Jerry Anderson, who played briefly for the...

Jerry Anderson, who played briefly for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drowned after pulling two boys out of a rain-swollen river at Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Police officer Bill Todd said rescue workers pulled Anderson from the lake and took him to a local medical center, but efforts to revive him failed.

Five years ago, Anderson helped Tulsa, Okla., residents who were trapped in buildings and cars during a flood. He was honored by the city for his heroic actions.