27 Days to Gator Football - #27 Neal Anderson '82-'85

[Escambia94]

Charles Neal Anderson grew up in the podunk town of Graceville, Florida and rose to greatness as a member of a 1-2 backfield with John L. Williams under head coaches Charley Pell and Galen Hall. He remains third in all-time rushing yards behind Errict Rhett and Emmitt Smith. With John L. Williams, Ricky Nattiel, and Kerwin Bell all on the same team, the Gators offense was a Juggernaut as the Gators finished 9-1-1 in SEC-best and nationally elite years 1984 and 1985. He was a team captain in 1985, 1st team All-SEC in 1985, an AP honorable mention All-American in 1984 and 1985, and the recipient of the Gators’ Fergie Ferguson Award in 1985. Neal had fourteen games with 100 yards or more rushing, 639 carries for 3,234 yards rushing and thirty touchdowns, forty-nine receptions for 525 yards receiving and two touchdowns, and ninety-seven yards passing.

 

[DRU2012]

Man, he tore UP the SEC throughout the early-80's--and what a tandem we had, N.A. and John L.! It's easy to forget the run of great backs we had right through that decade--Emmit right after, then Rhett. I still have some hope for our current super-speedster, Jeff Demps, to put together one season free of injury and have the kind of breakout his rare talent has promised, but I look forward to a return to the sort of RB who can "make his own hole".
Of course, the last guy we had like that was a QUARTERBACK--and we'll not see HIS like again any time soon.

 

[Escambia94]

Neal sure did tear it up. This was the running back I grew up with as a northern Florida tailback, until hometown hero Emmitt Smith of NW Florida made it big. I can remember Emmitt almost committing to Auburn due to the trouble Florida was in, so he quickly gained favor with me over Neal and John L. Perhaps some of that narrative will show up again in a few days when I hit #22.

 

[Leakfan12]

Those would have won national titles in 1984 and 1985 if the NCAA didn't drop the hammer. And Bowden was able to keep still titles F--K the NCAA.

 

[Escambia94]

Definitely one of those should have been a national title. The other would take some serious debate. They both were definite SEC titles.