Giving Back- The Story Of Former Kansas TE Lyonel Anderson

It all started on the streets of Rochester, NY.

A young man with a dream. A dream that many young athletes share, and so many give up before making an impact in their chosen sport.

Not Lyonel Anderson.

A charismatic, intense athlete who starred in three sports (Basketball, Football, Baseball) that was more than just a jock.

Intelligent and school-savvy, Lyonel attended Wilson Magnet High School in Rochester, NY.

In addition to passing classes and not skipping school, he developed a fiery, competitive attitude that many didn't understand.

He simply refused to be outdone, and it showed in every move he made on the court and the field. The infamous dunk that he displayed against Franklin High School over the long, 6'11 star big man Jermaine Bell officially started the ascension of Lyonel Anderson.

As I followed him throughout Wilson Magnet High School, it was clear that someday he would be putting up numbers for a Division I school, and quite possibly, the NBA.

As a Senior, Lyonel helped lead a talented Wilson basketball team to a Sectional title, in which he was named as a Top 50 player in New York State.

His fearlessness on the boards and competitive nature struck fear in opponents, and his ability to shoot, pass and play defense was a huge asset to the Wildcats.

In addition to his triumphs in basketball, he was a big part of the football team and was selected to the Eddie Meath All-Star Game as a Defensive End and was named to the All-Greater Rochester team, which only had 15 of the region's best players.

Everything seemed to be going as he'd hoped, his dream of playing Division I sports was becoming a reality.

Surprisingly, Anderson was heavily recruited as a football player, and although he had basketball offers also, Lyonel chose to attend Alfred State College, a school about 2 hours from Rochester, NY.

Many of his teammates from Wilson Magnet High School attended Alfred State also, and that proved to be a nuisance in disguise.

In December of 2000, Anderson and a friend were charged by the school for causing damage to property, and his football future was suddenly in jeopardy.

As he waited for the decision from Alfred State on his future at the school, he wondered if his football future was in question and would anyone allow him to play at their school.

The verdict was handed down February 14th, 2001, and he was suspended for a year with the chance to return if he stayed out of trouble.

Many people would have succumbed to a different lifestyle or just given up on sports completely, but Anderson did neither.

Instead of whining and becoming complacent in his mistake, Lyonel enrolled at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY, a Junior College without a football team.

His football aspirations would have to be put on hold for a year while he proved to anyone listening that his mistake was merely an aberration, and that he would be an asset to any school both athletically and academically.

He not only finished his year at Monroe, but he made Honor Roll both semesters and was re-admitted back to Alfred State and hit the ground running.

Lyonel wasted no time showing Alfred State exactly what they had, catching 19 passes for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns. He helped to spread the field by making big plays, and became known as a big play receiver.

That reputation earned him a bid as a NJCAA Pre-season All-American in 2002.

He followed his 2001 season with a better year, catching 26 receptions for 534 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a school-record 78-yard touchdown reception.

Yep, it was all falling in place for Lyonel.

He was recruited by Division I and II schools once he graduated from Alfred State, and he chose the University of Kansas to harness his football skills.

Anderson was immediately named the starting tight-end for the 2003 season, but ran into what would become a long-bout with nagging injuries that would jeopardize and potentially compromise his career.

In practice, Lyonel pulled his hamstring and was forced to miss action. Although the injury subsided, it was something he had to deal with all season and it slowed him down.

In addition to the hamstring, he suffered a Herniated Disc in his back, a painful injury that he also would play through. Despite the pain and frustration, Anderson went on to catch 10 balls for 157 yards in limited action.

His injury problems would be the cause of him losing the starting job in 2004 to incumbent TE Derek Fine, a 6'3, 250 pound redshirt freshman who would eventually be drafted in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

Despite the setback, Lyonel fought his way back and by the time Week Two arrived in the season, he'd earned the starting TE role.

Once again obscurity fought him and he fought back, and his efforts didn't go unnoticed. He doubled his production from the previous year catching 33 receptions for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns.

After the 2004 season at Kansas, Lyonel prepared for a potential date at the 2005 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, he went undrafted in a year when TE's were just gaining notoriety and stars such as Greg Olson, Heath Miller and Kevin Everett headed a talented class.

On the day after the Draft, Anderson was contacted by the Cincinnati Bengals and subsequently signed as a free agent.

At last, his dream of playing in the NFL had arrived.

He appeared in the Bengals preseason games the following season, and played with and against the likes of Chad Johnson, Carson Palmer and Donovan McNabb.

Once again, the injuries caught up to him as he injured his left ankle and was unable to perform up to his ability, and eventually was released.

In the coming years, he would play for the Packers and Giants, and be worked out by the Seahawks and the Dolphins before ending up on the Arena Football League's Colorado Crush.

It was there that he had the worst injury of his career.

In February 2007, while practicing he tore the Patella Tendon in his knee, and required immediate surgery. The surgery was successful, but the pain and resulting scar was almost like a microcosm of his athletic career.

Rehabbing his knee at home with his newborn son, King, Lyonel discovered what he really felt was his passion.

Volunteering at his alma mater Wilson, he began to tutor and help train the young football players, and lend his experience and knowledge to them.

It was valuable for both Lyonel and the high-school players.

"I loved to watch them develop," Lyonel reflects. "They have so much un-tapped potential."

After graduating from Kansas in 2008, Lyonel decided to become a Graduate Assistant for the football team and pursue his Master Degree. His career plans have shifted, but the charismatic, intense athlete is still the same.

"I was frustrated with the injuries, but now I look at things different. I want to be a great father to my son, get my Masters and help the players harness their talents."

Lyonel remembers the coaches that helped him to harness his, and he wants to give back.

In addition to helping mentor the players and train them with his experiences, he comes back to Rochester and donates football equipment to the team.

It seems as though Lyonel has found his true calling in life, and to his surprise it isn't wearing an athletic uniform.

"Hopefully I can coach Division I and maybe even in the NFL someday," Lyonel says.

Hey, who said that he had to be a player?