Dres Anderson looking past injury to prove NFL worth

(Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — After five seasons at the University of Utah, wide receiver Dres Anderson is more than ready for the next chapter of his life.

The dream of making it to the NFL is all but a foregone conclusion in his mind a week before the NFL draft is set to begin. To Anderson, it's just a matter of whose logo he'll be repping for the next few years.

“No matter what happens, I know I’m going to get a shot,” Anderson said. “So no matter where I go, or no matter how early I go or how late I go, I know when I get to a team I’ll do the best I can and show the team I’m a good athlete, and I’ll be someone that impacts their team in a good way.”

That confidence about playing at the next level is not new for the charismatic, freckled-faced receiver. If anything, it's what continues to motivate him each day in a sport dominated by superior athletes in a high-risk position group with a bright spotlight: Succeed and you're the hero, fail and you're a bust not worthy of a second mention.

“He’s been a very optimistic, very confident person,” his father Willie “Flipper” Anderson said. “He’s never lacked any of that, and coming into the NFL he’s going to need a lot of that playing wide receiver against those DBs in the league and the cockiness they have.”

“I feel like I’ve got a big playmaker inside of me, and I have that knack for making the hard play,” Dres Anderson said. “Doing things like that, I’ve just got to make sure I’m consistent in everything I do.”

A season-ending knee injury midway through his senior season at Utah, though, is throwing an unpredictable wrench in the stability aspect of an already fluid draft, particularly in a position group with so many skilled athletes competing for a spot.

Dres Anderson catches a touchdown pass from quarterback Kendal Thompson in Utah's road win over UCLA.
Dres Anderson catches a touchdown pass from quarterback Kendal Thompson in Utah's road win over UCLA.

Anderson looked the part of an NFL-caliber receiver at Pro Day earlier in the month when he showcased his quick speed and ability to grab nearly every ball thrown in his general vicinity. But a smattering of NFL Draft projections have Anderson going anywhere from the first few rounds to undrafted as a result of the surgery conducted last fall to repair a meniscus tear in one of his knees.

“I’ve had times where I’ve thought I was forgotten,” Anderson said. “If you’re not playing, you’re not being talked about. And the other guys are doing some good things, so your stock will drop. And having an injury, that’s not something teams are looking forward to seeing in a player.”

But Anderson said he feels confident in the comments he’s been hearing from NFL teams throughout the process leading up to the draft.

“Teams are very happy to see I’m good, and we’ve been getting good feedback,” he said.

“You’re always going to have concern on injuries,” said Tennessee Titans scout Marv Sunderland. “But guys like this, when they come back and you work them out and they do a good workout, you go, ‘OK, he’s good.’ ”

Photo credit: Tom Smart/Deseret News

No matter the feedback, Anderson believes he has a "leg up" entering the draft with a father who had a 10-year career in the NFL and knows how the business operates.

“He kind of gives me pointers on how I should approach things,” the younger Anderson said. “I feel like it’s an advantage, for sure.”

“It’s just amazing to see my son out there playing with all those big guys,” Willie Anderson said. “It’s a joy to have your son come behind you in your footsteps.”

Although Anderson’s father had a successful career in the NFL, including being the NFL record holder for his 336 receiving yards in a single game — a record that’s stood more than 25 years — Anderson said he’s never felt the pressure to live up to his father’s successes.

“It was never hard for me because he never put that pressure on me. I never felt like, ‘Oh, I’m Willie Anderson’s son and I have to be as good or better than him," Dres Anderson said. "I’m really just trying to be myself, and I’m trying to be the best me. I never really worried about what he did. I’m just trying to accomplish my own goals.”

Still, the unpredictable nature of the NFL Draft has Anderson a little on edge.

“I’m anxious,” he said. “I am nervous in a way, but I’m more excited.”

Lasting Utah career

Utah fans have seen Anderson through his ups and downs — missed catches and unbelievable only-Dres-can-catch-that grabs. As a captain for the Utah football program his senior season, he represented hard work and a never-give-up attitude, all with a large smile on his face.

Even through the losses, disappointing performances and a heartbreaking season-ending injury, Anderson carried an upbeat outlook to the game and life and remained a leader to his teammates.

“I was devastated for sure,” Anderson said speaking about his knee injury. “I knew my teammates needed me; I was a captain. I’ve got to look at things in a positive way. I made sure I was still there for my team and basically led from another way instead of physically.”

As a player coming from sunny California, Anderson committed to then-Mountain West Conference top dog Utah — a two-time BCS-busting team looking for greener pastures in its eventual home of the Pac-12.

The environment was certainly different, but it was an opportunity for Anderson to spotlight his talent on a team inside a top-tier football conference; an opportunity he used to make a name for himself.

“I could have played my freshman year in the Mountain West, but I redshirted because I wanted to make sure all my years were in the Pac-12 because it’s just better competition and I’ll get seen more there,” he said. “Whatever I do in the Pac-12 will be more relevant than what I do in the Mountain West.”

Anderson was a resourceful receiver in his career at Utah, leaving the program with 2,077 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He leaves Utah at No. 5 in all-time receiving yards and is tied for sixth all-time in receiving touchdowns.

“I feel like I have no regrets here,” Anderson said. “I feel like I lived it up here to the fullest. I’ve had an exciting time here, and I’m satisfied with it.

“I’m gonna miss playing at Utah,” he added. “Everything about it was just fun.”

Dres Anderson runs it in for a touchdown against Michigan at the Big House
Dres Anderson runs it in for a touchdown against Michigan at the Big House

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