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

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnove ...

for two seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

(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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

from 2000 to 2001. He played college football for the

Jackson State Tigers The Jackson State Tigers and Lady Tigers represent Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Conference affiliation Jackson State University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Con ...

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 total a ...

, 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 historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi in terms of stude ...

(JSU), where he played

for the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

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 athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United States. It participates ...

(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 Th ...

. He and

Sylvester Morris Sylvester Morris, Jr. (born October 6, 1977) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the Kansas City Chiefs. Morris was an alum of McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans before joining the Jackson State Tiger ...

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 football running back who played ...

and

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

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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

. 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 football linebacker who spent his entire 13-season career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, where he b ...

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 abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

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 of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ...

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

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 Murrah High School is a public high school located in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It is a part of the Jackson Public School District. History Prior to desegregation in the 1960s, the school was majority white. Donna Ladd, in an article ...

in Jackson. He was inducted into the JSU Sports Hall of Fame. Anderson died from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of panc ...

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Rashard 1977 births 2022 deaths 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American players of American football 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