Will Anderson shares eye-opening lesson from his high school coach


A discussion with his substantial school mentor, Clifford Fedd, genuinely resonated with Will Anderson.

The previous Dutchtown (Ga.) Large Faculty standout has manufactured an incredible sophomore year at Alabama, resulting in a fifth-area finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. As Anderson will get set to again enjoy in the College Football Playoff Countrywide Championship Video game, he was requested if not obtaining an invitation to New York for the Heisman ceremony provided any inspiration.

It was at that level that Anderson shared the lesson he discovered from Fedd.

“He was telling me that your physique is your engine, and I’m a motor vehicle,” Anderson stated. “And the only detail you will need to get going is that engine, and anything at all else that arrives with it, any accolades, just about anything else, that just to make you glimpse nice. As very long as your motor is likely in your motor vehicle you happen to be wonderful.

“For occasion, me obtaining that Nagurski Trophy, that was just a pair of rims on my motor vehicle. So I feel that’s how you strategy it. As lengthy as your motor is there, you preserve heading. Nearly anything else, that is just to make you glimpse great.

“When he broke that down to me and spelled out that to me, I assume that was a person of the most effective points he could at any time do. He definitely opened my eyes to me. It was like, guy, you ended up ideal. As extended as I have obtained my engine, that’s all I will need for my car to continue to keep going.”

What variety of car is Anderson? Crimson Tide running back Brian Robinson gave his impression.

“Will is a lot more like a dually truck, one particular of all those significant aged mud-tire, driving trucks,” Robinson mentioned. “I can’t genuinely clarify, but he’s a person of these men who can get serious dirty, get himself up and get all set to do what he did all more than again. That is what you use these huge dually vehicles for, off-road type of things.”

Anderson extra to his extraordinary totals with a dominant showing throughout the Cotton Bowl and has now reached 97 full tackles, 34.5 tackles for reduction and 17.5 sacks as a result of 14 games. He potential customers the country in both tackles for loss and sacks and is now five TFLs absent from breaking Derrick Thomas’ single-period report at Alabama (39 in 1988). Anderson is also only one sack shy of passing Thomas for next place on the single-time sack record (18 in 1987).

A native of Hampton, Ga., Anderson admits he does not know a lot about the Corridor of Famer that starred in both of those Tuscaloosa and with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he respects Thomas’ legacy. But transferring up UA’s history guides isn’t some thing Anderson is focused on ideal now.

“Just to be stated with his title and all the good results he’s had below and just to be even talked about with his identify is seriously a blessing,” Anderson explained. “But I really are unable to dwell on these form of matters for the reason that we have so significantly right here to do. We have to get a natty. We have to perform, exercise, all the things. It really is exactly where my aim has been.”

A single participant Anderson has viewed is Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is a a few-time NFL Defensive Player of the year, 6-time All-Professional and eight-time Professional Bowler.

“I like observing Aaron Donald, the way he employs his hand,” Anderson explained. “He’s quite violent and athletic and can get by means of blocks and drop blocks really perfectly. I like observing his recreation, even although he is far more an interior dude. The way he moves and operates his hand, I check out to copy that with my game.”


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