Colorado University Athletics
Hall of Fame Profile: Bobby Anderson
Editor's Note: It's Hall of Fame week here at CUBuffs.com, and we will feature all of this year's CU Athletic Hall of Fame inductees throughout the week. Today, we look at Bobby Anderson, former football All-American and College Football Hall of Fame inductee. This year’s Hall of Fame festivities begin Thursday, October 12, with the induction ceremonies at the Omni Interlocken Hotel & Resort (6:00 p.m. reception, with induction ceremony at 7 p.m.). The honorees will be introduced publicly at halftime of Saturday's game against Texas Tech.
Being inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame is a dream come true for Bobby Anderson, a boy that grew up in Boulder cheering for the Buffs and idolizing their players. It is also the perfect compliment to a year that will end with Anderson being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Anderson starred at two positions during his playing days for CU, and he remembers the day he made the switch vividly. It was 37 years ago and CU had an All-Big Eight Conference quarterback in Anderson, but because of a number of injuries to the team’s running backs and some depth behind him at quarterback he made the switch to running back. With the University of Indiana and their “Super Soph’s”, now seniors, coming into Folsom Field, Colorado head coach Eddie Crowder kept the switch a secret as long as he could; even having his star player warm up with the quarterbacks before the game.
Behind his new running back Anderson, coach Crowder and the Buffaloes beat the favored Hoosiers 30-7 and turned around their season. The Buffaloes would go 8-3 and beat Alabama in the Liberty Bowl 47-33 as Anderson would earn MVP honors. That all-conference quarterback turned running back just happened to earn first team All-Big Eight, first team All-American honors and finish 11th in the Heisman voting that year, his first season at his new position.
“Going to the University of Colorado was natural to me, growing up the guys that played for CU were all my heroes.” Anderson said “Being a kid from Boulder it helped me appreciate the tradition that CU has and I am just so appreciative to receive this honor.”
Along Byron “Whizzer” White's #24 and Joe Romig's #67, Bobby Anderson’s #11 is one of only three numbers to be retired by the CU football team. When asked what he attributed his success to Anderson replied “There were two main elements: one, my coaches and two, my teammates. Eddie Crowder and the staff we had here was simply amazing. I was also surrounded by great players, especially the offensive line. They were great to play behind. We assaulted the goal line and partied in the end zone and it was all because of the o-line. “
Anderson set 18 original records while at CU including career marks for total offense (4,565 yards, a Big Eight record at the time), rushing yards (2,367) and scoring (212 points). Several of his marks only fell after freshman were allowed to play varsity beginning in 1973, giving players one more season to work their way into the record book. Anderson was also the second leading vote getter when CU announced its All-Century team in 1989.
Anderson also set five team bowl games marks, all of which still stand today, and he still holds or shares five Liberty Bowl records, including the outright marks for most rushes (35) and the most gross and net rushing yards (both 254). He shares the bowl record for touchdowns (3) and points (18) scored. At the time, it marked the second most rushing yards ever in postseason play, and it still tied for the seventh-most all-time. He was the most valuable player in the ’67 Bluebonnet Bowl, the ’69 Liberty Bowl and the ’70 Hula Bowl. He played in 32 college football games, regular and postseason, and four college all-star games.
Anderson also praised his fellow inductees. “Coach Mac (Bill McCartney) was amazing, when he came here he kind of had to rebuild the program, much like coach (Dan) Hawkins is doing now. He had three losing seasons (1982-84) and then 10-straight winning seasons including a national championship. From 1988-94, when he retired, he never won less than eight games and came close to winning two more national championships for the University (1989 and 1994). It was fun to be around him in the hay day of our football program, I was working for KOA (radio) then, covering the Buffs and he was so easy to work with and the locker room and field access he allowed me was simply amazing.”
With all the awards and inductions Anderson has been receiving lately he wanted to acknowledge everything Fred Casotti -- the late Sports Information Director and Assistant Athletic Director -- another 2006 inductee, did for him. “Fred Casotti is as responsible as anyone for everything that is going on with me.” Anderson said “I understand all the work that he did behind the scenes for me, and I’m sure it was Fred’s campaigning that got me into a lot of those teams (all-conference, all-american, etc.).”
Anderson went on to be drafted into the NFL (Denver’s first round pick in 1970) where he played for six seasons in Denver (1970-74), New England (1975) and Washington (1975). After his playing days were over, he returned to Boulder to cover the Buffs for KOA radio starting in 1977 and remaining there for 26 years.
When talking about his days at CU Anderson remembered numerous games, plays and people he met; naming off no fewer than 30 players and coaches he played with, and for, while at CU.
After talking with Anderson several things are clear; success is not reached without the help of others, the tradition others started and he sustained while at CU is alive and going strong and he still bleeds black and gold.