Tackling machine. Freak. One of the most versatile defenders.
The praise for Tycen Anderson was sustained throughout the summer months. Seemingly every day brought another tweet from an NFL draft maestro about the senior safety.
“I hear it all,” Anderson said. “I’m extremely blessed to be in the position that I’m in. It took a lot of hard work. Just because they’re talking about it doesn’t mean it’s certain. I know I have to put the work in to make it a reality. Through all the things they say, there are still things I want to get better at. The ceiling is high, so I continue to put my head down and work.”
During the months of August and September, that meant rehabbing a knee injury that kept it out the first three games. Anderson returned last week at Ball State, where he had two tackles in 20-some plays.
While Toledo missed seeing Anderson bring defenders to the ground — he had the second-most tackles in 2019 and 2020 — the team longed for the two-time captain’s leadership.
“I’ve told him that we miss your leadership more than we miss you as a player,” UT coach Jason Candle said. “I know no player wants to hear that because it sounds like it’s being disrespectful, but it’s not. It’s about as great of a compliment as you can get. I think he’s everything you want in a football player. When things get hard, he’s got enough in his tank to make sure he stands up and says the right thing, not necessarily what everyone wants him to say. Valuable player. Good football player. Major boost to have him back.”
Safeties coach Ross Watson described Anderson as having an aura and presence about him, an impalpable trait that provides UT with increased energy.
“Just getting him back in practice changes the mood and momentum,” Watson said. “It’s huge to have him around. He’s as great of a leader as he is a player. Being with the guys is instrumental for the team.”
The former St. John’s Jesuit standout — teammates have nicknamed him Mr. Toledo — made an immediate impact for the Rockets, playing in all 14 games as a true freshman. Anderson is a three-time academic All-MAC selection and he earned second-team All-MAC honors in 2020 after recording 34 tackles and four pass breakups in six games.
In 46 career games, Anderson has 195 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and one sack, two interceptions, and 19 passes defended. And he’s accumulated those numbers from every part of the field.
“One thing that helps him is his versatility,” Watson said. “In his first two weeks here, he played corner, then he switched to safety, and now he’s playing nickel. To be able to play all three of those positions is huge. It helps him schematically. He understands the defense in and out.”
Anderson’s passion for special teams and fondness for making plays is the biggest reason why he’s projected to be a mid-to-late-round NFL draft pick next April.
Eric Galko, the director of player personnel for the Shrine Bowl, said that Anderson will be one of the top three or four special teams players available in the draft.
One NFC scout, who requested anonymity, told The Blade that Anderson could be a “special teams demon.”
“He’s a really good-sized kid,” said the scout, who also raved about his long jumping ability in high school. “He’s productive. He’s a tackler. He’s got good length. He can run. I’m excited to see him play this year and progress over these next eight games.”
Chad Reuter, a draft analyst for NFL.com, tweeted a video of Anderson in coverage, complimenting the safety for staying a fast receiver and breaking up a pass.
TOL S Tycen Anderson often plays around the LOS, wrapping up ballcarriers with his 6'2", 210 frame. Here he stays with a quick slot WR downfield and finds the ball for the PBU. #SnapScout22 pic.twitter.com/3xB2kVh2fE
— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) August 21, 2021
Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, deemed Anderson “one of most intriguing hybrid defenders on the Senior Bowl’s radar.”
One of most intriguing hybrid defenders on @seniorbowl radar is Toledo DB/ST ace Tycen Anderson. Unique combo of size (6020) and explosion (23’5.5” LJ in HS track). Mostly aligns as box-SS but many NFL teams will project 33” arms & low-4.4 speed to CB.????#TheDraftStartsInMobile™️ pic.twitter.com/Vzj8QCgcV4
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) August 3, 2021
The Freak List, compiled each year by the Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, has become one of the most anticipated preseason content items of the year. When the list was published in August, Anderson was No. 48 out of 101.
“NFL personnel folks are very excited about this dude because he is really long — they’ve verified that he has 33-inch arms — and is physical with great ball skills,” Feldman wrote. “He was banged up last season but is primed for a huge 2021. He was all over the field in the spring and had coaches seeing him as their Spider-Man. The 6-2 ½, 208-pounder vertical jumped 38 inches and clocked a 4.45 40 in front of NFL scouts.”
The knee injury Anderson suffered in fall camp was the first time he has been kept off the field. The feeling — not the pain but being unable to play — is something he hopes to never wrestle with again, although it allowed his possible future in coaching to blossom.
“It wasn’t fun,” Anderson demurred. “This was the first time in my career where I’ve had to miss games during the season. I had to sit in meetings and prepare for games knowing 100 percent that I wasn’t going to play. But I knew I had to be there for the guys and help some of the young [defensive backs] out. I wanted to take that leadership role and help out as much as I could.
“I could easily be a 6-2, 200-pound safety who’s a knucklehead that doesn’t do his school work and isn’t good in his own community. But I take pride in those things.”
The quotes from scouts, the tweets from draft gurus, and the career accolades uncomplicate life for Toledo’s coaches, presenting a real-life example of what hard work looks like and the result.
“It validates what we preach to them,” Watson said. “OK, here’s a guy that does everything right. He’s one of the hardest workers. All the things we try to get out of each guy, he emulates. It’s easier for a coach to say, ‘Look at how he’s playing and look at what he does.’ There are many days where Tycen comes up to me and says, ‘Coach me hard.’ He makes his coach better, too. That goes unnoticed.”
First Published October 1, 2021, 1:02 p.m.
