South Georgia - In The Game High School Sports Magazine

A 6’1”, 220-pound defensive lineman with great footwork and mobility is a great asset to have at the high school level. Imagine that same player – size and all – on a middle school team. Such a player could wreak havoc on other seventh and eighth graders. And that’s just what’s happening at Brooks County Middle School.

Darren Anderson is a defensive tackle/offensive tackle for the Trojans. He has been playing football for eight of his 14 years, starting in the local recreation leagues and working his way up to the middle school team. Anderson has always found a home on the offensive or defensive lines. His size makes him a natural fit anywhere in the trenches. His goal is to play fullback, although right now he’s too valuable on the lines. “I’d like to play fullback but Coach won’t let me,” he says with a touch of humor. Anderson wanted to play football at an early age after watching games on television. Even as a youngster, football made an impression on him and he discovered an intense desire to play.

For Anderson, football is about more than just fun. He enjoys being on the gridiron, but he wants more out of himself than simply participating. Anderson wants to be good – really good. The football landscape is littered with players who, for one reason or another, were middle school all-stars who never duplicated that success in high school. Anderson will not tolerate adding to that statistic. He wants to be the very best player he can be, and to that end, Anderson is committed to working hard and putting in the time necessary to get bigger, faster and stronger. “He’s a really hard worker. He does everything he can to get better. He’s a very quiet kid and would rather lead by example,” says Brooks Middle head coach Charles Perry.

Playing on the line, particularly the offensive line, is one of those thankless tasks for which one receives very little recognition. The lineman’s paradox is that while stellar play often slips under the radar, a powerful line is absolutely necessary for football success. And that’s where Anderson comes in. Though he would like to play in the backfield, his future is more than likely on the offensive line. The Trojans run a multiple attack centered around the power I. Anderson occupies the all-important left tackle position. When the quarterback drops back to pass, Anderson’s role is to make sure an opposing defender doesn’t get around him and to the quarterback via his blind side. But he’s more than just a pass blocker. Anderson has the mobility to get downfield on running plays. “He’s a good downfield blocker and is a very versatile lineman,” says Perry. On defense, Anderson also plays tackle and is a very disruptive young man. He’s quick off the ball and can get into the backfield rapidly. And when he gets back there, the play is all but over. “If he’s in the backfield, the offense can’t operate,” says Perry.

As valuable as Anderson is to the Trojans offensive game plan, he would rather play on defense. The reason, he says, is simple: It’s more fun hitting someone than getting hit. He’s a playmaker who wants to make something happen. Anderson loves short yardage situations where the quarterback tries to barrel through the line for those few extra yards needed for a first down. “When I see a quarterback sneak, I go after the ball. I’ve got several fumble recoveries this season,” he says.

The middle school Trojans, who have won the region title the last two years in a row, have had a good 2010 season. They had made the playoffs and were hoping for a region championship hat trick. It’s easy to let that kind of success go to your head but Anderson refuses to do so. He knows that he still has a lot of work to do. If he’s going to make the transition from a very good middle school player to an elite high school player, especially in Brooks County’s region, he’s going to have to really apply himself. Anderson has the size – that’s one thing you can’t coach – and the mobility. He is also a good blocker who loves to hit.

In middle school, the biggest kids on the field can use their size to bulldoze people out of their way. In high school, that isn’t the case. There are a lot of big, strong kids on the field who know how to play. It’s the little things that separate the good players from the great ones. Anderson is keenly aware of that and he already knows what he needs to work on. “I need to improve my techniques, especially getting through the line. Right now, I just try to run through the line but I won’t be able to do that in high school. I’ll have to play smarter,” he says.

Anderson will also have to get in the weight room. The middle school team doesn’t have its own weight room, which limits how much the team can lift. He practiced with the Trojans over the summer and says he wasn’t intimidated on the field at all. The weight room was another story. “Some of those guys are strong,” he laughs.

Anderson also knows that he’s going to have to keep his grades up. He says his coaches do a good job of making sure all of the players are doing well in the classroom. “They know when progress reports go out. They stay on me pretty good,” he says.

So what does the future hold for the big lineman? “He’s going to be an offensive tackle, most likely on the left side. On the defensive side, he will be a defensive tackle or a nose tackle. At the high school level, he can produce on both sides of the ball,” says Perry. •

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