Nick Anderson isn't from New Orleans. His family actually runs his hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi. And that's meant quite literally. His grandfather, George Flaggs Jr., is the mayor.
But after 4 years and that ended in an American Athletic Conference crown and thrilling Cotton Bowl victory with the Green Wave, he knew exactly where he wanted to latch on to start his NFL career after going undrafted. So when the phone called and it was Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges on the line, there was no question in his mind.
“That’s what I wanted and I was ecstatic, the family was ecstatic," Anderson told WWL's Mike Detillier and Bobby Hebert this week. "This was home for me."
Listen to the full interview with Nick Anderson in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
But he wasn't always sure that would be the case. He had been in contact with both the Saints and the Seahawks, and the Saints traded away their pair of 7th-round selections, either of whom they might've used to select the former Tulane standout. The Seahawks opted to use their 7th round selection on Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh, leaving the door open for New Orleans.
The vision for Anderson, who is a bit undersized for a linebacker at 5-10, 225 pounds, will be primarily at special teams to start. There's where he'll have to prove his worth, and that's just fine with Anderson. Tulane coach Willie Fritz prioritized special teams in his own right, and if you weren't a QB or offensive linemen, you would be expected to contribute there. That was the case for Anderson, who logged 776 special teams snaps in his college career while also contributing 283 tackles, 6 passes defensed, 10.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in his four seasons.
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"[Special teams is] something that I take pride in," Anderson told WWL. "I look at punt and kickoff as another rep on defense. And I look at the punt return team, the kickoff return team as another opportunity to make a play and help change the game. So I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to working with Coach [Darren] Rizzi and being on all four special teams for the Saints.”
While he went undrafted, it's not lost on him how much of an achievement it was to see so many of his Green Wave teammates land on rosters. Stars Tyjae Spears (81 to Titans) and Dorian Williams (91 to Bills) both went in the third round, Tulane's highest drafted players since Matt Forte was picked in the 2nd round back in 2008.
A host of other Green Wave players have latched onto NFL rosters as UDFAs, including:
- S Macon Clark, Bears
- S Larry Brooks, Bengals
- WR Deuce Watts, Packers
- WR Shae Wyatt, 49ers
- TE Will Wallace, Commanders
“It’s really just a blessing to just see everybody get their opportunity going forward and get their opportunity to chase their dreams," Anderson said. "To have [all these Tulane players] get their opportunity to get their foot in the door with the NFL is amazing, and it’s a just true testament to all our hard work that we put in last year in the offseason and going out there and being Cotton Bowl champs and being AAC champs, just to see everything unfold is a true blessing.”
Saints Free agent signings thus far:
- LB Nick Anderson, Tulane
- TE Joel Wilson, Central Michigan
- LB Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt
- K Blake Grupe, Nore Dame
- WR Shaq Davis, S.C. State
- OL Mark Davis II, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
- RB SaRodorick Thompson, Texas Tech
- C Alex Pihlstrom, Illinois
- WR Sy Barnett, Davenport
- P Lou Hedley, Miami
- CB Anthony Johnson, Virginia
- DT Jarron Cage, Ohio State
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MORE FROM NICK ANDERSON
What do you want to get better at?
“The first thing I want to do is become more of a student of the game. At the college level I maxed out and tried to find every way to get better, and I feel like as long as you’re still playing, still have the opportunity to play the game of football, there’s always something you can learn. So coming into a great room under coach Hodges and being able to look at guys like Demario Davis ... Cameron Jordan, it’s just a team full of talent, a team full of guys that I can come in and learn from."
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How are your cover skills?
“The NFL is definitely a passing league and that’s something that I feel I am prepared for and have been working to fine-tune. … We ran a lot of different schemes, a lot of different coverages, from quarters to cover 3 spy dropping to cover 3 max. So I have a very, very great intelligence for different zone concepts and different man concepts. A lot of times me and Dorian would have to cover tight ends, even cover slots in certain defenses and running backs out the backfield, so I definitely have experience doing that and have production of doing that as well with pass deflections, so I have been working on my hands so I can turn those pass deflections into interceptions going forward.”
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Who do you model your game after?
Devin White: “I feel like he’s a phenomenal linebacker, very athletic. Not the biggest guy, but just the way he has the motor to go sideline to sideline and just create havoc and make plays.”
Sam Mills: “It’s really given me the motivation to know that if he can do it, I can do it. He’s a Hall of Famer, a legend, the Field Mouse for the New Orleans Saints. And I just know that I have that same opportunity. He was an undrafted guy, I’m an undrafted guy. And definitely have that opportunity to come in and work hard, and that’s the goal, that’s the standard.
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