Derek Anderson (American football)

Derek Anderson

refer to caption Derek Anderson in action against the Ravens in 2007.
Cleveland Browns
Career information
College:	Oregon State
NFL draft:	2005 / Round: 6 / Pick: 213
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (2005)* Cleveland Browns (2005-present) *Offseason and/or practice squad member only
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl selection (2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2007
TD-INT: 34-27 Passing yards: 4,580 QB Rating: 82.5

Derek Matthew Anderson (born June 15, 1983 in Scappoose, Oregon) is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State.

High school

Anderson grew up in Scappoose, Oregon where he led the Scappoose Indians to one of their record three consecutive state football championships in Class 3A football. He also excelled at basketball and was named state player of the year in both football and basketball his senior year. He participated in the first ever U.S. Army All-American Bowl game in 2000. Anderson received a bit of notoriety for his large feet while in high school.

He is also a childhood friend and schoolmate of Playmate, Sara Jean Underwood.

Collegiate career

Raised in a small Northwest Oregon town, Anderson was a Beaver fan growing up and always wanted to play for Oregon State. His decision to play for the school was celebrated by fans who envisioned he would rapidly develop and become a dominant quarterback in college.

At 6'6" Anderson was not the prototypical quarterback. In fact, many believed he would play basketball in college instead of football. Still, he was recruited nationwide and his dominating performance as a quarterback in high school helped in his decision stay with football.

He majored in liberal studies.

Sophomore (2002)

At the start of his sophomore year (2002), Anderson was thrust into the starting role as QB and handed the reins of a rapidly improving program. Unfortunately, his early performances showed inexperience and poor passing. This lead to an early streak of losses for the team. Fortunately for Anderson his job was secure as Oregon State had no serious competition for quarterback in 2002.

His early entry into the starting role came on the heels of Oregon State's most successful period to date. Capped by a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame, the team went 11-1 in 2000 and ranked 4th in the nation under head coach Dennis Erickson. Expectations were exceptionally high by 2002 and the monumental task ahead would have been daunting for any young quarterback.

Despite these challenges, Anderson helped the Beavers record an 8-5 season. His work was also good enough to give the Beavers entry into the 2002 Insight Bowl. However, the young team was no match for a then well-seasoned University of Pittsburgh. The Beavers lost 38-13 and coach Erickson left for a National Football League head coaching position with the San Francisco 49ers.

Junior (2003)

The pressures on the entire team to keep the program headed in a winning direction were only compounded by the sudden change in head coaching. The return of previous head coach Mike Riley from the NFL meant learning an entirely new system. With help from teammate and star running back Steven Jackson, Anderson again rose to the occasion and played a leading role in propelling the team to an 8-5 record. This time ending the 2003 season on a 55-14 Las Vegas Bowl win over a then up-and-coming New Mexico program.

Locally, Anderson was known as "The Big Scappoose" for his stature and hometown. However, his vastly improving abilities were garnering respect from throughout the conference and many opponents viewed him as an improving QB with an unbelievably strong arm. During his junior year he showed he could throw the ball down-field exceeding far and accurately hit receivers in motion. Still, his game had issues. He continued to make some bad decisions under pressure and was viewed by critics as a habitual "pocket passer," which gave rushing defenses an easy target.

Senior (2004)

By the 2004 season, Anderson successfully integrated footwork into his repertoire and surprised many defenses with his new found ability to escape the tackle and even run the ball for touchdowns. Although the team's 7-5 performance was nothing to mark down in the history books, Anderson became nationally recognized as a very dangerous offensive weapon who could strike long gains at will. Plus, he was now a legitimate running threat at quarterback. The Beavers also went without Steven Jackson through the 2004 season (Jackson was drafted into the NFL at the end of the 2003 season). Even without the star running back, Anderson willed his team back into the Insight Bowl where they again faced Notre Dame (led by current Browns teammate Brady Quinn). The Beavers never trailed in the game and easily defeated the Irish 38-21. Anderson unleashed 359 yards and four touchdown passes, with no interceptions. It was probably his most stunning college performance and showcased his newfound skill as a true field general.

Anderson is the fortieth player in Pac-10 history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season, setting an Oregon State Beavers football record at 4,058 yards in the 2003 season. He also ranks second in the Pac-10 for career touchdown passes, at 79 (also an Oregon State record). He is the 6th person to ever throw for 10,000 yards in a career in the Pac-10, and holds the Oregon State record for career passing yards at 11,249.

Professional career

Baltimore Ravens

Anderson was selected out of Oregon State University by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft (213th overall), but never played for them and was waived on September 20, 2005. The next day he was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns, for whom he currently plays.

2005

Anderson did not see action in 2005, being third on the depth chart behind Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye.

2006

Anderson served as Charlie Frye's backup for the Cleveland Browns in the 2006 season. He made his first appearance in an NFL regular season game against the Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns Stadium, October 22, 2006, taking one snap after Frye was briefly shaken up. His second NFL appearance was more noteworthy. After Frye injured his wrist during the first half of Cleveland's December 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Anderson played the entire second half. He threw his first two NFL touchdown passes in that game, connecting with tight end Steve Heiden twice in the fourth quarter. Anderson also scrambled for 33 yards in overtime, moving the ball from the Kansas City 45-yard line to the 12-yard line, after which the Browns were in field goal range. Anderson's play was instrumental in leading the Browns back from a 28-14 deficit to a 31-28 overtime victory.

2007

Although some reports said he outplayed incumbent starter Charlie Frye and rookie Brady Quinn in minicamp, Anderson was not as productive in the pre-season games and Frye was named the starter for the 2007 season. The Head Coach of the Browns, Romeo Crennel earlier said that the two were so close in effectiveness that he would use a coin toss to decide between the two quarterbacks.

Anderson took over for Frye in the 2007 opener after Frye was ineffective in the first quarter against the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was Frye's last game in a Browns uniform, as he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth round draft pick two days later. Named the starting quarterback by Crennel for Week 2, Anderson threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns. His passer rating for the game was 121.0 as the Browns defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 51-45, solidifying Anderson's role. In the same game, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer also threw for six touchdown passes. It was only the third time in NFL history that two quarterbacks had thrown at least five touchdown passes in the same game.

On September 30, he beat the team that drafted him, the Baltimore Ravens (division rivals of the Browns), for the first time. He threw for two touchdowns and 204 yards, completing 10 of 18 pass attempts with just one interception. The Browns would later beat the Ravens again, making it the first time since 2001 that the Browns were able to sweep the Ravens.

In Week 13, the Browns faced the Arizona Cardinals. Down 27-21 late in the 4th, the Browns drove down to the Cardinals 34-yard line. On Fourth Down, Anderson threw a pass to the end zone which was caught by Kellen Winslow. However, it was ruled out of bounds and held up through review. Anderson argued that Winslow was forced out, which the replay confirms, but the force-out rule was not reviewable, thus taking away the game-tying touchdown (and potential game winning extra point). Thus, the loss added to the 10-6 overall record, though if it had been a win, would have had the Browns at 11-5, champions of the AFC North Division, and advancing to the playoffs.

Another close game that could have put the Browns in the playoffs was December 23 against the Cincinnati Bengals, in which the Browns went scoreless in the first half, but held the Bengals scoreless in the second half. Anderson had four interceptions, two of them in consecutive plays, and one more in the Cincy end zone as Cleveland appeared to be heading for a scoring drive. The Browns also had two turnover-on-downs possession, one where they went for it on 4th, and the other was a botched field goal attempt. Anderson threw two touchdown passes to Braylon Edwards, Cleveland's only scores in the game. The game ended in a 19-14 loss.

Anderson led the Browns to a 10-6 overall record, 10-5 in games in which he started. Anderson finished with 29 touchdowns to 19 interceptions. During the week of December 12-18, Anderson was named as a first alternate for the 2008 Pro Bowl at quarterback. On February 4th, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots announced he would not be attending the Pro Bowl due to injury. This paved the way for Anderson to make his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

2008

On February 29, the first day of free agency, after speculation that Anderson would leave Cleveland to pursue a bigger contract, Anderson agreed to a three-year contract to stay with the Browns through the 2010 season. With fans split between the proven Anderson and the locally-homegrown Quinn (an image of Quinn wearing a Bernie Kosar jersey as a kid was shown at the 2007 NFL Draft), many are speculating if the Browns are in a similar position the San Diego Chargers were in a few years back with Drew Brees and their first-round pick Philip Rivers.

In the Browns' first preseason game against the New York Jets, Anderson threw for one touchdown pass and completed four out of five passes on the night. He would be replaced by backup Brady Quinn for a portion of the game, who, himself, would be replaced by Ken Dorsey. Anderson later suffered a concussion when he was sacked by the Giants' Osi Umenyiora in a preseason game against the New York Giants and later went into the locker room. Anderson and the first team struggled against the Giants, and Anderson went 4-of-10 for 20 yards.

In the regular season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Anderson was a disappointing 11 for 24 for 110 yards and 1 touchdown.

Also the other famous Derek Anderson, a Muskegon Community College student, is one of the leading rowers in division 4A college. He is currently being recruited by world renowned colleges in Kazakhstan. He is studying nursing. Watch out fellow rowers, you don't want to be in is path.

Anderson's NFL statistics

			Passing										Rushing
Season	Team		GP	GS	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Rating	TD	INT		Att	Yds	TD
2006	Cleveland		5	3	66	117	56.4	793	63.1	5	8		4	47	0
2007	Cleveland		16	15	298	527	56.5	3787	82.5	29	19		32	70	3

External links

• Weapons of Pass Destruction: The Moose from Scappoose
• Military Article