Flipper Anderson
Encyclopedia
Willie Lee "Flipper" Anderson, Jr. (born March 7, 1965 in Paulsboro
, New Jersey
) is a former American football
wide receiver
who played for the Los Angeles Rams
(1988–1994), the Indianapolis Colts
(1995), the Washington Redskins
(1996), and the Denver Broncos
(1997). He played college football
at UCLA
where he was the main receiving target for UCLA
quarterback, Troy Aikman
.
Anderson played high school football
at Paulsboro High School
in southern New Jersey and was one of the nation's top high school football recruits of the Class of 1983.
He holds the National Football League
record for most receiving yards and yards from scrimmage in a game, with 336 yards on 15 receptions with a 22.4 yards per reception average, set during the 12th week of the 1989 season
against the New Orleans Saints
. He finished the season with a career high 1,146 yards off just 44 receptions, giving him an average of 26 yards per catch. On January 7, 1990, during a divisional playoff game, the Rams won the coin toss after taking the New York Giants
to overtime
. The Rams drove 77 yards in four plays, the last being a 30-yard touchdown pass to Anderson, who caught the ball in the end zone
and ran directly through the tunnel and into the locker room. He caught two touchdown passes in that 19-13 win.
Anderson finished his career with 267 receptions for 5,357 yards and 28 touchdowns, giving him a 20.1 career yards per catch average.
Paulsboro, New Jersey
Paulsboro is a Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,097....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who played for the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
(1988–1994), the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
(1995), the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(1996), and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1997). He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
where he was the main receiving target for UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
quarterback, Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
.
Anderson played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Paulsboro High School
Paulsboro High School
Paulsboro High School is a comprehensive community six-year public high school that serves students in seventh through twelfth grade from Paulsboro, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Paulsboro Public Schools....
in southern New Jersey and was one of the nation's top high school football recruits of the Class of 1983.
He holds the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
record for most receiving yards and yards from scrimmage in a game, with 336 yards on 15 receptions with a 22.4 yards per reception average, set during the 12th week of the 1989 season
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. He finished the season with a career high 1,146 yards off just 44 receptions, giving him an average of 26 yards per catch. On January 7, 1990, during a divisional playoff game, the Rams won the coin toss after taking the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. The Rams drove 77 yards in four plays, the last being a 30-yard touchdown pass to Anderson, who caught the ball in the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
and ran directly through the tunnel and into the locker room. He caught two touchdown passes in that 19-13 win.
Anderson finished his career with 267 receptions for 5,357 yards and 28 touchdowns, giving him a 20.1 career yards per catch average.