Blue White Illustrated

U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L LIKE FATHER, LIKEfootsteps to Penn State SON Offensive standout Richy Anderson follows his dad's THE ANDERSON FILE S TAT I S T I C S Totaled 666 yards and six touchdowns on 136 carries as a senior and caught 24 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns... As a junior, amassed nearly 1,400 yards of total offense and 15 touchdowns HONORS Three stars from Rivals.com... Was ranked by Rivals as the No. 19 all-purpose back in the country Steve Manuel BY TIM OWEN owen.tim.bwi@gmail.com ong before he earned Division I scholarship offers, cementing his status as a top football recruit, Richy Anderson would say that Penn State was his favorite program. Anyone who has followed the Nittany Lions for the past couple decades likely knows why. Anderson's father, Richie, played fullback under Joe Paterno from 1989 to '92, and went on to have a 12-year career in the NFL. Inevitably, Richy grew up a fan of the Blue and White. But by the time Penn State offered a scholarship at the beginning of his senior season, there was one problem: The 5-foot-11, 171-pound offensive standout from Frederick, Md., had already committed to Maryland. The Nittany Lions didn't pursue him as aggressively as he had hoped following his junior year. L Meanwhile, the Terrapins considered him to be one of their top prospects, so he jumped on their offer. But when the Penn State staff reevaluated its recruiting board at the end of the summer – two months after his verbal commitment to the Terps – and extended an offer, the potential to follow in his father's footsteps rekindled Anderson's desire to become a Nittany Lion. "I can't deny that I was very, very excited when Coach [Larry] Johnson and Coach [Bill] O'Brien decided to offer me," Anderson told TerrapinTimes.com after receiving the offer. "I was talking to my dad last night, and it's pretty cool to have an offer from the same place where he accomplished what he did." He added that the offer would not change his commitment to Maryland, but his thinking changed when he visited Penn State for the Ohio State game on Oct. 27. Although the Lions lost, Anderson was enamored with the nightgame atmosphere and White Out. "I almost had tears at one point just imagining what it would be like to be out there," he said. "To be part of something like that, I honestly can't describe it. I took a bunch of pictures of everything and I was looking at it all as I was driving home. [I was] just thinking about more than just the environment, more than just football, but the entire town, the school and what it means to be part of this team." By the time he awoke the next morning, his mind was made up. "I called Coach Johnson immediately, and he was real excited," he said. "Then I talked to Coach [Charles] London, and then I spoke with Coach O'Brien last before I got off the phone. Everyone is real excited. My family is real excited." Anderson, a three-star recruit as rated by Rivals.com, enrolled at Penn State in January after graduating from Thomas Johnson High School a semester early. He turned heads almost immediately, playing slot receiver in the BlueWhite Game and catching three passes for 17 yards. He scored a touchdown on a toe-dragging 5-yard reception. Anderson's teammates and coaches say that his performance in the spring game only hinted at what he could do for the Nittany Lions in the future. AllBig Ten receiver Allen Robinson said that Anderson performed consistently throughout spring practice and he expects him to see playing time this fall. London, the running backs coach, added that if Anderson is to see the field this season, his ability to play multiple positions will be a determining factor. "Richy's a versatile player," he said. "He can play some slot, you can put him in the backfield and he can do some things. We'll probably try him out in the return game as well. He's a dynamic player who has shown some quickness so far, so we're looking forward to getting him out there."

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