Former Carolina Panthers cornerback Rashard Anderson died this past Wednesday in his home state of Mississippi. He was 45 years old.
Born in Forest, Miss. on June 14, 1977, Anderson stayed true to his roots and attended Jackson State University from 1996 to 1999. There, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound defender turned many a head—helping the Tigers to a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship in his first season and a SWAC Eastern Division title in his last.
Anderson was then selected by the Panthers with the 23rd overall pick of the 2000 NFL draft. He is still, over two decades later, the most recent Jackson State player to be taken as a first-rounder.
