Zachariah Branch shared on May 4 that he is still waiting for a $20 payout from a childhood football bet.
Branch, recently drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 79 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, spoke to Atlanta media about an early memory that has stayed with him. As a young athlete growing up in Las Vegas, Branch recalled his competitiveness and unique playing style from as early as five years old. “I just saw a video. I think they posted it the other day. I was running back. I got the ball. And I cut back like three times in flag. And my jersey is all flappy. But I knew I always moved different,” Branch said. “But now looking back at it, nah, that was crazy. I move exactly the same as I move right now.”
Branch described how he often scored multiple touchdowns per game during his youth football days and recounted an incident when a rival team member challenged him to score six touchdowns in exchange for $20: “I bet you don’t score six touchdowns verses us, though,” Branch remembers the lineman saying.
Branch accepted: “I was like, all right, bet,” Branch said. “Watch.” He delivered on his end of the deal by scoring six touchdowns but never received his promised reward: “He never gave it to me,” Branch said to a sea of Atlanta media moments after he was drafted by the Falcons with the No. 79 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Despite repeated reminders over subsequent years whenever their paths crossed—”Yo,” Branch would say in passing, “where’s my $20 at?”—the payment never came through: “I still never got it,” Branch concluded. “But it’s all good, man.” The story highlights what those around him have seen throughout his career—a quiet confidence and consistent performance on and off the field.
The Atlanta Falcons are based in Atlanta, Georgia; they compete in the National Football League’s NFC South division and began as an expansion team in 1965 according to their official website. The franchise has advanced to two Super Bowls—in 1998 and again in 2016—and features Freddie the Falcon as its mascot according to their official website.
As Zachariah Branch begins his professional career with Atlanta, stories from his past continue to shape both his perspective and approach toward new challenges.