Rashard T. Anderson (June 14, 1977 – July 13, 2022) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

for two seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played for the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

from 2000 to 2001. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the Jackson State Tigers.

Early life

Anderson was born in

Forest, Mississippi Forest is a city and the county seat of Scott County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,684 at the 2010 census and the population is a minority-majority. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a tot ...

, on June 14, 1977. He attended Forest High School in his hometown. He then studied at

Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a Public university, public Historically Black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and ...

(JSU), where he played

for the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is a large cat and a member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is tradition ...

from 1996 to 1999. He played a role in the Tigers winning the 1996

Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United St ...

(SWAC) Championship and the 1999 SWAC Eastern Division title. He was subsequently drafted by the

in the first round (23rd overall selection) of the

2000 NFL draft The 2000 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Theat ...

. He and Sylvester Morris were the second pair from JSU to be selected in the first round of an NFL draft, after

Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...

and

Robert Brazile Robert Lorenzo Brazile Jr. (born February 7, 1953), nicknamed "Dr. Doom", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Brazile played from 1975 to 1984 for the Houston Oilers and ...

in 1975.

Professional career

Anderson was drafted in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Anderson made his NFL debut with the Panthers on September 3, 2000, at the age of 23, in a 20–17 loss against the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

. In his first NFL season, Anderson appeared in 12 games and recorded 21 tackles. He ended the 2001 season with 47 tackles and his only career interception in 15 games. He also finished second in the NFL in fumble return yards (97) after

Brian Urlacher Brian Urlacher (; born May 25, 1978) is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, earning co ...

and was tied for the most fumble return touchdowns (1). Anderson was suspended for a year by the NFL on May 23, 2002, for violating the league's

substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...

policy. The suspension was extended for the 2003 season after he failed to meet the requirements for reinstatement. He was ultimately reinstated by the NFL following the 2003 season, and the Panthers immediately released him. Anderson subsequently signed a contract with the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium a ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

in May 2005. However, he was released the following month when the Stampeders cut their roster to the 40-player regular-season limit.

NFL career statistics

Later life

After retiring from professional football, Anderson was employed as a substitute teacher and was an assistant football coach at Callaway High School and Murrah High School in Jackson. He was inducted into the JSU Sports Hall of Fame. Anderson died from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

on July 13, 2022, at the age of 45.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Rashard 1977 births 2022 deaths American football cornerbacks Carolina Panthers players Jackson State Tigers football players People from Forest, Mississippi Players of American football from Mississippi Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Mississippi