Charlie Alexander Anderson (born December 8, 1981) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...
. He was drafted by the
Houston Texans in the sixth round of the
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater a ...
. He played
college football at
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...
.
Early years
Anderson attended and played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
at
Provine High School
John W. Provine High School is a public school in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Jackson Public School District. Nicknamed "Ram City", the school serves students in grades 9–12 in the West Jackson area. Students from th ...
in
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...
.
As a senior
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
and
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
, his team made it to the 5-A state finals.
He also lettered in
track and
soccer.
College career
Anderson was a four-year letterman at the
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...
.
During his senior season as defensive end in 2003, he recorded 54 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
He finished his collegiate career having played in 48 games and racking up 127 tackles, 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and five passes defensed.
Professional career
Houston Texans
Anderson was drafted by the
Houston Texans in the sixth round (200th overall) of the
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater a ...
.
On July 27, he signed a three-year contract worth $970,000.
During his rookie season in 2004, Anderson appeared in 15 games as a reserve.
His 13 special teams tackles ranked third on the team, and he also contributed a tackle on defense.
In a December 19 contest against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
, Anderson recovered a
Chad Hutchinson
Chad Martin Hutchinson (born February 21, 1977) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. He also is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher for the St. Louis Cardina ...
fumbled forced by
Dunta Robinson and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.
In 2005, Anderson was viewed by the Texans' as their third outside linebacker behind starters
Antwan Peek and
Jason Babin
Jason Thomas Babin (born May 24, 1980) is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played ...
.
Despite battling a hip injury late in the season,
he appeared in all 16 games as a reserve.
He surpassed his previous season's total with 14 special teams tackles, ranking him second on the team.
He recorded his first career sack against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
on October 16, taking down
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth rou ...
for a 19-yard loss.
Against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division, an ...
on December 18, he recovered a
Reggie Swinton fumble on special teams.
Anderson finished the season with nine tackles, a sack and a pass defensed on defense.
Anderson suffered a knee injury during practice in May 2006 and was sidelined until training camp.
After battling
Shantee Orr
Shantee De'Shjuan Orr (born May 28, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Michigan.
Orr has also played for the Houston Texans, J ...
for the starting strongside linebacker job,
Anderson appeared in 13 games in a reserve role.
He finished the season with five tackles on defense while adding 11 tackles on special teams - a total which ranked him second on the team for the second straight season.
During his final season with the Texans in 2007, Anderson appeared in all 16 games and made the first five starts of his career in place of an injured
Danny Clark.
He recorded a career-high 24 tackles, two sacks and as pass defensed on the season.
Both of his sacks came against
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
quarterback
Quinn Gray
Quinn Fordham Gray Sr. (born May 21, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played for four seasons in the National Football League and one season each in the United Football League and NFL Europe. He played college football at ...
in a 42-28 Texans win on December 30.
Miami Dolphins
An
unrestricted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in the 2008 offseason, the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pl ...
signed Anderson to a three-year contract on March 2.
It was reported that team vice president
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He rose to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1983 ...
and general manager
Jeff Ireland liked Anderson because of his speed and athleticism, especially on special teams.
Despite having started only five games in four seasons with the Texans,
he was told by Dolphins management he would have an opportunity to compete for a starting job. In the last game of the season, he blocked a punt against the Jets, the Dolphins went on to win the game, 24-17, and head to the playoffs.
Kansas City Chiefs
He played the 2010 season with the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
. He was not re-signed following the season and was declared a free agent on July 25, 2011.
Statistics
Personal life
Anderson majored in
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation and ...
with a minor in criminal justice at the
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...
and earned his degree during the 2007 offseason.
He has five children- Devin, Kylin, Jaiden, Christian, and Ethan. His wife is Victoria Anderson.
References
External links
Miami Dolphins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Charlie
1981 births
Living people
Players of American football from Jackson, Mississippi
American football linebackers
Ole Miss Rebels football players
Houston Texans players
Miami Dolphins players