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Bob Anderson, Colorado's Finest
 All-American Bobby Anderson |
The following feature, found deep inside Colorado Sports Information files, typed up on white paper and blue ink -- a signature of the once widely used "Ditto-Machine," was written shortly before Colorado's 1969 Liberty Bowl win over Alabama.
Colorado Sports Information Office
November/December 1969
When Colorado takes the field for the last time this season in the Liberty Bowl against Alabama, so ends the most illustrious career of any Colorado football players..that of tailback Bob Anderson. This last four years will be remembered as the “Anderson gang” for their feats, and it has truly been a good era.
This 208-pounder, who grew up in the shadows of Folsom Field and then followed his All-American brother Dick to similar honors, will leave his name in the CU record book some 20 times. Most of those records may not fall while Anderson is still alive to read about it.
He’s the first Buff this year to make an All-America team, and it may be only the start. For this young man accomplished one of the rare feats in college football history this year. He switched from quarterback to tailback and became even a bigger star at his new position. When Anderson smashed in from the one against Kansas State to score his 19th touchdown of the year, it capped the finest home season in Colorado history and a 20-11 winning record during his three years.
“It’s been a thrill and an honor to play for this school and for the fans in Colorado that have backed us,” says Anderson, always the polite, considerate gentleman on and off the field. Do you wonder sometimes if there really is such a thing as an All-American? Take Anderson for example:
After every home game this year he has seen to it that an elderly lady fan who comes down to the games is put aboard a bus and is safely on her way home after the game. After the Oklahoma State game, the lady collapsed in the bus depot and Anderson aided her until medical help arrived. She’s okay now and in fact, brought Bob a cake after the K-State victory.
After a bitter and frustrating defeat at Nebraska earlier this season, Anderson took time to introduce his mother to Nebraska writers at the door of the lockeroom after the squad had showered and was ready to leave.
Corny? No, not with this young man who is also deeply involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes movement and a prime stimulant to the entire Colorado team.
“He’s just such a great inspiration to me just playing behind me,” says quarterback Jimmy Bratten. “His presence in the lineup always makes me feel like we will do it right.”
To get back to incidentals, Anderson has broken almost every CU rushing and total offense record, even those thought unbreakable when set by the famed Byron “Whizzer” White, who gained All-American and Hall of Fame honors at Colorado in 1937.
He now owns the Big Eight career total offense record of 4,722 yards with the bowl game to go, and his 19 touchdowns for the season and 37 in his career are marks that may stand the longest of all.
“It’s the trench hogs, the linemen up front that have made
it all a reality,” says Anderson. “They have worked hard
to make this a good ball club and that’s why we are playing December
13th, not because of me and what I have done. The defense, the whole
squad is great. They have made so many outstanding plays this year. There
is a great brotherhood on this team right now.”