Anderson Credits What He Learned In Chicago For New Success
(WSCR) Drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, defensive end Mark Anderson had arguably the best year by a Bears rookie defense lineman.
He set the Bears rookie sack record with 12 sacks on the season, and combined with Alex Brown for 19 sacks in 2006, the most by a Chicago defensive end duo since Richard Dent and Trace Armstrong recorded 24 sacks in 1993.
Anderson struggled after his rookie season before he was cut by the Bears during the 2010 season. After one season in Houston he signed with the Patriots before the 2011 season. Now, he's preparing to play in Super Bowl XLVI for the Patriots, but he credits his resurgence to his time in Chicago.
"It was a good experience," Anderson told The Mully and Hanley Show. "I learned a lot. I learned what to do, what not to do, how to approach different situations. Then, going to another team, I used what I learned in Chicago and what I learned in Houston. I came (to New England) and kind of put it all together and it worked out for me."
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During his rookie season, Anderson played in the Super Bowl for the Bears. He said at the time, he didn't realize how special that experience was.
"My first year in the league when we went to the Super Bowl, I knew we were going back," he said. "I was like, 'Oh, this is easy. All I have to do is win out, win a majority of the games and win in the playoffs.' We didn't even make the playoffs the rest of my years (in Chicago.) This is my first year coming back to the playoffs, fix, six, years later. You never know. That's why I'm blessed right now."
