on academic progress, time management, college planning, and life skills. The approach is rooted in three core pillars: academic support: personalized guidance to maintain eligibility and improve GPA, leadership development, life skills training, mentorship, and identity-building, and post-secondary planning: exposure to college, career, and community opportunities. Since launching in 2023, the Academy has supported over 600 student-athletes across two high schools, enabled 90% of participants to maintain academic eligibility, helped students achieve an average 25% GPA improvement over baseline, delivered over 400 hours of academic coaching, mentorship, and workshops, hosted leadership sessions with professional athletes, coaches, and educators, and connected students with college tours, NIL readiness tools, and financial literacy education. In 2024, Crownucopia served over 200 women and children living at My Sister's House. Customized care packages were distributed with premium hair care, skin care, and personal care items tailored to natural hair textures and diverse skin needs. The event featured a Bagging Day with community volunteers as well as a Giving Day where memorable moments were shared with the women and children.
Positive Character & a Lifestyle of Giving Back
Upon Terrell's arrival from the draft, the Atlanta Falcons knew they had someone special on and off the field. He was quick to participate in team community events and put in time and effort to start his own foundation. It takes courage, resilience, and true passion to take time to identify exactly how you want to make an impact. Terrell entered the NFL with an abundance of ideas on how to make a difference in his hometown and as he flourished as a young man and player, he was able to identify areas he could, and should, impact the most. Since his foundation's inception, he has personally contributed over $1M towards its programs and events. He continues to show up as a leader on the team through his own community work, Atlanta Falcons community events and realizing the importance and impact he can make with his platform as an NFL player. "This is an honor and a responsibility of mine, to give back in any way that I can. It's something I take pride in and something that has always been in my heart, to give back to the places all around that shaped me", said Terrell. He has been recognized for his efforts off the field by the Atlanta Falcons, his alma-mater Westlake High School, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and has even had October 3 declared as A.J. Terrell Jr. Day.
