The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazer Profile: Senior Tight End Jeffery Anderson
9/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 14, 2010
By Aaron Jordan
UAB Athletic Media Relations
UAB fans claim to be familiar with starting tight end Jeffery Anderson. He is, after all, an all-conference performer, a two-time member of the Mackey Award Watch List for the nation's top tight end, and one of the more popular players on this year's team. Many of Anderson's fans cannot picture him in anything else but a tight end position. But try this - close your eyes and picture Anderson, a 6-3, 255-pound physical presence, starting at UAB as a kicker.
No? How about at quarterback? Or even a linebacker?
Instead of earning a nod to the Mackey Award Watch List, fans could have had the chance to read about how Anderson was selected to the Lou Groza Award Watch List, the annual trophy awarded to the nation's top placekicker. Or the Davey O'Brien Award Watch List, given to the nation's top quarterback. Even the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top linebacker.
You see, when Anderson was a high school standout at Southside HS in Selma, Ala., he played a lot of positions. In fact, the only position he did not play was offensive line. And not only did he play those positions, but he excelled at them.
"My senior year, I didn't come off the field," Anderson said. "I kicked off then went to play defense. If I was on offense and we had to punt, I would punt and then go straight to playing defense. I also kicked the extra points. There were a couple of games that I scored a long touchdown and our coach would have to call a timeout just so I could catch my breath to kick the extra point."
During his senior season in high school alone, Anderson was a stat machine, churning out a total of 36 touchdowns. He finished the year with eight touchdowns on the ground and 678 yards rushing, 747 receiving yards with 14 touchdown catches and 1,126 yards passing and 14 scoring tosses. Not to mention connecting on 15 extra points and a pair of field goals. On top of all that, he also mixed in 87 tackles and 16 sacks on the defensive side of the ball on his way to earning numerous accolades.
Not bad for someone who began playing organized football in seventh grade.
"My dad wouldn't let me play football until I was in seventh grade because he was afraid I was going to get hurt," Anderson said. "He didn't want me to play high school football. When I decided to try out for the team, I was a freshman playing with the varsity team with very little playing experience."
With so little experience, Anderson felt his best chance to make his high school football team was to be the punter. It wouldn't take long for his coaches to take notice of Anderson's kicking ability. A coach noticed his skills booting the ball after a practice one day. After lining Anderson up properly to kick a field goal and giving him a few pointers, he earned the starting position as place kicker.
"We didn't have a kicker on our high school team," Anderson said. "When I first started playing football in ninth grade, I was our punter. Once coached showed me a few things, I made something like 12 straight field goals. After that, he made me the kicker for extra points, field goals, kickoffs and punts."
While he would never trade being a tight end, he does admit being a little envious of the kickers during practice from time-to-time.
"Sometimes I look over there and just say to myself `I wish I was still a punter,'" Anderson said. "I see the punters and kickers over there stretching while we're running through drills. They have it pretty easy, but at the same time, they have the most pressure on them, too."
And it isn't just kickers that Anderson keeps a watchful eye on. His favorite position he played in high school was quarterback. In fact, he still feels he could sling a ball down the field if only the coaches would let him.
"I try to talk our offensive coordinator (Kim Helton) into working in a couple of packages for me but it hasn't happened yet. I might ask coach Callaway to let me throw a pass. Maybe it could be a senior gift to me or something," Anderson said, laughing.
Anderson admits he never pictured himself as a collegiate football player, let alone seeing his name on a prestigious watch list for the top player at his position. But he also feels that without his high school experience, or being inspired and pushed by his dad, he would not be as valuable as he is to this year's team.
"I think playing all those positions gave me a good understanding of where I need to be and who I need to block," Anderson said.
"My dad always pushed me and that helped me as well. He always stayed on me and let me know what I did wrong. I used to get angry, but looking back on it, I know he did that to push me and get the best out of me. I am a competitor and like to push myself."
No matter what position he plays, the fifth-year senior sees his role as one of the leaders on this year's squad. It is a trait he undoubtedly grew into, not just on the football field, but off the field as well, and is something that is obvious when he talks about this year's football team.
"I like being looked at as a leader," Anderson said. "I am the type of person that I like to see when people succeed, so I wouldn't lead any of the younger players down the wrong path. My best piece of advice would be to listen to the coaches and take all the workouts seriously. My biggest downfall when I first got here was that I didn't take the weight room that serious. Now, I take weight training very seriously, but I always feel like I am a little behind because I could have been faster and stronger had I put forth as much time and effort during my first year as I do now. It also could have prevented some of my injuries I have had to deal with."
As far as his future endeavors, sure there is always the longing desire to play football professionally. Anderson said it has always been a dream of his to play in the NFL. The multi-position player in high school may even try dabbling a little in professional basketball. It's no surprise that the person who excelled in so many different positions on the gridiron also excelled at other sports in high school.
But there is something even more important to him and his family, and that is to become the second person ever from his family to receive a college diploma. The first was his sister, who graduated a few years ago. Anderson is on schedule to complete his requirements for graduation this December.
If football or basketball doesn't work out, he would like to use his degree in communications and maybe become a sports broadcaster. But no matter what lies in his future, Anderson already feels like he and this year's senior class have laid the groundwork for something special to happen with the UAB football program.
"I can honestly say that it feels good to be a part of rebuilding a program," Anderson said. "Hopefully after I graduate, I can look back and say that I was a part of the team that started success in football at UAB."
