Andre Deshon Anderson (born December 6, 1955) is a former professional

gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

who played for the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL). In 1978, he played four regular season games for the Lions. Anderson was selected in the ninth round of the

1978 NFL Draft The 1978 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 2–3, 1978, at the Roosevelt Hote ...

by the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

. Prior to his professional career, Anderson played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...

where he studied business administration.

Early career

Anderson attended high school at

South Oak Cliff High School South Oak Cliff High School (colloquially referred to as SOC, pronounced "sock") is a public secondary school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas, United States. South Oak Cliff High School enrolls students in grades 9- 12 and is a ...

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, where he played football as an

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

and was a member of the

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

team. From 1974 to 1977, he played college football for the

New Mexico State Aggies The New Mexico State University teams are called the Aggies, a nickname derived from the university's agricultural beginnings. The mascot is known as " Pistol Pete". NMSU's colors are crimson and white. Since 2005 the Aggies have competed in the ...

while studying business administration. As a freshman, Anderson started for the Aggies at offensive tackle. Prior to the 1975 season, Anderson was moved to the defense as a

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

. He recovered two fumbles in a game against the

Texas-Arlington Mavericks The UT Arlington Mavericks (abbreviated UT Arlington, UTA, and Mavs) are the athletic teams that represent the University of Texas at Arlington in Arlington, Texas. The Mavericks currently compete in the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Confere ...

that year. In September 1976, Anderson recovered three fumbles in a loss against the

Lamar Cardinals The Lamar Cardinals and Lady Cardinals (variously Cardinals or Cards) refers to the college athletics teams of Lamar University, in Beaumont, Texas. The Cardinals and Lady Cardinals teams compete in seventeen NCAA Division I sports as a member o ...

. He was named to the

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(UPI) All-Valley Conference team as a junior. Prior to the 1977 season, Anderson was considered one of the best defensive lineman in his conference and was named to the All-Conference preseason team. The Aggies moved Anderson to left end and he immediately made significant contributions, accumulating three sacks in the first two games of the season. Despite missing the final two games of the season due to injury, Anderson received many accolades for his performance as a senior, including an honorable mention for the

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(AP)

All-America team The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

, a spot on the All-Conference team, and an invitation to the

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to play for the West team. He was the first Aggies player to be selected for the East–West game.

Professional career

Anderson was selected in the ninth round of the

by the

with the 246th overall pick. In mid-August, the Rams traded Anderson to the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

for a draft pick. The Jets released Anderson later that month. After being cut by the Jets, Anderson signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He played in four regular season games for the Lions as a defensive tackle in 1978, recording a single fumble recovery. Prior to the start of the 1979 season, he was placed on the injured list, and he did not return to the active roster that season. Anderson's contract expired in April 1980 and he was not re-signed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Andre 1955 births Living people American football defensive tackles Canadian football defensive linemen New Mexico State Aggies football players Los Angeles Rams players New York Jets players BC Lions players Players of American football from Garland, Texas Players of Canadian football from Texas