Mention the name Bill Anderson to Tennessee football fans of his generation, and they’ll tell you of great accomplishments on the gridiron. Mention his name to Vol fans of any age, and they’ll tell you about his insightful broadcasting commentaries.
Anderson first came to prominence on successful Tennessee squads of the mid-1950s. He was on the SEC championship team of 1956 which played in the Sugar Bowl and on the 1957 squad which played in the Gator Bowl. Generally regarded as one of the school’s top wing backs, his name is mentioned in the same breath as such Vol greats as Bob Foxx and Bert Rechichar.
Few Vol fans of his day will forget the ever-present threat of a long touchdown run, a dazzling reverse, or the spectacular catches he made with such ease. After leaving Tennessee, Anderson played professionally for the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers, and he had the great honor of playing in Super Bowl I. Anderson returned to Knoxville briefly as offensive ends coach under Doug Dickey in 1964.
Beginning in 1968, Anderson and John Ward teamed up to broadcast Tennessee football on the Vol Network. Anderson is generally regarded as one of college football’s greatest analysts. In four decades, Ward’s and Anderson’s calls of the great moments of Tennessee became as much a part of the Vol tradition as the exploits of the players on the field. On and off the gridiron, Bill Anderson is truly a Tennessee football legend.