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Richard Darnoll Anderson (born September 13, 1971) 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 with ...
fullback in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
for 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 ...
and
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. He 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 ...
at
Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...
.


Early years

Anderson attended Sherwood High School. As a sophomore, he was a two-way player at
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
and
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
. As a junior, he tallied 1,512 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season. As a senior, he appeared in 10 games, posting 2,062 rushing yards (8.18-yard avg.), 22 touchdowns and five two-point conversions. He received All-state, Prep All-American,
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
Offensive Player of the Year and
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
Maryland Player of the Year honors. He finished his high school career with 3,500 yards. In
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, he played at
shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...
, averaging 22 points and leading the county in scoring as a junior. He averaged 23 points as a senior. As a junior, he averaged 22 points per game and led the county in scoring. In
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
, he competed in the
100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
, 200_metres_and_high_jump._He_received_All-county_honors_as_a_senior.


_College_career

Anderson_accepted_a_football_scholarship_from_Penn_State_University_ The_Pennsylvania_State_University_(Penn_State_or_PSU)_is_a_public_state-related_land-grant_research_university_with_campuses_and_facilities_throughout_Pennsylvania._Founded_in_1855_as_the_Farmers'_High_School_of_Pennsylvania,_Penn_State_became__...
._As_a_freshman,_he_was_a_third-string_running_back_ _ A_running_back_(RB)_is_a_member_of_the_offensive_backfield_in_gridiron_football._The_primary_roles_of_a_running_back_are_to_receive_American_football_plays#Offensive_terminology,_handoffs_from_the_quarterback_to_Rush_(American_football)#Offen_...
,_collecting_16_carries_for_77_yards_and_7_kickoff_returns_for_156_yards_(22.3-yard_avg.)._In_1990,_he_sat_out_his_sophomore_season_as_a_Redshirt_(college_sports).html" "title="high_jump.html" ;"title="200 metres and high jump">200 metres and high jump. He received All-county honors as a senior.


College career

Anderson accepted a football scholarship from
Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...
. As a freshman, he was a third-string
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
, collecting 16 carries for 77 yards and 7 kickoff returns for 156 yards (22.3-yard avg.). In 1990, he sat out his sophomore season as a Redshirt (college sports)">medical redshirt Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
with a back injury. As a sophomore in 1991, he struggled in the first seven games while splitting time with Gerry Collins and Shelly Hammonds. He improved in the last four contests, registering 599 yards and 7 touchdowns. He finished with 779 rushing yards (led the team), 10 rushing touchdowns, 21 receptions (third on the team), 255 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown, 9 kickoff returns for 222 yards (24.7-yard avg·) and 1,256 all-purpose yards. Anderson entered his junior season with Joe Paterno mentioning him as probably the most powerful of all the tailbacks he had coached. He posted 195 carries for 900 rushing yards (led the team), 19 total touchdowns (second highest in school history) and 116 points (second in the nation). He declared for the
NFL Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
after his junior season. He finished his college career with 363 carries for 1,756 rushing yards, 29 rushing touchdowns, 37 receptions for 353 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. At the time he ranked 8th on the Penn State career rushing list.


Professional career


New York Jets

Anderson was selected by 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 ...
in the sixth round (144th overall) of the
1993 NFL Draft The 1993 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 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot Ma ...
. As a rookie, he appeared in 7 games, posting 4 kickoff returns for 66 yards, 6
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles (sixth on the team). He missed Weeks 11 to 15 with an ankle sprain before being placed on the
injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on January 2
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
. In
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, he appeared in 13 games (4 starts), rushing for 207 yards (second on the team), one rushing touchdown, 25 receptions (fifth on the team), 212 receiving yards and one touchdown. In the tenth game against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, he had 7 carries for 74 rushing yards, including a 55-yard run. In
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
, he appeared in 10 games, collecting 5 carries for 17 yards and 5 receptions for 26 yards. He missed the ninth game against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
with the flu. He missed the tenth game 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 as ...
with a right high ankle sprain. He missed the last 4 games after being placed on the
injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
in December. In
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
, he passed
Brad Baxter Herman Brad Baxter (born May 5, 1967) is a former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League from 1989 to 1995. Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the eleventh round of the 1989 NFL Draft, Baxter faile ...
on the depth chart and was named the regular starter at fullback. He contributed to
Adrian Murrell Adrian Byran Murrell (born October 16, 1970) is a former professional American football running back. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft after playing collegiately for the West Virginia Mountaineers. ...
rushing for 1,249 yards. In
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, the Jets signed
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 ...
fullback
Lorenzo Neal Lorenzo LaVonne Neal (born December 27, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. Neal played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs. He w ...
, relegating Anderson to a platoon role. He appeared in 16 games (6 starts), collecting 21 carries for 70 yards, 26 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown. In
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, the team signed free agent fullback
Keith Byars Keith Alan Byars (born October 14, 1963) is an American sports broadcaster and former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets. Early life ...
. Anderson only played in 8 games, with one start in the season finale for an injured Byars. In
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, he regained the starter position, by being used in a hybrid fullback/
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
role. He appeared in 16 games with 9 starts. He contributed to
Curtis Martin Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He spent his first three seasons with the New England Patrio ...
rushing for 1,464 yards, including six 100-yard games. He was fourth on the team with 29 receptions for 302 yards. In
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, he led the running backs in the league with a career-high 88 receptions (franchise record) for 853 yards and 2 touchdowns, while tallying 27 carries for 63 yards. He also helped Martin rush for 1,204 yards. He was named as the
American Football Conference The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
starting fullback in the
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
. In
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, he appeared in 16 games with 15 starts and contributed to Martin rushing for a franchise record 1,513 yards. He ranked fourth on the team in catches (40) and fifth in receiving yards (252). He also had 26 carries for 102 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. In
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, he played in 16 games with 14 starts, helping Martin to rush for 1,094 yards. He posted 45 receptions for 257 yards, one receiving touchdown and 5 carries for 27 yards. In
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, the Jets chose to re-sign fullback
Jerald Sowell Jerald Monye Sowell (born January 21, 1974) is a former American football fullback. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Tulane. Playing caree ...
and let Anderson leave in
free agency 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 ...
. He left the team with 305 receptions, which was a franchise record for running backs.


Dallas Cowboys

On March 4,
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, he signed as a
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 ...
with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, reuniting him with his former Jets head coach
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 ...
. He registered career-highs with 70 carries and 306 rushing yards, while leading the team in receptions (69), even though he was a fullback. He also lined up at running back, tight end, wide receiver and on special teams. He also contributed to
Troy Hambrick Troy Hambrick (born November 6, 1976) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of South Carolina and Savannah State Universit ...
rushing for a career-high 972 yards. Though his play on the field was notable, it was his attitude, character and leadership that was also valuable to the team, earning him a team captain denomination. In
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, he suffered a bone bruise in the season opener, which forced him to miss a game. In the tenth game against the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, he suffered a
herniated disc Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...
neck injury, missing two games before being placed on the
injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on December 28. On April 28,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, he was released because of his injury. A couple of his main highlights with the Cowboys, occurred when he threw a left-handed touchdown pass to
Terry Glenn Terry Tyree Glenn (July 23, 1974 – November 20, 2017) was an American football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by t ...
in a 2004 game against the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, and when he leaped 5 feet in the air over former
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
cornerback
Troy Vincent Troy Darnell Vincent (born June 8, 1970) is a former American football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dolphins as the 7th ...
. On February 2,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, he signed a one-day contract to officially retired with 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 ...
, the team that drafted him. He appeared in 161 games (88 starts), rushed 318 times for 1,274 yards with 4 rushing touchdowns and caught 400 passes for 3,149 yards with 14 reception touchdowns.


NFL statistics


Coaching career

In
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, he joined 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 ...
coaching staff as an assistant wide receivers coach. In February
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Anderson joined 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) West division, and play t ...
coaching staff as a wide receivers coach. In
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, he was moved to tight ends coach. On October 15,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Anderson joined 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 tea ...
to be the wide receivers coach, replacing former NFL wide receiver
Dedric Ward Dedric Lamar Ward (born September 29, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. He also was an assistant c ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Richie 1971 births Living people American Conference Pro Bowl players American football fullbacks Players of American football from Maryland Dallas Cowboys players New York Jets coaches New York Jets players Penn State Nittany Lions football players People from Olney, Maryland People from Sandy Spring, Maryland