Coach & Player Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 9

In the first quarter of the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, Temple quarterback P.J. Walker was pressured up the middle when he threw the ball. As the ball seemed destined to sail over the 6-foot-3 wide receiver sitting in the middle of the field, he jumped and reached his hand up in the air to make the catch and get the first down. Most receivers would have given up on the play, especially with a defensive back lurking in the area. Not Robby Anderson. Although this is just one of the many acrobat- ic catches he has made, the catch itself is symbolic of Anderson’s football career. When it looked as if it was over, he rose up and succeeded. Anderson was born in Teaneck, New Jersey but spent most of his time in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Growing up in the Sun- shine State let him not only experience good weather but helped make him the man he is today. At South Plantation High School, he played against some of the best competition not only in the state but also in the country. “Playing football in high school was fun,” said Anderson. “It was very competitive down there because Florida has some of the best talent. Every week, I was going against another Division I prospect, if not multiple Division I prospects. There was a lot of attention on me and pressure to be good, so it made me a better football player.” Although Anderson did well at South Plantation High School, he was not heavily recruited by many big-time programs. Indi- ana, Illinois, and Marshall showed interest in the receiver. How- ever, only Temple and Western Michigan made offers. “Part of the reason why I chose Temple was the other choice was kind of in the middle of nowhere and Temple was not in the middle of nowhere. It was in the city. When I came in, they were headed to the Big East. I had met with Coach [Matt] Rhule. They were expanding everything, and it was an up and coming program. I just felt like it was a good move.” “If I went to one of the other schools, things probably would be a bit easier. I probably would have walked on campus and start- ed. I knew going to Temple; it would be more of a challenge for myself. It would have made me more into a man, which it did.” When Anderson first arrived at Temple, he was redshirted. He Fall 2016 coachandplayer.com 9