If you’ve been cheering on Bijan Robinson but tripping up over his name, you aren’t alone. Turns out, just about everyone has been pronouncing the Falcons’ star running back’s first name a little off. For years, “bee-ZHAHN” was the go-to, but Bijan let the football world in on the real pronunciation—“bih-zhawn”—during a sit-down at Falcons training camp.
As you’d expect, fans across social media were stunned, tossing out reactions that ranged from disbelief to clever wordplay. One fan joked, “Bruh who knew,” while another chimed in, “It’s pronounced ‘touch-down.’” Some lightheartedly questioned if we’d been “seasoning it wrong this whole time.” Others doubled down, declaring they’ll stick with their own version—“We sticking with Beejan.” If nothing else, the moment showed just how much Robinson has become part of NFL culture, right down to the specifics of his name.
Through it all, Bijan has taken it in stride. Fans appreciate a player who’s not only dynamic on the field but good-natured when the little things—like his name—get caught up in the whirlwind of NFL fame. More than one fan praised him for going with the flow, and even drew parallels to other NFLers whose names regularly get mispronounced.
Of course, once you get past the phonetics, it’s Bijan’s game that does most of the talking. The Atlanta running back has quickly put his stamp on the league, making that No. 7 Falcons jersey one of the most recognizable around. Last season, Robinson sliced through defenses for 1,456 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, and he added 431 yards as a receiving threat out of the backfield. That kind of production is hard to miss—no matter how you say his name.
Even fellow NFL talent is taking note. In the NFL Top 100 countdown, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley didn’t hold back his admiration. According to Barkley, “There’s nobody who’s able to cut like Bijan in the NFL.” He went on to say, “You can go argue with your mom about that, I’ll be honest. Trust me—I love myself and I think I have great cuts… The way he’s able to—it’s gonna get scary for a lot of people as he continues to figure it out.”
So whether you call him “bih-zhawn,” “bee-ZHAHN,” or just “RB1,” it’s clear Robinson is making a name for himself in more ways than one. The rest of the league might want to brush up on their pronunciations—and their tackling. Because Bijan Robinson is just getting started, and you won’t want to miss a syllable or a step.
