Mark Anderson (American football) facts for kids
.JPG)
Anderson with the Patriots in 2011
|
|||||||||||
| No. 97, 96, 95, 93 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | May 26, 1983 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Booker T. Washington (Tulsa) | ||||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2001–2005) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 5 / Pick: 159 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Mark Jay Anderson (born May 26, 1983) is an American former professional football player. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). The Chicago Bears chose him in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Anderson also played for the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills. He is the uncle of Rodney Anderson, who was a running back for the Oklahoma Sooners and Cincinnati Bengals. In 2022, Mark Anderson was honored by his high school, Booker T. Washington, and added to their Ring of Honor.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Mark Anderson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He went to Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa. There, he was a "letterman" in both football and basketball. A letterman is an athlete who earns a special award, often a letter, for playing well in a school sport.
He played alongside future NFL players Robert Meachem and Felix Jones. In football, he was chosen for the All-Metro team. He was also named a Big 12 Prep pick. Mark graduated from high school in 2001. During his senior year, he made 104 tackles and 9 sacks. He also scored 3 touchdowns, helping his team achieve an 11–2 record. In one game, he had 20 tackles, 3 sacks, and blocked 2 punts.
College Career at Alabama
Anderson attended the University of Alabama. He was a "letterwinner" for four years, from 2002 to 2005. A letterwinner is similar to a letterman, meaning he played well enough to earn recognition. He started 30 of his 50 games, including the last 29 games of his college career.
He finished his college time with 141 tackles. He also had 13.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. This number of tackles for loss ranks him 7th all-time at Alabama. As a senior, he earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. He led Alabama with 7.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss that year.
As a junior, he started every game. He made 41 tackles and helped force 2 fumbles. During his sophomore year, he won an award for being the most improved defensive lineman. He also played in every game as a freshman. He earned another award for being the most improved freshman. Mark Anderson earned a degree in consumer science from Alabama.
Professional Football Journey
Mark Anderson was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was the 159th player picked overall.
Chicago Bears (2006–2010)
Even though he wasn't always a starter, Anderson was very good at rushing the passer. In the 2006 regular season, he made 12 sacks. This set a new rookie record for the Chicago Bears. He was considered for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He finished second in voting to his former Alabama teammate, DeMeco Ryans. He was also named to the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team.
He played in all 16 regular season games in 2006. He had 28 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, and recovered 1 fumble. He also played in all 3 playoff games, getting 1.5 sacks. He and Alex Brown combined for 19 sacks in 2006. This was the most by a Bears defensive end duo since 1993. Anderson had 4 games with multiple sacks in his first 16 regular season games. He even had 0.5 sacks in Super Bowl XLI. The Bears released Anderson on October 5, 2010.
Houston Texans (2010)
On October 6, 2010, Anderson signed with the Houston Texans. This reunited him with his college teammate, DeMeco Ryans.
New England Patriots (2011)
On August 5, 2011, Anderson joined the New England Patriots. He had a great year with the Patriots, recording 10 sacks in the regular season. Anderson also had 1.5 sacks and 5 tackles in Super Bowl XLVI.
Buffalo Bills (2012)
On March 21, 2012, Anderson signed a four-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. In the 2012 season, he had 12 tackles and 1 sack in 5 games. However, he suffered a knee injury on October 7, 2012, which ended his season. The Bills released Anderson on July 23, 2013, after just one season.
After Football: Scouting Career
On July 31, 2015, Mark Anderson was hired by Lovie Smith. Smith was his former coach with the Bears and later the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Anderson joined the Buccaneers' scouting department.
