Mark Anderson (American football) facts for kids
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Anderson with the Patriots in 2011
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | May 26, 1983 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
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| 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 | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Mark Jay Anderson (born May 26, 1983) is a former professional football player. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). Mark was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft.
He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Mark also played for the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills. His nephew, Rodney Anderson, also played football for the Oklahoma Sooners and Cincinnati Bengals. In 2022, Mark was honored by his old high school, Booker T. Washington, and added to their Ring of Honor.
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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 star athlete in both football and basketball. He played alongside future NFL players Robert Meachem and Felix Jones.
In football, Mark was named an All-Metro player. He was also chosen as a Big 12 Prep pick. During his senior year, he made 104 tackles and 9 sacks. He also caught 9 passes and scored 3 touchdowns. This helped his team, the Hornets, achieve an 11–2 record. In one amazing game, he had 20 tackles, 3 sacks, and blocked 2 punts. Mark graduated from high school in 2001.
College Football Career
Mark Anderson attended the University of Alabama. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2002 to 2005. He started 30 of his 50 games, including the last 29 games of his college career.
He finished his college career with 141 tackles and 13.5 sacks. He also had 25 tackles for loss, which ranks 7th all-time at Alabama. As a senior, he was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference. He led Alabama with 7.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss that year. Mark also forced one fumble and blocked a field goal.
As a junior, Mark started every game. He had 41 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He also forced 2 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles. In his sophomore year, he had 47 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He played in every game and started 6 of them. Mark earned the Billy Neighbors Most Improved Defensive Lineman award. He also played in every game during his freshman year. He finished with 13 tackles and 2 sacks. He earned the Ozzie Newsome Most Improved Freshman award. Mark graduated with a degree in consumer science.
Playing in the NFL
Chicago Bears Years
The Chicago Bears picked Mark Anderson in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was the 159th player chosen overall. Even though he wasn't a regular starter, Mark was great at rushing the passer on third downs. In his first year, the 2006 season, he made 12 sacks. This set a new rookie record for the Chicago Bears, beating the old record held by Brian Urlacher.
Mark was also considered for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He finished second in the voting to his former Alabama teammate, DeMeco Ryans. He was named to the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team.
He played in all 16 regular season games. He had 28 tackles, 5 quarterback hits, and 4 forced fumbles. He also recovered one fumble. Mark played in all 3 playoff games, getting 4 tackles and 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. Mark had 0.5 sacks in Super Bowl XLI and recovered a fumble in that game. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month in October 2006. The Bears released Mark on October 5, 2010.
Houston Texans
On October 6, 2010, Mark signed with the Houston Texans. Here, he joined his college teammate, DeMeco Ryans, again.
New England Patriots
Mark signed with the New England Patriots on August 5, 2011. He had a great year with the Patriots, recording 10 sacks during the regular season. In Super Bowl XLVI, Mark had 1.5 sacks and 5 tackles.
Buffalo Bills
On March 21, 2012, Mark 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 against the San Francisco 49ers on October 7, 2012. This injury ended his season. The Bills released Mark on July 23, 2013, after just one season with the team.
After Playing Football
On July 31, 2015, Mark Anderson was hired by Lovie Smith. Smith was his former coach with the Bears. Mark joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a member of their scouting department.
Images for kids
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Anderson with the Patriots in 2011
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Anderson (far left) with teammates in 2008
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Mark Anderson at Training Camp in 2008
