This week is was announced that former New York Giants running back Ottis Anderson was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Anderson was one of eight individuals with ties to the Giants on the list of 31 ‘senior’ players and 29 coach/contributors advancing to the semifinal round for possible induction.
Quarterback Charlie Conerly, linebacker Carl Banks, defensive back Everson Walls, and former head coaches Tom Coughlin and Dan Reeves also made the cut.
Here are five reasons why Anderson should receive further consideration for induction to Canton.
He was special from Day 1
Anderson was drafted eighth overall in the 1979 NFL draft by the then-St. Louis Cardinals out of the University of Miami, one slot after the Giants took quarterback Phil Simms.
Anderson rushed for 1,605 yards as a rookie, which was third-highest in the NFL behind future Hall of Famers Walter Payton (1,697) and Earl Campbell (1,610).
He was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year and to the PFWA All-Rookie Team as well as a First Team All-Pro.
A 10,000-yard man
Anderson rushed for 10,273 yards and 81 touchdowns in his career.
When he retired from the NFL after the 1992 season he was seventh all-time in rushing yards and eighth in rushing touchdowns (81).
Currently, Anderson is 30th all-time in rushing yards (one of 31 players to eclipse 10,000 career yards) and 19th all-time in rushing touchdowns (one of 21 players to eclipse 80 rushing touchdowns).
The vast majority of players with those credentials are currently enshrined in Canton.
He was a star for two teams
After an eight-year run with the Cardinals, Anderson was traded to the New York Giants in 1986 and became a valuable cog in their Super Bowl run that year.
He was the lead back for the Giants four years later and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXV. The season before that, however, Anderson had a solid year, rushing for 1,023 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year for 1989. He was named to the Giants’ Ring of Honor in 2022.
As a Cardinal, Anderson rushed for 7,999 yards, by far the most of any player in their history which dates back to 1920 (Stump Mitchell is a distant second with 4,643). Anderson is also the Cards’ all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 46.
He is not in the Cardinals’ Ring of Honor, however, which appears to be reserved for players who gain election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the lone exception being Pat Tillman.
He was a Super Bowl MVP
Anderson was the Giants’ go-to running back in the late 1980s and in 1990, he got a chance to play in another Super Bowl with Big Blue.
The Giants’ strategy in the game against the powerful Buffalo Bills was to keep the ball out of the hands of quarterback Jim Kelly by killing the clock with the running game.
Anderson was the key to that strategy, running 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Giants’ 20-19 victory.
He is the only Giant player to score a touchdown in two Super Bowl games.
A fan favorite
In addition to his rushing prowess, Anderson was also a solid receiver catching 376 passes for 3,062 yards and five scores in his career.
He was named to two Pro Bowls and was a two-time All Pro.
Anderson was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
Anderson was a positive force in the Giants’ locker room and a favorite of Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells.
To this day, Anderson is still present in the Giantsphere, meeting and greeting fans. Since he left the game, he has been very active in many business ventures and is involved with many charitable organizations.
