Three Years Later, Will Anderson's Gamble Pays Off with Legendary Crimson Tide Career
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Will Anderson Jr. took a gamble committing to Alabama. He didn't grow up a Crimson Tide fan and was from the state of Georgia. But after watching Alabama and Nick Saban capture five national championships and send countless players to the NFL, he wanted to know what made them both so good.
He quickly learned his first semester as an early enrollee freshman in the spring after completing Alabama's infamous Fourth Quarter program.
"That’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life," Anderson said. "And I took a knee when Coach Saban called us up, and I said, ‘Damn, this is why Alabama is so good. This is why they’re so great. This is why the players are where they are in life because of the stuff they do.’ And it changed my whole mindset when I got on campus."
That mindset shift created one of the most unstoppable players in Crimson Tide history who may likely played his last game at Bryant-Denny Stadium and possibly his last game in an Alabama uniform in Saturday night's Iron Bowl win.
The outside linebacker is just a junior but at the top of 2023 NFL Draft boards and expected to be taken in the first round come April. If that was his last game with the Crimson Tide, he went out with a perfect 3-0 record against Auburn.
It took a little while for his number to get recorded in the stat books Saturday night, but his presence was felt from the moment Alabama stepped off the bus for the Walk of Champions. The day ended the same way it began for Anderson, with a big smile. Anderson and Saban embraced with a hug as the two left the field and entered the tunnel to the cheers of the Alabama faithful in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Overall, it wasn't a great night for the Alabama defense. It gave up the most rushing yards of any team in the Saban era. It was the first time the Crimson Tide had allowed more than 300 yards on the ground since the 2011 Georgia Southern game. But Anderson and Alabama were creating constant pressure all night.
He finally broke through with two sacks of Auburn's Robby Ashford in the fourth quarter. Ashford caused all sorts of problems for the Crimson Tide with his legs, but Anderson stayed patient.
"They always say you never know when your sacks are going to come, but when it comes, be ready," Anderson said. "And just in that moment, it was just right there, and you get the sack.”
The two sacks were kind of an exclamation point on the night and Anderson's career in Bryant-Denny.
With his fourth-quarter performance, it brings the outside linebacker up to 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss on the season. He's going to fall well shy of the record-setting numbers he produced a season ago, but part of that is the way other teams have tried to balance him out.
Last year, Anderson finished fifth in Heisman voting after putting up monster numbers. He had 102 total tackles, 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. When you come into a season as the reigning Nagurski winner and nation's leader in sacks and tackles for loss, you're going to draw a little more attention. And that's exactly what happened.
Taking on double and triple teams all year has opened up opportunities for other players on the Alabama defense. Plus, he still is near the top of the Southeastern Conference and country in both sacks and tackles for loss.
Instead of letting it frustrate him, he has just used it as another opportunity to lead and contribute to his team.
"It’s been different," Anderson said earlier in the week. "The blocking has been the same, the double team or triple teams mostly. Sometimes, I’ve even noticed they don’t even run to my side, but I just have to go out there with whatever play coach calls and just do my job the best of my ability and help my teammates out and help them do their job. So, it’s been good. It’s been fun. It's been a great challenge and I’ve learned to embrace it instead of letting it frustrate me."
Despite what some fans have considered a down year for Anderson, he's still either a finalist or semifinalist for the Lott, Lombardi, Walter Camp and Nagurski awards.
Senior safety DeMarcco Hellams called Anderson a "match-me" guy.
"Playing on defense with him, you always feel like you have to match his energy because he’s going to give his all every time he’s out there," Hellams said. "He’s giving his all on the sideline, pumping guys up, making sure guys are staying into the game whether they’re playing or not. Will has done a great job being a great leader for this team. We appreciate him a lot.”
That energy was evident from the warmups of the Iron Bowl.
The captains for each game lead the team in the initial warmups before the team splits into position groups. Anderson was visibly pumped up before kickoff and ripped off his helmet to lead the team in the B-A-M-A jumping jacks as the last team warmup activity before breaking apart.
"Will helps other players play better," Saban said. "It's not just all about what you do. He does his job extremely well. If they're focusing on him a little bit more, I think it gives other players opportunities to make plays. But I think he competes, he plays hard, he gives great effort, he sets a good example, he prepares well. We can't ask any more of Will Anderson than what he does, and I think he helps our team as much as any player on our team.”
Anderson finished with five tackles, three for loss and the two sacks against Auburn. The three tackles for loss moved Anderson past Wallace Gilberry into second on the Alabama career tackles for loss list. He now only trails the legendary Derrick Thomas on both the careers lists for sacks and tackles for loss.
Earlier in the week, Anderson took a moment to reflect with senior linebacker Henry To'oTo'o about what it's meant to play football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
"Me and Henry got a chance to sit down and just take a look at the whole stadium and we were just laughing about it because this is what you dream about as a kid, playing football in the backyard with your friends and you get moments like this," Anderson said. "It’s just a dream come true. It’s been a blessing. I had a chance to meet a lot of great people and build a relationship with them, and I hope it lasts forever.”
Anderson won't match the same record stats he put up a season ago. He won't be a finalist for the Heisman trophy, and Alabama likely won't be back in the College Football Playoff this season, but his impact on this Alabama team and program is immeasurable, not just because of his play on the field, but the leadership qualities off the field.
He's highly respected by his teammates with the words they say about him and the way they follow his actions. Alabama senior defensive tackle D.J. Dale said it was hard to even describe Anderson.
"Will is first and foremost just a great guy in general, just the way he carries himself and the way he’s led his team really since he was a freshman," Dale said. "We’re not who we are without Will, and I’m very thankful for him.”
Anderson and Bryce Young were named permanent team captains last season as true sophomores and will no doubt repeat the honor this year as both have been selected as game captains for all 12 regular season games.
Saban has coached a lot of players, seen a lot of talent and sent a lot of guys off to the NFL, but there are few players he has consistently spoken as highly of as Anderson and Young.
"Those two guys have been not only great players for the University of Alabama, they’ve been great leaders for our team," Saban said after the game. "They’ve been great ambassadors for our university in the way they’ve represented themselves. And they’ve set a marvelous example for any upcoming young person who plays sports to emulate them in terms of how they go about what they do, the class and character they have.
"And I couldn’t be prouder of two guys in terms of what they’ve contributed, but also how they’ve represented our program and the university.”
Anderson has etched his named all throughout the Alabama record books and his hands and feet are literally cemented in front of Denny Chimes as a permanent team captain of the 2021 team. He hasn't made any sort of public announcement about what his future may hold, but if that was his last game it Bryant-Denny, Anderson has certainly writ his name in crimson flame.
"If it was, it’s been everything," Anderson said after the game. "It means a lot to me. Not even growing up an Alabama fan, but coming here to a culture and adapting to it. Being able to learn so much as a man, learned so much from Coach Saban and implementing it in my life. It’s helped me become a better man, better brother, better teammate. It’s been a pleasure, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
See Also:
Bryce Young's Legacy is a Memory that Won't Fade Anytime Soon
'This is All We Have, But This is all We Need' Personifies This Alabama Team
Three Years Later, Will Anderson's Gamble Pays Off with Legendary Crimson Tide Career
Confidence Was Obvious for Alabama in Iron Bowl Victory
Auburn HC Cadillac Williams: "We Didn't Get It Done"
Everything Nick Saban Said After Alabama Won the Iron Bowl
Everything Interim Coach Cadillac Williams Said After Auburn's Loss at Alabama
Instant Analysis: No. 7 Alabama Football 49, Auburn 27 at the Iron Bowl
Notebook: Saban Leaves Iron Bowl With Bloody Cheek
Alabama's Playoff Path Continues to Strengthen, Take Shape
No. 7 Alabama Wins Iron Bowl over Auburn, 49-27
Get your Crimson Tide tickets from SI Tickets HERE.
