Honors & Awards
» 2014 Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media)
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Spring, 2014)
Senior linebacker Zaire Anderson had a standout 2014 campaign, leading the Blackshirt defense in tackles. Anderson was at his best in conference play, averaging nearly 10 tackles per game.
Anderson finished his senior season with 103 total tackles, with 77 of those stops coming in Big Ten Conference games. He capped the regular season with a career-high 14 tackles at Iowa, marking his fourth game of the season with double-figure tackles, all in league play.
Anderson showed his play-making skills in 2014, leading the team in fumbles caused (3), fumble recoveries (2), while ranking second in tackles for loss (13). He added five pass breakups and a pair of sacks. His play helped a Nebraska rank among the national leaders in opponent completion percentage, pass efficiency defense and third-down defense.
Anderson was recognized for his play, earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades from both the league’s media and coaches. Anderson earned his degree in child, youth and family sciences in August of 2014, and played his senior season as a graduate student.
2014 (Senior)
Florida Atlantic: Led team in tackles with seven, including four solo stops... notched a TFL for four yards. McNeese State: Finished with eight tackles, including six solo stops... notched a pair of TFLs. Fresno State: Saw time off the bench, but didn’t record any stats. Miami: Totaled four tackles in the win over the Hurricanes. Illinois: Led the defense with nine total tackles, including three TFLs and a sack on the final play of the game. Michigan State: Totaled six tackles, including four solo stops... added a TFL, QB hurry and pass break-up. Northwestern: Tied for second on the team with eight tackles... also broke up a career-high two passes, after having two previous career PBU. Rutgers: Tied a then-career-high with a team-best 11 tackles, matching his 11 stops at Minnesota in 2013... 11 tackles increased his career total to 100... added a TFL and a break-up in the win. Purdue: Had 11 tackles for the second straight game to tie a then-career high... added a QB hurry and a TFL for six yards. Wisconsin: Produced six tackles and notched his fifth pass break-up... was invovled in two turnovers, as he forced and recovered one fumble, while also recovering another fumble. Minnesota: Notched a career-best 12 tackles, including five solo stops... recorded two TFL’s for three yards and also forced a fumble. Iowa: Caused a second-quarter fumble with a sack... fumble caused was his third of the season, all coming in a three-game stretch... finished with a career-high 14 total tackles... double-figure tackle game marked Anderson’s fourth double-figure tackle game in five games. USC: Recorded eight tackles in the Holiday Bowl, and pushed his season total over 100 tackles... added his 13th tackle for loss on the season.
2013 (Junior)
Anderson played in 12 games, and started five of the season’s final seven contests. He was fifth on the team with 52 tackles, including 28 solo stops. Anderson made 35 of his tackles over the final seven games, and had five games in 2013 with six or more tackles. He had six tackles for loss on the year, including three sacks for 22 yards.
Anderson made three tackles each against Southern Miss and UCLA in non-conference play, then had a strong performance against South Dakota State. Anderson made 10 tackles against the Jackrabbits after entering the game with 10 career tackles. He also had his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
Anderson posted a career-high 11 tackles against Minnesota’s power running attack. He had a strong game at Michigan with six tackles, including five solo stops, and also had a career-high two sacks for 15 yards. He tied for the team lead with eight stops against Michigan State, including a tackle for loss. Anderson closed the regular season with six tackles against Iowa and made four tackles, including three solo stops, in the Gator Bowl.
2012 (Medical Hardship)
Anderson played in three games in 2012 before suffering a knee injury, and received a medical hardship. Anderson had four tackles before his injury.
Before Nebraska (Riverside CC)
Anderson starred at Riverside (Calif.) City College in 2010 and 2011. He helped Coach Tom Craft’s team to a 21-1 record in two years, including a perfect 11-0 record in 2011.
Anderson was a playmaker at linebacker, finishing 2011 with 95 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. In his final game at Riverside, Anderson had 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and forced two fumbles in a 31-14 bowl victory over Saddleback Junior College. For his play in 2011, Anderson was named a JC Gridwire All-American and the National Division East Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In 2010, Anderson had 92 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks to earn second-team all-conference honors.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Anderson starred at Frankford High School where he was a first-team All-Philadelphia Public selection in his senior season. He was the first Pennsylvania native to sign with Nebraska since 1999. Anderson was regarded as the top junior college linebacker prospect and No. 13 overall JUCO player by Rivals.com, while JC Gridiron.com named him as one of its "Dirty Dozen" Outside Linebackers. Anderson only visited Nebraska but had numerous scholarship offers, including Texas Tech, Mississippi State and Kentucky.
Personal
Zaire is the son of Walter Anderson and Kim Hawkins, and he was born on Aug. 18, 1992. Anderson is majoring in child, youth and family sciences. He was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll during the spring 2014 semester. He has volunteered his time with hospital visits, local community center outreach events, NFL Play 60 and at the UNL Children’s Center.
Anderson's Career Stats
|
. |
Tackles |
. |
. |
Fum. |
. |
. |
. |
QB |
|||
|
Year |
G/S |
UT |
AT |
TT |
TFL |
Sacks |
C-R |
BK |
PBU |
PI |
Hry. |
| 2012* | 3/1 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
0-0 |
0.0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2013 | 12/5 | 28 | 24 | 52 | 6-25 | 3.0-22 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2014 |
13/12 |
48 |
55 |
103 |
13-34 |
2.0-16 |
2-0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
|
Totals |
28/18 |
77 |
82 |
159 |
19-59 |
5.0-38 |
2-0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
5 |
» Tackles - 14 at Iowa (2014)
» Solo Tackles - 8 at Iowa (2014)
» Tackles for Loss - 3 vs. Illinois (2014)
» Sacks - 2.0 at Michigan (2013)
» Pass Break-Ups - 2 at Northwestern (2014)