Michigan Wolverines Football: 30 greatest players of all-time

There have been plenty of linebackers in the history of the Michigan program who have made their presence on the field, but very few who have been more impactful than Erick Anderson. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Anderson was the man in the middle of the Wolverines defense, proving to be one of the better tacklers in the history of the program.

A product of Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois, Anderson took a redshirt during his first season on campus. However when he finally made his debut, it did not matter who the opponent was. Anderson was going to get his tackles and make an impact on the game, much like he did with his 16 tackle performance against the Ohio State Buckeyes as a freshman.

Over the course of his college career, Anderson won or shared a Big Ten title in every season. He was the team’s co-captain as a senior. That season, not only did he win the Roger Zatkoff Award, given to Michigan’s best linebacker, but also the Butkus Award, which is given to the  best linebacker in college football.

Anderson was a seventh-round draft choice in the 1992 NFL Draft, but spent only a handful of seasons in the NFL. Still, the Wolverines never lost a game against Ohio State in his career. While guys like Desmond Howard and Elvis Grbac get a lot of the credit, the defense could not have been as successful without Anderson.