| Matthew Anderson |
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Center
6-4 · 305
Cuero, Texas (Cuero)
#62
A tough, hard-nosed and competitive five-year center ... played in 49 career contests, including four bowl games (1999-2000 Cotton Bowls; 2000-01 Holiday Bowls) ... signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers following the 2002 NFL Draft ... named to the Dave Rimington Trophy watch list (nation's best center) as a senior ... 2001 UT Longhorn Club Sportsmanship Award winner ... 2000 UT Most Consistent Offensive Player.
SENIOR (2001)
Started all 13 games, including the Holiday Bowl vs. No. 21 Washington ... helped UT score a Big 12-best 39.2 points per game (sixth NCAA) and tally 162.3 rushing, 250.3 passing and 412.6 total yards per contest ... was a key member of an offensive line that opened holes for UT's seventh consecutive 1,000-yard rusher (Cedric Benson, 1,053 yards) ... also helped clear the way for Benson's five straight 100-yard rushing games from Oct. 13-Nov. 10 ... recorded 46 knockdown blocks and 45 pancakes ... helped clear paths for an offense that produced three 50-yard rushers (first time since 1994), 40:18 of possession time (most since 1982) and 15-of-21 third down conversions (best percentage since 1986) against New Mexico State ... posted five pancakes and five knockdowns in helping the Horns record 241 rushing yards at Oklahoma State ... registered four knockdowns and two pancakes against Colorado ... tallied five pancakes and one knockdown at Baylor ... had two pancakes and four knockdowns as UT tallied 606 yards of offense (ranked No. 11 on UT's all-time list) against Kansas ... also saw action at guard against the Jayhawks ... posted four pancakes and three knockdowns at Texas A&M ... helped pave the way for a Texas offense that recorded 119 yards rushing, 473 yards passing, and six TDs in a victory over No. 21 Washington in the Holiday Bowl.
JUNIOR (2000)
Durable center who started all 12 games, including the Holiday Bowl ... named the team's Most Consistent Offensive Player ... helped pave the way for a Longhorn offense that averaged 38.6 points per game (eighth NCAA), 439.0 yards per contest (14th NCAA/No. 6 on UT's all-time list) and a school-record 293.5 passing yards per game (14th NCAA) ... was a key member of the young offensive line that opened holes for UT's sixth consecutive 1,000-yard rusher (Hodges Mitchell/1,118 yards) ... helped clear the way for Mitchell's back-to-back 200-yard rushing games (229 at Texas Tech/264 at Kansas) ... helped set the tone for UT to rush for 1,206 yards (201 ypg) during the final six games of 2000 ... helped pave the way for Mitchell to rush for more than 100 yards in four of the final six games (150.8 ypg) ... helped lead the way for UT's 637 yards of total offense (at that time ranked fourth in school history) and 396 rushing yards at Kansas ... helped lead UT to a 205-yard rushing day against Oklahoma State, which led the nation in rushing defense at that time.
SOPHOMORE (1999)
Played in all 14 games, including the Cotton Bowl, and started the last 10 at center ... served as the top backup at center and guard for the first four games ... claimed the starting center job at Baylor ... was a key member of the young, but talented line that paved the way for UT's fifth straight 1,000-yard rusher (Hodges Mitchell/1,343 yards) ... helped block for four of the top single-game total offense outputs in school history (504 vs. Texas Tech/553 vs. Oklahoma/586 at Baylor/558 vs. Stanford) ... played more than 750 snaps at center.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (1998)
Saw action in 10 games, including the Cotton Bowl, at guard and on special teams ... served as a backup at left guard and the third-string center ... redshirted in 1997.
HIGH SCHOOL
Coached by Mickey Finley at Cuero High ... earned first-team all-state honors in Texas Class 3A as a senior ... also lettered in basketball and track (shot put/discus).
PERSONAL
Born 8/22/78 in Houston ... full name is Matthew Earl Anderson ... also has lived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (1978-79); Jakarta, Indonesia (1979-84); Houston (1984-90) and Sealy, Texas (1990-94) ... earned a corporate communications degree and a second undergraduate degree in government ... named to the Fall 2000 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll ... three-time member of the Athletics Director's Honor Roll.
