Missing the last seven games of his senior season was something Dres Anderson never thought would happen.
After suffering a knee injury that forced the Utah receiver to miss the last part of his senior year, Anderson finally got to prove to NFL scouts that the knee was fully healed with a workout in the Eccles Field House Tuesday.
“I got to get out here and show these teams that I’m not injured anymore, my knee is good, I feel 100 percent,” Anderson said. “I feel like I put on a good show.”
While rehabbing his knee, he said it was one of the hardest times in his life. He did not want to put any pressure on himself and possibly re-injure himself, because he knew he had a bright future.
“There’s been times I felt like I can play again, but dealing with a knee you don’t want to rush it, so I just wanted to make sure I was 100 percent before I really got back into things,” Anderson said.
There were around a dozen scouts present at the workout, watching Anderson perform basic combine drills and test his knee. Anderson felt great about this turnout, considering he missed the last part of last year.
“I’m happy that these teams show interest, and I’m still on the radar,” Anderson said. “After missing the last seven games you can kind of feel forgotten.”
Marv Sunderland, a scout for the Tennessee Titans, said Anderson’s injury was not a primary concern. He and other scouts were more concerned with how Anderson would perform running routes that are more suited to the NFL.
“He did everything in the workout you have to do, and there’s no bad side effects from anything he went through,” Sunderland said. “You’re always going to have a concern on injury, but guys like this, they come back, you work them out, and they do a good job.”
Sunderland said he has been doing this for a while now, so it is always rewarding to see guys get back on their feet.
“Everything he did was what we expected out of him,” Sunderland said.
Anderson did some catching drills with former BYU quarterback Christian Stewart. Anderson was grateful he could come down at the last minute and that the one-time rival didn’t deter his performance.
“I’m happy he didn’t try to sabotage me,” Anderson said jokingly. “I appreciated it. It was big time from him.”
The two had never met until today, but Anderson said he hopes the scouts got a good look at Stewart too. However, Stewart said he is not planning to continue playing football and was just glad to take advantage of this opportunity after watching film on Anderson.
“Dres is a great receiver, and I’ve heard a lot about him,” Stewart said. “I was excited to come throw to him and see first hand just how special of a receiver he is.”
Anderson’s father, Willie Anderson, played 10 years in the NFL and was excited to see his son rise to the occasion.
“It was a great confidence builder for him,” Willie Anderson said. “We didn’t know where his knee was going to be. Knew he’d been working hard since he injured his knee, and to come out here and do what he did today, it was a great job for Dres.”
Willie Anderson said he does not mind what team drafts his son because he knows it will be a special moment if it happens.
“The NFL is the NFL,” Willie Anderson said. “Wherever he goes, I just hope he’s happy and gets a chance to show what he can do.”
Dres Anderson said his agent sees him being drafted in either the third round or early fourth. Although he has no private workouts scheduled right now, he hopes to have some in the near future.
“I just [need to] keep working out, working hard, staying in shape [and] get ready for the draft,” Dres Anderson said. “I know I can get faster and stronger. I’ve been dreaming about [playing in the NFL] my whole life. My father played, [and] to carry on his name is a great thing for me.”
Willie Anderson said it gives him goosebumps each time Dres is on the field, and he thinks his son is going to be able to handle whatever is thrown at him. He said it is a joy to see his son follow in his footsteps.
“Dres has always been a very optimistic, confident person,” Willie Anderson said. “He’s going to need a lot of that playing wide receiver against a lot of those DBs in the league out there with the cockiness that they have.”
@kbrenneisen