Just Like His Dad : Blake Anderson Runs in His All-Pro Father’s Footsteps

Blake Anderson was understandably nervous as he prepared to receive the opening kickoff for Palos Verdes High last Friday night at North Torrance.

Not only was it the season opener, but it marked his debut as starting quarterback for the Sea Kings.

“I had butterflies,” he said.

Within seconds, though, he was having the time of his life.

Anderson returned the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and, minutes later, he duplicated the feat by running a punt back 92 yards. Before taking a snap, he had given Palos Verdes a 13-0 lead on its way to a crushing 47-7 victory.

“I had a lot of fun running those kicks back,” he said. “What was weird is that I thought about doing it before the game. It was amazing.”

Well, maybe not that amazing.

Electrifying runs are nothing new to the Anderson family. Twenty-two years ago, Anderson’s father, Dick, a safety at the University of Colorado, returned two punts for touchdowns in the Blue-Gray college all-star game.

A coincidence? Palos Verdes Coach Bill Judy doesn’t believe so.

“It’s in the bloodlines as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Dick Anderson also has noticed a family resemblance.

“It’s funny,” he said. “Blake sent me a couple of photographs of himself running with the ball. It’s a remarkable similarity.”

The elder Anderson, a former All-Pro strong safety who played on two Super Bowl champions during a 10-year career with the Miami Dolphins, won’t have to settle for photographs this week. A resident of Miami, he flew to Los Angeles on Thursday and will be in attendance at South Torrance High when Blake leads Palos Verdes against South (0-1) in a non-league game at 7:30 tonight.

Dick Anderson, who is divorced from Blake’s mother, Lois Tierney, carries on a long-distance relationship with his second-oldest son. He learned about Blake’s big game by calling him Saturday morning.

“I was choked up,” he said. “I was so elated about his performance.”

So, too, were the Palos Verdes coaches and players.

“He’s probably the most gifted football player I’ve ever been around,” said Judy, in his seventh year as the Sea Kings’ head coach. “He virtually learned the offense in two or three months. We thought it would take another month to get where we are. But overnight he had it all down.”

Said offensive tackle Kyle Holderman: “I’ve played with Blake since our freshman year, and he can play just about anything.”

Blake entered the season as somewhat of a question mark. Although he was named to the All-Bay League first team as a free safety last year (he ranked among South Bay leaders with five interceptions), he was making the difficult transition from running back to quarterback on offense.

But if there were any doubts about his ability to play quarterback, Blake erased them with a near-flawless performance against North. Running the veer option with surprising smoothness, he rushed for 54 yards and one touchdown, passed for 84 yards and had the Saxons’ defense reeling.

“His ability to read that option was the thing that really surprised me,” said North Coach Don Bohannon. “For not playing quarterback last year, he did a fine job. He looked like an all-American.”

Said Judy: “He just has that innate ability to find the open spot.”

The 6-foot, 175-pound senior relies on that innate ability to compensate for his lack of physical gifts. He isn’t big, and he isn’t particularly fast. He gets the job done by making the right decisions.

In that regard, Blake says he is a lot like his father. Ex-Raider Coach John Madden once called Dick Anderson “the smartest defensive player I’ve ever seen.”

Blake carries the same heads-up attitude on the field. And, like his dad, he isn’t afraid to mix it up.

“I like to hit,” he said. “My future in football is at defensive back, either strong safety or free safety.”

Blake would like to continue playing football next year at his dad’s alma mater. He said both Colorado and the Miami Hurricanes have contacted him.

It remains to be seen if Blake, who is not a highly regarded prospect, can make it in a major-college program. But you can bet he’s going to give it his best shot.

“It’s rather important,” he said. “My feeling is that if I work hard enough and get as much weight on as possible, I should have a good chance. Football is a great sport. It’s on my mind a lot.”

Blake’s exposure to football came early in life. When he was a baby, his picture appeared in the Miami Herald with Dolphin Coach Don Shula holding him. And nearly every year since then, he has attended the team’s training camp.

He spent a month this summer at his dad’s house and worked on his passing with one of the neighbors: former Dolphin All-Pro quarterback Bob Griese.

When the Dolphins come to Los Angeles or San Diego, you can find Blake on the sidelines. He has met virtually all the team’s players through the years, a privilege that has left a lasting impression.

“It’s very exciting,” Blake said. “If I ever had a chance to be part of it, it would be great.”

Blake’s confidence is fueled by the success that others in the Anderson family have enjoyed in athletics:

His father was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and led the National Football League with eight interceptions in 1973.

His uncle, Bobby, was an all-American running back at Colorado and played six seasons with the Denver Broncos.

His older brother Chris, a 1987 Palos Verdes graduate, is expected to be the starting third baseman for the University of Miami next season.

For the present, Blake would be happy with a winning football season and a berth in the CIF playoffs, a goal that eluded Palos Verdes last year.

As for the future, he uses his father as an inspiration.

“I want to follow in my dad’s footsteps all the way,” he said.

Blake Anderson has given an indication he might fill those shoes.