Neal Anderson

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

I have my nominations in for this year -- but considering Neal Anderson for next year.

My memory of him that he was an excellent all-around running back for the Bears for several years. Very good both rushing and receiving. Yet, I don't really hear anything about him anymore and the younger Bears fans I've spoken with don't seem to even know who he is.

Have I inflated my memory of Neal Anderson? Maybe he was just great against the Packers - when I would have seen him most? Who else remembers him? Thoughts?

[Brian wolf]

Anderson actually did a good job of replacing Payton, especially helping out a typical Ditka offense in the passing game early but injuries took their toll by his seventh season.

A somewhat, similar career to Roger Craig without the championships or receiving numbers. His touchdowns warrant a HOVG case, scoring 71 in 91 career starts.

[Jay Z]

From that era, I think Earnest Byner and James Brooks were probably better as backs with some receiving ability. Anderson does have a lot of TDs, but Byner and Brooks match him there and had longer careers.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Anderson actually did a good job of replacing Payton, especially helping out a typical Ditka offense in the passing game early but injuries took their toll by his seventh season.

A somewhat, similar career to Roger Craig without the championships or receiving numbers. His touchdowns warrant a HOVG case, scoring 71 in 91 career starts.

I'm glad you brought up Craig because he always kind of reminded me of him.

Byner is a good comparison also. I honestly didn't see enough of Brooks' games in the market I lived in to know him as well.

[Bryan]

From that era, I think Earnest Byner and James Brooks were probably better as backs with some receiving ability. Anderson does have a lot of TDs, but Byner and Brooks match him there and had longer careers.

I think Byner was more of a grind it out guy, and Brooks was more talented than Anderson. But production wise they were all fairly similar. I think Anderson's physical build wasn't really great for absorbing punishment, and his career is much more condensed than Byner/Brooks. Anderson's prime ended at 26. That said, he was a very good all-around RB who was a pretty good blocker. I remember Anderson being obviously better than Payton in 1987, yet the Bears insisted they split time and the media was always fawning over Payton even though the Bears were much better with Anderson in the game. One other thing about Anderson is he was the first guy I remember in the NFL who would dive into the corner of the endzone and reach the ball inside the pylon.

[Jay Z]

From that era, I think Earnest Byner and James Brooks were probably better as backs with some receiving ability. Anderson does have a lot of TDs, but Byner and Brooks match him there and had longer careers.

I think Byner was more of a grind it out guy, and Brooks was more talented than Anderson. But production wise they were all fairly similar. I think Anderson's physical build wasn't really great for absorbing punishment, and his career is much more condensed than Byner/Brooks. Anderson's prime ended at 26. That said, he was a very good all-around RB who was a pretty good blocker. I remember Anderson being obviously better than Payton in 1987, yet the Bears insisted they split time and the media was always fawning over Payton even though the Bears were much better with Anderson in the game. One other thing about Anderson is he was the first guy I remember in the NFL who would dive into the corner of the endzone and reach the ball inside the pylon.

Byner ultimately had more TDs and more yards than Anderson. They were similar in stature. Byner's long carry in NFL was only 54 yards. He wasn't a breakaway threat, really. Still, he did what Anderson did and more, was a horse 1990-1992, led the NFL in carries in 1990. Won a ring in 1991, playoff record is better, played longer, fill in seasons around the peak are better than Anderson. I'd have to go with Byner first.

Brooks also has better stats but never was asked to carry the same kind of load, he usually had another stronger back with him. Bears didn't have a lot of other offensive weapons, Anderson had to carry a load and he wasn't Payton.

[Bryan]

Byner ultimately had more TDs and more yards than Anderson. They were similar in stature. Byner's long carry in NFL was only 54 yards.

Tsk, tsk! I just saw Byner go for 66 yards against the Miami "Vise" defense in 1985. j/k

[Hail Casares]

I have my nominations in for this year -- but considering Neal Anderson for next year.

My memory of him that he was an excellent all-around running back for the Bears for several years. Very good both rushing and receiving. Yet, I don't really hear anything about him anymore and the younger Bears fans I've spoken with don't seem to even know who he is.

Have I inflated my memory of Neal Anderson? Maybe he was just great against the Packers - when I would have seen him most? Who else remembers him? Thoughts?

Anderson is one of my favorite forgotten NFL players. He's a back who was about 15-20 years ahead of his time and was absolutely run through the meat grinder of that Ditka offense. While a devastating hamstring injury cut his career short, Anderson always said he was only going to play until he was 26 or 27 and chose to retire quietly. Once he left the game he pretty much stayed away from it and last I knew he was living in Florida as a peanut farmer and owns a bank.

Anderson was also part of a run of some really good UF running backs:

John L Williams
Neal Anderson
Emmitt Smith
Errict Rhett
Fred Taylor


It's tough for Bears fans who didn't see him to remember him because of how quiet he has been post career and the years after Anderson left were abysmal. He also had the "misfortune" of playing in the same division as Barry Sanders and same conference as Emmitt Smith in the late 80s and early 90s so he was easy to overlook.

Anderson was really well respected though. Tremendous all-around back. IIRC, at one point John Madden called him the best all-around back in the NFL. Very good runner, great pass catcher, willing blocker. He could do it all. There are some highlight videos out there of him out running Darrell Green on a long TD run.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Great discussion, everyone. I plan to throw Anderson's name in the ring for my next HOVG nominations. IMHO, he belongs. And I'm certainly not a Bears fan, but to me, he has always been a greatly underrated player.

[JuggernautJ]

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... deNe00.htm