| No. 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1973-09-21)September 21, 1973 (age 52) Winnsboro, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Fairfield Central(Winnsboro, South Carolina) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NFL draft | 2000: 6th round, 189th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Michael Moschello Anderson (born September 21, 1973) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back for seven seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theUtah Utes and was selected by theDenver Broncos in the sixth round of the2000 NFL draft.[1] He played five seasons with the Broncos, being named theAP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2000. After being waived by the Broncos in 2006, Anderson signed a four-year contract with theBaltimore Ravens; however, he played just two seasons with the Ravens before his contract was terminated in 2008, effectively ending his NFL career.
Prior to his football career, Anderson served four years in theUnited States Marine Corps, enlisting out of high school. He was assigned to theartillery battery of the11th Marine Regiment and deployed overseas toSomalia andKenya on peacekeeping missions. He washonorably discharged from the Marines in 1996 as alance corporal.
Anderson is a graduate ofFairfield Central High School inWinnsboro, South Carolina, where he did not compete in sports.
Anderson spent four years in theUnited States Marine Corps upon completion of high school in order to earn educational benefits and in consideration of a possible military career.[2][3] While in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, he played on the11th Marines contact football team, where he was seen by an assistant coach for Mt. San Jacinto Junior College.[3]
Anderson attended Mt. San Jacinto Junior College for two years. As a freshman, helped his team win the L.A. Bowl with 1,511 rushing yards. He won the California State JUCO Player of the Year after rushing for 1,686 yards as a sophomore. Anderson went on to become a two-time all-conference player at theUniversity of Utah where he was a teammate of formerBaltimore Ravens andCarolina Panthers star wide receiverSteve Smith. Anderson finished his two-year career with the best per-game rushing average in school history (102.4 avg.)
Anderson played five seasons for theDenver Broncos. In his firstseason in 2000, he ended up with 1,487 yards and received the franchise’s firstNFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. He set several franchise records on December 3 atNew Orleans with 37 carries for 251 yards and four touchdowns. He also had games with 187 and 195 yards, the only rookie in NFL history with three 175+ yard games.[4] He was plagued by injuries in the following years, not even playing in 2004, the result of tearing both groin muscles while blocking on a punt return in the waning moments of a preseason game. The2005 NFL season was a return to form. He rushed for 1,014 yards in 15 games. In reaching his second 1,000-yard rushing season, Anderson set several modern-day NFL records (longest stretch between seasons leading a team in rushing, longest stretch between a player's first and second 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and greatest number of seasons passed between 1,000-yard rushing seasons with no intervening seasons rushing for that distance). On March 1, 2006, Anderson was waived by the Broncos to avoid exceeding thesalary cap.
As of 2017[update]'s NFL off-season, Anderson held at least 11 Broncos franchise records, including:
On March 12, 2006, Anderson and the Ravens agreed on a contract. During the 2006 season, he was third string behindJamal Lewis andMusa Smith. He finished 2006 with 39 carries for 143 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as 9 receptions for 54 yards.[5] On February 27, 2008, the Ravens released him, ending his NFL career.
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2000 | DEN | 16 | 12 | 297 | 1,487 | 5.0 | 80 | 15 | 23 | 169 | 7.3 | 18 | 0 |
| 2001 | DEN | 16 | 7 | 175 | 678 | 3.9 | 62 | 4 | 8 | 46 | 5.8 | 16 | 0 |
| 2002 | DEN | 15 | 12 | 84 | 386 | 4.6 | 32 | 2 | 18 | 167 | 9.3 | 52 | 2 |
| 2003 | DEN | 12 | 5 | 70 | 257 | 3.7 | 44 | 3 | 12 | 53 | 4.4 | 18 | 2 |
| 2004 | DEN | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||
| 2005 | DEN | 15 | 15 | 239 | 1,014 | 4.2 | 44 | 12 | 18 | 212 | 11.8 | 66 | 1 |
| 2006 | BAL | 16 | 0 | 39 | 183 | 4.7 | 34 | 1 | 9 | 54 | 6.0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2007 | BAL | 8 | 0 | 15 | 62 | 4.1 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 6.5 | 10 | 0 |
| Career[6] | 98 | 51 | 919 | 4,067 | 4.4 | 80 | 37 | 92 | 727 | 7.9 | 66 | 5 | |
Former Marine and 2000 NFL Rookie of the Year Mike Anderson tells how his experience in the Corps has made him a success on the NFL gridiron.
