Art Anderson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Breckenridge, Minnesota, U.S.
San Diego, California, U.S.
.jpg) Anderson in 1962 | |||||||||
| No. 79, 63 | |||||||||
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| Position | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | October 9, 1936 Breckenridge, Minnesota, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | February 25, 2021 (aged 84) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 244 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College | Idaho | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1961: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Arthur Anthony Anderson (October 9, 1936 – February 25, 2021) was an American professional football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL).[1] He is one of the few tackles to prevent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Deacon Jones from accomplishing any sacks in a game (1961 season).[2] His teammates on the Chicago Bears under George Halas included Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Stan Jones (his close friend), Doug Atkins, and 1961 rookie Mike Ditka.
Anderson grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota on the Minnesota state line, in a house his grandfather built. His father was Arthur Albin Anderson, the first North Dakota Highway Patrolman stationed in Wahpeton (6th in North Dakota), appointed in 1936.[3][4] Because of the similarity of their names, the family called him Tony. He went to a Catholic grade school, and lettered in all three sports at Wahpeton High School where his basketball team won the State Class A Championship in 1954.[5]
Football career
Anderson wanted to attend University of Notre Dame, but the University of Idaho offered scholarships, so he went to Moscow for tryouts. He started as a freshman and was a member of Skip Stahley's Idaho Vandals all four years in the PAC-9 conference.[6][7][8][9] In Idaho, Anderson took the field with other future NFL players, including Jerry Kramer and Wayne Walker.[6] In 1957–58 Kramer and Walker made the second all-PCC team; Anderson and teammates Ken Hall and Larry Aldrich received honorable mention on the all-PCC team.[6] Upon graduation in 1958, he had the choice to enlist in the military or be drafted, so he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed in San Diego. He was spotted in boot-camp and was able to play football for the duration of his military service. Anderson played for three years with the USMC, and was named to the All-Marine Football Team and All-Sea Service Team in 1959 and 1960. Upon discharge, he was recruited to play for the Chicago Bears. His signing bonus was $750. After two seasons playing for George Halas with the Bears (1961 and 1962), Anderson was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers where he played for one more season (1963).[1]
