Will Anderson Jr. facts for kids
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Anderson Jr. at the 2023 NFL Combine
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| No. 51 – Houston Texans | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | September 2, 2001 Hampton, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 243 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Dutchtown (Hampton) | ||||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2020–2022) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2023 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
William Anderson Jr. (born September 2, 2001) is an American professional football player. He plays as a defensive end for the Houston Texans in the National Football League (NFL).
Before joining the NFL, Will played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He won many awards there, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy twice. He also helped Alabama win the national championship in 2020.
The Houston Texans picked Will Anderson Jr. third overall in the 2023 NFL draft. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Will Anderson Jr. was born on September 2, 2001, in Hampton, Georgia. He went to Dutchtown High School. In his senior year (2019), he made 22 quarterback sacks. He also had 15 tackles for loss.
He was chosen for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Super 11" team. Will also played in the 2020 All-American Bowl. After high school, he decided to play college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
College Career Highlights
Will Anderson Jr. became a starter at outside linebacker as a freshman in 2020. He was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC). He finished that season with seven quarterback sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. The Crimson Tide won the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship that year.
In 2021, as a sophomore, Will won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He was voted a unanimous All-American. That season, he led the nation with 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. He even finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, which is a huge award for college players.
On November 17, 2022, Will made an amazing play against Louisiana-Monroe. He intercepted a pass and ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown. In the 2022 season, he had 51 total tackles and ten sacks. His ten sacks were the most in the SEC for that year. He won several more awards, including the Bronko Nagurski Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lott Impact Trophy, and the Lombardi Award. He was again named a consensus All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
College Statistics
Here are Will Anderson Jr.'s college football statistics:
| Season | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF | ||
| 2020 | 13 | 33 | 18 | 52 | 10.5 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 15 | 58 | 45 | 101 | 31 | 17.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 | 24 | 27 | 51 | 17 | 10.0 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 41 | 115 | 90 | 204 | 58.5 | 34.5 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Professional NFL Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) |
253 lb (115 kg) |
33+7⁄8 in (0.86 m) |
9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) |
4.60 s | 1.61 s | 2.64 s | ||||||
| All values from the NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
The Houston Texans chose Will Anderson Jr. as the third overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. They made a trade to move up and get him. On June 23, 2023, Will signed a four-year contract with the Texans.
In his very first NFL game against the Ravens, Will recorded one sack and six tackles. In Week 13, he had his first game with two sacks against the Broncos. As a rookie, he started in 13 games and played in 15. He finished his first season with seven sacks and 45 total tackles. He was named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team. He also won the award for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Will Anderson Jr. was selected for the 2023 Pro Bowl. This happened after another player, Maxx Crosby, was injured. In his first NFL playoff game, he had a sack in the Texans' big win over the Browns.
In Week 6 of the 2024 season, Will had an amazing game against the New England Patriots. He recorded three sacks, eight tackles, and four tackles for loss. This performance earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
Personal Life
Will Anderson Jr. is a Christian. His parents are Will Anderson Sr. and Tereon Anderson. He has five older sisters.
NFL Career Statistics
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | TD | PD | ||
| 2023 | HOU | 15 | 13 | 45 | 29 | 16 | 7.0 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 2024 | HOU | 14 | 14 | 37 | 27 | 10 | 11.0 | 16 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Career | 29 | 27 | 82 | 56 | 26 | 18.0 | 26 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
