Bad Teams Shouldn’t Cost Willie Anderson The Hall of Fame
Credit: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger
“When you don’t come from struggle, gaining appreciation is a quality that’s difficult to come by.” – Shaina Twain, five-time GRAMMY award winner
“Willie is the only one who has been worthy. If a guy is worthy, he’s worthy.” – Anthony Munoz, former Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro left tackle and Pro Football Hall of Famer
I don’t know if Munoz is a country music fan. Nor do I know if, outside of her wearing of the local team’s jersey during her concerts, or her Super Bowl XXXVII halftime performance, Twain is a big NFL fan. What I do know, though, is that the two quotes above are a perfect summation of the atrocity that is former Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro right tackle Willie Anderson’s absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Anderson is perhaps one of the most underappreciated players of his era. In being arguably the best player at his position for much of his 13-year career, he showed his worthiness to make the Hall. His accolades speak for themselves: Four Pro Bowl selections, and three First-Team All-Pro selections. But being stuck on some of the worst teams of the 1990s and early 2000s, Anderson was overlooked in the early part of his career, and is overlooked in retirement.
Recently, on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, Anderson suggested that “The Blind Side” has hurt his Hall of Fame candidacy. How? Author Michael Lewis, as well as Sandra Bullock’s Leigh Anne Tuohy, both state that left tackles are far more valuable than right ones, which is a perception that’s ingrained itself into the football world.
Now, while the real–life Michael Oher is probably No. 1 among players who have a beef with the film and the Tuohys in real life, Anderson might have a valid one himself. Looking at Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who signed a five-year, $140.63 million contract extension on Aug. 1 to become the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. one would be inclined to agree.
Now, Detroit Lions’ offensive stalwart Penei Sewell – a right tackle – being the second-highest-paid tackle in the league right now might seem to go against that perception, but overall, the conventional wisdom of right tackles being more valuable than left tackles remains strong in the NFL.
At first glance, Anderson’s stats would certainly appear Hall-worthy. In addition to his All-Pro honors, his status as the anchor of a constantly changing offensive line during his time in Cincinnati earned him spots on the Bengals’ 40th and 50th-Anniversary teams, as well a member of their Ring of Honor.
In 1996, he was a member of the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) All-Rookie Team and would go on to only surrender 16 sacks – 16!!! – over the course of his 13-year NFL career. Anderson was so good that the man wasn’t even credited with surrendering a sack from 1990 to 2001!
So what, then, could be the reason he isn’t in the Hall of Fame? Well, much like Dale Murphy in baseball and (to a much lesser degree, given his 2004 championship with the Detroit Pistons) Chauncey Billups in basketball, Anderson is 1) a really nice guy who, 2) played on a LOT of bad teams.
Anderson played in 195 NFL games, starting 184 of them. Of those 195 games, 181 – from 1996 to 2006 – were played for the Bengals. During that tenure, including the 2007 season in which he only played in seven games, the Bengals won a grand total of 76 games, losing a whopping 116.
That includes a 3-13 1998 season, back-to-back 4-12 1999 and 2000 seasons, its 6-10 2001 season, and its abysmal 2-14 2002 season. Don’t blame Anderson — remember, in three of those seasons, he gave up zero sacks. Despite being a member of the offensive line that helped Corey Dillon rush for a then-single-game rushing record 278 yards against the Denver Broncos in 2000, things never got anywhere close to a championship level during Big Willie’s time in Cincinnati.
A cynic might argue the biggest success Anderson got to enjoy in the Queen City was the former Fatburger franchise he owned in the Oakley neighborhood, but that’s neither here nor there.
Today at age 49, he is a respected offensive football guru, his Willie Anderson Lineman Academy, and achieving big things. There have been 17 students to come through his school who signed scholarship offers in 2021 alone. He is a familiar figure around the Bengals, never having spoken badly (at least not publicly) of his time in Cincinnati.
He deserved better in his playing days, and he deserves better now. We can’t do anything about his career, but are able to right his current situation. He deserves a gold jacket – which, with Anderson now noticeably slimmer, will suit him well – and a bust in Canton.
Late WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall once said, “Hard work pays off. Dreams come true. Bad times don’t last, but bad guys do.”In Anderson’s case, it’s time for one of the good guys to last – and the Pro Football Hall of Fame is where Anderson’s legacy should be honored forever.
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