Mario Anderson
| Memphis Tigers – No. 2 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 24, 2001 Summerville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 208 lb (94 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Stratford (Goose Creek, South Carolina) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Mario Anderson Jr. (born April 24, 2001)[1] is an American football running back for the Memphis Tigers. He previously played at Newberry College and for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Early life and high school
[edit]Anderson attended Stratford High School in Goose Creek, South Carolina.[2] An unranked recruit, he committed to play college football for Newberry College, joining the Division II team as a walk-on.[3]
College career
[edit]Newberry
[edit]During his four-year career at Newberry from 2019 through 2022, Anderson rushed 513 times for 3,296 yards and 35 touchdowns, while also hauling in 21 receptions for 135 yards.[4] He was named first-team all-conference twice in 2021 and 2022,[citation needed] while also being named an All-American in 2022, and was also named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2022.[5][6][7]
South Carolina
[edit]Anderson transferred to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.[8] In week two of the 2023 season, he rushed six times for 32 yards in a win over Furman.[9] In week four, Anderson ran for 88 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries in a win over Mississippi State.[10] In week five, he broke off a 75-yard rushing touchdown against Tennessee.[11] Anderson finished the 2023 season rushing for 707 yards and four touchdowns on 143 carries, while also hauling in 22 receptions[citation needed] for 153 yards and a touchdown.[12] Following the season, he entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[12]
Memphis
[edit]Anderson transferred to play for the Memphis Tigers.[13] In week seven of the 2024 season, he was ejected in the second quarter in a win over South Florida after spitting on Bulls defensive tackle Doug Blue-Eli.[14] In week eight, Anderson rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries in a win over North Texas.[15] In week 12, he rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries to help beat UAB.[16]
Statistics
[edit]| Season | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | |
| Newberry Wolves | ||||||||||
| 2019 | Redshirt 
| |||||||||
| 2020 | 6 | - | 69 | 504 | 7.3 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | - | 233 | 1,237 | 5.3 | 12 | 12 | 91 | 7.6 | 0 |
| 2022 | 10 | - | 211 | 1,560 | 7.4 | 19 | 6 | 25 | 4.2 | 0 |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 12 | 8 | 143 | 707 | 4.9 | 3 | 22 | 153 | 7.0 | 1 |
| Memphis Tigers | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 12 | 11 | 219 | 1,292 | 5.9 | 17 | 46 | 290 | 6.3 | 2 |
| D-II Career | 29 | - | 513 | 3,296 | 6.4 | 35 | 21 | 135 | 6.4 | 0 |
| FBS Career | 24 | 19 | 362 | 1,999 | 5.5 | 20 | 68 | 443 | 6.5 | 3 |
References
[edit]- ^ @mario_anderson2 (April 24, 2019). "Got on my knees and thank the good lord for full life today 🙏🏾 blessed to be able to see 18 years of age 🖤#HappyCakeDayToMe" (Tweet). Retrieved December 4, 2024 – via Twitter. [self-published source?]
- ^ Gantt, Rob (26 October 2018). "High School Roundup: Mario Anderson leads Stratford; Berkeley clinches region title". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Adams, Emily (16 November 2023). "How Mario Anderson went from Division II walk-on to South Carolina's starting running back". Greenville Online. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ "Mario Anderson Stats". The Football Database. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Gantt, Rob (18 November 2021). "Former Stratford star Mario Anderson earns all-conference honors at Newberry". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Gantt, Rob (23 May 2019). "Anderson a Super get for Newberry". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Gantt, Rob (23 September 2021). "Former Stratford standout Mario Anderson putting up big numbers at Newberry". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Kornblut, Phil (19 December 2022). "Stratford HS grad Mario Anderson Jr. talks transfer from Newberry to South Carolina". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Sapakoff, Gene (13 September 2023). "Gamecocks' help recipe is Mario Anderson, better blocking". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Gantt, Rob (4 October 2023). "Former Knights standout providing spark for Gamecocks' ground game". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Cloninger, David (20 October 2023). "Gamecocks' 'Super Mario' Anderson, Missouri's Schrader bring D2 to SEC". Post and Courier. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ a b Adams, Emily (6 December 2023). "Top South Carolina football running back Mario Anderson entering transfer portal". Greenville Online. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Kaye, Jordan. "Former South Carolina RB Mario Anderson picks his new college home". The State. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Dylan, Jonah (12 October 2024). "Memphis running back Mario Anderson ejected after appearing to spit at USF player". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Dylan, Jonah (20 October 2024). "How Mario Anderson bounced back from ejection to add name to Memphis football running back lore". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Dylan, Jonah (17 November 2024). "How Mario Anderson's 1,000-yard season for Memphis football sets up Tigers for future". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 29 November 2024.