NFL Draft: Interview with Indiana Defensive Lineman Ryder Anderson
NFL talent is generational, and defensive lineman, Ryder Anderson, is another prime example of that talent.
Anderson, a defensive lineman out of Indiana, brings a lot of football experience from two well-respected football programs. The Katy, TX native transferred from Ole Miss in January 2021. There, he had 99 tackles, 38 solos, six and a half sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt.
In his 2021 season with Indiana, Anderson collected 48 tackles, 28 solos, three and a half sacks for 21 yards lost and one forced fumble. He tallied career-highs with seven solos, two sacks and two and a half tackles for loss. He also tied the record for the team-high with eight tackles at No. 4 Penn State in October.
Anderson’s journey begins long before his time at both Ole Miss and Indiana, but his experience in his early years propelled him to college success and an eventual spot in the late rounds of the NFL Draft.
Anderson began playing football at an early age, a no-brainer as the game runs in his DNA.
“I come from a football family, my older brother plays, my younger brother plays.” Anderson said.
Anderson played four years at Ole Miss. He loved the transition from high school to college, especially playing in the SEC.
“It was always my dream to play in the SEC as a defensive lineman,” Anderson said. In that entire football community, he noted that he got to play great football and meet great people.
In his last season, Anderson played for Indiana.
“I was just really blessed to be able to fit into two great programs,” Anderson said. “Aside from college, after I played my last game, I basically just got right to it.”
Anderson put his head down and got to work in preparation for the East-West Bowl as well as his Pro Day. He continued to work out in the weight room and the field, staying focused before the draft.
“t’s football, so you can always keep on learning. It was a great opportunity out there for me.” Anderson said. “I can only really speak for myself. I feel like I do a lot of extra work, I’ve always been that way, that’s what prepares me to be at my best in big moments.”
Anderson’s work ethic can elude to the same type of early success he saw in some of last year’s draft prospects.
“I think it speaks volumes as to the preparation and the work that they put in.” He said. “It shows that it can be done and as long as you just put in the work and everything falls in line, then you get on that field as soon as you’re ready.”
Though Anderson had a great college career within two well-respected programs, he did have to overcome adversity along the way: COVID-19. Anderson touched on how united everyone was in trying to get through the pandemic even if they could not physically be together.
Another major change was that his football program got a new coaching staff at that time so there was a lot to learn. Something that helped was that he really dialed into the mental aspect so they could come back together.
In that time, there was a big transition from in-person, to online, back to in-person. Fortunately for Anderson, it was not much of a hard transition.
“It was my fourth season of football,” Anderson said. “It was easier [for the older guys] than for some of the younger guys. Those guys need more physical in-person reactions. It was a bigger adjustment for some of the younger guys.”
Everything for Anderson ultimately led to this moment, and he is looking forward to that next step in his career - much like when his brother was drafted.
“Everybody’s excited, this has been a dream of mine for a really long time. My older brother went through the process and he was able to get drafted. He got drafted in the sixth round with the Bengals. That was really fun,” Anderson said.
Anderson’s best advice for younger players is to “hammer down somewhere and give it everything you got.”
“It may not happen as quickly as you want it to it may not come all at the beginning,” Anderson said. “Sometimes it’s a slow grind. If you just persevere through some of the hardships you may face at the beginning, it can definitely get greater later.”
Anderson will be following in his older brother’s footsteps in a few weeks, hopeful to make his own start in the NFL, come September.
