Welcome to the official website of Ottis "O.J."
Anderson. |
Ottis J. Anderson was the eighth selection of the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979. Anderson went on to become the first rookie running back ever to average 100 yards per game and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, NFL Rookie of the Year and All-Pro. Anderson was named All-Pro again in 1980 and in 1981, he corralled to set a Cardinals team record for receptions by a running back. He led the NFL in the second half of the 1981 season by averaging 102 yards rushing. In 1983, Anderson recorded a fourth 1,000 yard rushing season and caught 54 receptions. The very next season (1984) he became the 16th player in NFL history to record 100-yard efforts in both rushing and receiving in a single game vs. the NY Giants. Anderson also had a remarkable career high and a team record 70 receptions for the year. The New York Football Giants traded for Anderson in October of 1986. Later that same season, he would cap the Giants 39-20 Super Bowl XXI victory over the Denver Broncos with a two-yard run for the team’s final touchdown. The following season, Anderson became the Giants’ starting running back and went on to score eight rushing touchdowns including 3 in a single game. In 1989, he recorded his sixth 1,000-yard season, first as a Giant, and scored 14 rushing touchdowns earning him NFL Comeback player of the Year honors by Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest. At age 33, in 1990, Anderson surpassed the 10,000-yard rushing mark making him a member of the NFL’s elite “10,000 Yard Club”. That same season, he played in all 16 games and started 13 while leading the team in rushing during the regular season and powering the team through the playoffs and the Super Bowl XXV championship game. His 102-yards rushing during the game marked the 37th 100-yard game of his career and earned him Super Bowl XXV MVP honors. He was also named to the All-Madden Team that year. Ottis J. Anderson has continually demonstrated his commitment to community service through his involvement with various charitable organizations. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. |