25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career
By Nick Villano
25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career: 16. Ottis Anderson – St. Louis Cardinals
From one guy who had a major height but left the game young to another guy who could never quit the game and kept his production up late in his 30s. Ottis Anderson was phenomenal for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants. That dominance started right away. He had a career-high 1,605 yards rushing in his rookie season, and he added eight touchdowns for the Cards. He rushed for 193 yards in his very first NFL game.
Anderson went for more than 1,000 yards in five of his first six seasons. He always did the best with what he was given. In his one playoff game with the Cardinals, he rushed for just 58 yards. However, he was only given eight carries the entire game. Seems like something the coaching staff should have done more with.
He eventually went to the New York Giants, and he really built his legacy in the top city in the U.S. It took a little time to get an opportunity for the Giants, but in 1989 Bill Parcels brought a ball-control offense to Big Blue. It was the perfect time for Anderson to show he still had something left in the tank. He ended up rushing for his final 1,000-yard season, and he added a career-high 14 touchdowns. Anderson won the Comeback Player of the Year that season.
Anderson is a two-time Super Bowl champion and won the MVP in Super Bowl XXV. He was dominant against the Buffalo Bills, and that “wide right” moment helped secure his place in NFL lore because it led to his MVP win.