John Anderson

Roger John Anderson (born February 14, 1956) is an American former professional football player. He was a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons from 1978 to 1989.

Anderson is a native of Waukesha, Wisconsin. He was selected as the Packers' most valuable defensive player for three consecutive years. At the end of his career with the Packers, he was the team's all-time leader in tackles and was tied with Ray Nitschke for the Packers' career record in interceptions by a linebacker. Anderson was named a second-team player on the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1996.

Anderson also played college football as a linebacker and defensive end for the Michigan Wolverines from 1974 to 1977. He was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player in 1976 and a first-team All-American in 1977. In 2009, he became the linebackers coach at Carroll University.

Early life Anderson was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 1956. He attended Waukesha South High School where he played both football and basketball.

University of Michigan Anderson enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1974 and played college football for head coach Bo Schembechler's Wolverines teams from 1974 to 1977. He was a backup outside linebacker as a freshman in 1974.

As a junior, Anderson started 10 games at defensive end for the 1976 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 10-2 and allowed opponents to score only 95 points (7.9 points per game). Anderson contributed to 65 tackles and three interceptions for the 1976 Wolverines. At the end of the 1976 season, Anderson received the team's Frederick Matthei Award. He was also selected as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player. Anderson tallied 73 tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception for the 1977 team. In 1977, he received the team's Meyer Morton Award

Green Bay Packers Anderson was selected by the Green Bay Packers with their second of two first-round selections (26th overall pick) in the 1978 NFL draft (the Packers' first pick being James Lofton). Despite the early injuries, a sports writer in The Milwaukee Journal in September 1980 wrote that Anderson was the Packers' "best overall athlete", a "complete football player" who "doesn't make mental mistakes" and "has size and speed and strength" and who "possesses all the stuff superstars are made of" except for "color."

Anderson was named a second-team player on the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team as selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1996.

Later life Upon retirement, Anderson became a sportscaster for WITI in Milwaukee. In 1998, he was hired as a middle school Earth Science teacher at Brookfield Academy in Brookfield, Wisconsin. In 2009, he was hired by Carroll University in Waukesha as the football team's linebackers coach. He retired from teaching at Brookfield Academy in 2017.