SECMD22: Awards await for Tide's Anderson
Wll Anderson, Jr. speaks to the Media on Tuesday during SEC Media Days in Atlanta. The junior defensive end for Alabama is considered the top defensive player in the nation entering 2022. (Courtesy Unv. Alabama Media Relations)
By GRAHAM DUNN
Alabama defensive end Will Anderson, Jr. is not the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
His teammate, Bryce Young, is.
Heck, Anderson wasn’t invited to New York for last year’s ceremonies, for that matter.
But the talk around SEC Media Days In Atlanta has him on equal footing as his teammate.
“For everyone, going against the best in Will and Dallas (Turner) prepares us for anyone,” Young said. “They are tremendous players and they make us better. We go at it back and forth throughout practice. Watching how he carries himself, obviously he knows how to get around the line. It gets me better.”
The debate began shortly after the Crimson Tide dropped the national championship game to Georgia - who will be the top pick in the NFL 2023 Draft?
Most experts believe Anderson is the pick, although the run to get franchise quarterbacks usually starts early.
But if a game changer is need on the other side of the ball. Anderson is your man.
Last year, as a sophomore, he led the nation with 17.5 sacks, 16 of which were solo. That was the best number since Jaylon Ferguson of Louisiana Tech had the same in 2017.
He had 101 total tackles with 34.5 of those for a loss.
“We thought for us, was a perfect fit for the outside linebacker position which if you don’t play a 3-4, some of those guys have to become defensive ends,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “He can make a tremendous impact on our team. He has A-plus character, A-plus work ethic, really good leadership qualities in how he sets an example and affects other people in a positive way. He is also a hard worker and is driven every day to try to improve to be the best player he can be.”
Anderson’s talents were quickly noticed by the scribes when he was named National Freshman of the Year by the Football Writers of America (FWAA). That was after recording 10.5 tackles for loss and 52 total tackles.
With a great season, Anderson might break former Alabama great Derrick Thomas’ record of 52 career sacks or even the single-season mark of 27 set in 1988. It will take another phenomenal performance but he’s good enough to do it.
“I am going to approach the season just like I approached it last year,” Anderson explained. “I am just going to be Will Anderson. I am not going to try to do anything special. I’m not going to go out there and try to be a hero. I am just going to go out there and be myself, be the player that I was when I first got here and just help my teammates play good team football.”
The most important goal is returning to the stage to accept the national championship trophy. He admits individual awards are nice, but he would have handed them back last year for a win over Georgia in the championship game.
“The biggest goal for our team is always to win the National Championship,” he said, “and we didn’t meet that goal last year. So, last season was not the successful season that we wanted. All the blood, sweat, and tears that we put into a season is towards getting to the National Championship and winning it, and last year we got there and we did not finish the way we wanted to.”