Ottis Anderson
Encyclopedia
Ottis Jerome "O.J." Anderson (born January 19, 1957) is a former American football
running back
. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
by the Associated Press
(AP) with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP
of Super Bowl XXV
in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants
. He played college football at the University of Miami
.
. He was a football
and track star at Forest Hill High School
in West Palm Beach, Florida
before graduating in 1975. He went on to attend the University of Miami
on a full athletic scholarship
and earned a degree in Physical Education
. During his college career
, Anderson broke Chuck Foreman
’s career rushing records at the University of Miami, becoming the first player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in the school’s history his senior year with 1,266 yards. He was named The Sporting News
and the American Football Coaches First Team All-America
n and received All-American honorable mentions by both AP and UPI
and graduated in 1979 as the team's all-time leading rusher with 3,331 yards.
, the 8th overall pick, by the St. Louis Cardinals
. He had what was probably the greatest first game in NFL history when he rushed for 193 yards. His single season 1,605 rushing yard performance was one of the few bright spots in the Cardinals' 1979 season
, when they finished 5-11. He earned the first of back-to-back Pro Bowl
selections that year.
In his first six seasons, Anderson rushed for over 1,000 yards in five seasons. The lone exception was in the 1982
strike-shortened season, when he rushed for 587 yards in eight games, and was on pace for well over 1,000 yards, if 1982 were a full 16 game season.
The Cardinals made the playoffs in 1982, thanks to an expanded field due to the brevity of the season. It was the franchise's first postseason appearance since 1975
and last until 1998
. Anderson rushed for 58 yards on eight carries against the Green Bay Packers
in the team's lone playoff game.
Injuries drastically decreased the number of games Anderson played each season, and his explosiveness as a tailback. After a year and a half, Stump Mitchell
emerged as the Cards' top running back
, and the expendable Anderson was traded to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1986 season
. He ended up deep in the Giants' depth chart
. By this time in his career, it was clear that he was better used in goal line
or short yardage situations. Anderson would rush for only six yards on seven carries in the 1986 playoffs, but did score a rushing touchdown in the Giants' victory over the Denver Broncos
in Super Bowl XXI
.
In his first two and a half seasons with New York, Anderson did not fumble
once in his 100 offensive touches. In 1989
, Anderson become the top running back for Bill Parcells
' ball control offense and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He scored a career high 14 rushing touchdowns, and rushed for 1,023 yards on 325 carries. He was also the top running back for the Giants the following year, when they won Super Bowl XXV, and was named Super Bowl MVP
for his 102 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. As a testament to the Giants' ball control strategy, their time of possession was double that of the Buffalo Bills
, their opponents, in the first Super Bowl
without a turnover. Anderson is one of only four running backs in NFL history to score rushing touchdowns in two Super Bowls and win Super Bowl MVP (only Franco Harris
and John Riggins
accomplished this feat before Anderson, and only Emmitt Smith
has achieved it since).
Anderson was replaced by Rodney Hampton
in 1991. His last season was 1992. Anderson fumbled just three times in 739 touches as a Giant, from 1987-1992.
When he retired, Anderson ranked seventh in rushing TDs and eighth in rushing yards. At the end of the 2005 season
, Anderson was ranked 14th in career rushing touchdowns and is one of 22 running backs in the history of the NFL to rush for more than 10,000 yards.
Anderson has appeared on several major local and national radio and television shows including: the David Letterman Show and Good Morning America
. He has experience as a broadcast analyst with WFAN
for the New York Giants
, and has co-hosted three radio shows in St. Louis with former Cardinal teammates Theotis Brown
, E.J. Junior and Roy Green
respectively. Ottis was also a frequent guest on The Billy Taylor Show in New York
and contributed to in-season weekly column, "Ask Ottis", in the Giants Insider publication.
As president of Ottis J. Anderson Enterprises and senior partner of TWO FOUR, Anderson is involved in enhancing the excitement of sports fans and enthusiasts through a recently established apparel and premium goods line called "MoodaChainz". He is also involved in several ventures and is involved with writing benefits for municipalities, school boards and privately held businesses in New Jersey.
Anderson has been affiliated with many community organizations such as the United Way of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Multiple Sclerosis Society
, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
, and the Deborah Hospital Foundation
.
Anderson is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP) with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
of Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season. The National Football Conference Champion New York Giants defeated the American Football Conference ...
in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played college football at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
Early life through college
Anderson was born and raised in West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. He was a football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and track star at Forest Hill High School
Forest Hill Community High School
Forest Hill Community High School also known as Forest Hill or The Hill, is a coeducational public high school in West Palm Beach, Florida with an enrollment of more than 1800 students...
in West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
before graduating in 1975. He went on to attend the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
on a full athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
and earned a degree in Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. During his college career
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, Anderson broke Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:...
’s career rushing records at the University of Miami, becoming the first player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in the school’s history his senior year with 1,266 yards. He was named The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
and the American Football Coaches First Team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and received All-American honorable mentions by both AP and UPI
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
and graduated in 1979 as the team's all-time leading rusher with 3,331 yards.
Professional career
Anderson was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...
, the 8th overall pick, by the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He had what was probably the greatest first game in NFL history when he rushed for 193 yards. His single season 1,605 rushing yard performance was one of the few bright spots in the Cardinals' 1979 season
1979 St. Louis Cardinals season
The 1979 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 98th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 88th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 86-76 during the season and finished third in the National League East, 12 games behind the eventual NL pennant and World Series champion Pittsburgh...
, when they finished 5-11. He earned the first of back-to-back Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selections that year.
In his first six seasons, Anderson rushed for over 1,000 yards in five seasons. The lone exception was in the 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
strike-shortened season, when he rushed for 587 yards in eight games, and was on pace for well over 1,000 yards, if 1982 were a full 16 game season.
The Cardinals made the playoffs in 1982, thanks to an expanded field due to the brevity of the season. It was the franchise's first postseason appearance since 1975
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
and last until 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. Anderson rushed for 58 yards on eight carries against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the team's lone playoff game.
Injuries drastically decreased the number of games Anderson played each season, and his explosiveness as a tailback. After a year and a half, Stump Mitchell
Stump Mitchell
Lyvonia Albert "Stump" Mitchell is an American football coach and former running back. He is currently the head coach of the Jaguars of Southern University.-Early years:...
emerged as the Cards' top running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, and the expendable Anderson was traded to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1986 season
1986 New York Giants season
The 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...
. He ended up deep in the Giants' depth chart
National Football League depth chart
An NFL depth chart is a contextually enhanced player roster published by each National Football League franchise.-Format:The first column of players listed are part of the starting lineup. Each week in the NFL head coaches are required to submit a list of the players who will start the game in...
. By this time in his career, it was clear that he was better used in goal line
Goal line
The goal line is the chalked or painted line dividing the end zone from the field of play in American football and Canadian football. It is the line that must be crossed in order to score a touchdown...
or short yardage situations. Anderson would rush for only six yards on seven carries in the 1986 playoffs, but did score a rushing touchdown in the Giants' victory over the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season. The National Football Conference champion New York Giants won their first Super Bowl by defeating...
.
In his first two and a half seasons with New York, Anderson did not fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
once in his 100 offensive touches. In 1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
, Anderson become the top running back for Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
' ball control offense and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He scored a career high 14 rushing touchdowns, and rushed for 1,023 yards on 325 carries. He was also the top running back for the Giants the following year, when they won Super Bowl XXV, and was named Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
for his 102 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. As a testament to the Giants' ball control strategy, their time of possession was double that of the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, their opponents, in the first Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
without a turnover. Anderson is one of only four running backs in NFL history to score rushing touchdowns in two Super Bowls and win Super Bowl MVP (only Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
and John Riggins
John Riggins
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "The Diesel", is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992....
accomplished this feat before Anderson, and only Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
has achieved it since).
Anderson was replaced by Rodney Hampton
Rodney Hampton
Rodney Craig Hampton born April 3, 1969 in Houston, Texas, is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 215 lbs. running back from the University of Georgia by way of Kashmere High School in...
in 1991. His last season was 1992. Anderson fumbled just three times in 739 touches as a Giant, from 1987-1992.
When he retired, Anderson ranked seventh in rushing TDs and eighth in rushing yards. At the end of the 2005 season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Anderson was ranked 14th in career rushing touchdowns and is one of 22 running backs in the history of the NFL to rush for more than 10,000 yards.
Life after football
The end of Anderson’s 14-year football career in 1993 marked the beginning of his career in entrepreneurship and motivational speaking.Anderson has appeared on several major local and national radio and television shows including: the David Letterman Show and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. He has experience as a broadcast analyst with WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and has co-hosted three radio shows in St. Louis with former Cardinal teammates Theotis Brown
Theotis Brown
Theotis Brown II is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League. He played for six seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Kansas City Chiefs....
, E.J. Junior and Roy Green
Roy Green
Roy Calvin Green is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Phoenix Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles ....
respectively. Ottis was also a frequent guest on The Billy Taylor Show in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and contributed to in-season weekly column, "Ask Ottis", in the Giants Insider publication.
As president of Ottis J. Anderson Enterprises and senior partner of TWO FOUR, Anderson is involved in enhancing the excitement of sports fans and enthusiasts through a recently established apparel and premium goods line called "MoodaChainz". He is also involved in several ventures and is involved with writing benefits for municipalities, school boards and privately held businesses in New Jersey.
Anderson has been affiliated with many community organizations such as the United Way of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a United States-based non-profit organization, and its network of chapters nationwide promote research, educate, advocate on issues relating to multiple sclerosis, and organize a wide range of programs, including support for the newly diagnosed and those...
, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, an...
, and the Deborah Hospital Foundation
Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Located in Browns Mills, New Jersey, Deborah Heart and Lung Center is the only hospital in the region that focuses exclusively on cardiac, vascular, and lung disease using state-of-the-art technology and care...
.
Anderson is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
See also
- 1986 New York Giants season1986 New York Giants seasonThe 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...
- 1990 New York Giants season1990 New York Giants seasonThe 1990 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their sixth championship—and second Super Bowl—in franchise history...
- History of the New York Giants (1979-1993)