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TMZ: Lions' CJ Anderson Was Investigated for Altercation with Youth Football Ref
August 28, 2019
Detroit Lions running back C.J. Anderson was the subject of a police investigation this year after he allegedly had an altercation with a referee at a youth football tournament in March.
According to TMZ Sports, Anderson was coaching a 14-and-under team in Cypress, Texas, when he got into a heated verbal argument with a referee. There was reportedly chest bumping and "mutual contact" between the two men.
The referee alleged that Anderson yanked the whistle from his mouth, which caused him to suffer a "sore lip and watery eyes," but there was no consensus among witnesses regarding whether that happened.
As a result, the Harris County District Attorney's Office didn't press any charges against Anderson, citing a lack of sufficient evidence.
The 28-year-old Anderson told TMZ Sports: "There were no charges because I never touched the man. ... It was a typical coach-and-ref interaction. I was just looking out for my players."
Anderson left the tournament the day of the altercation since the referee refused to continue officiating if he didn't, but Anderson noted that while he was invited back to the tournament the next day, the referee wasn't.
After signing with the Lions during the offseason, Anderson is set to enter his seventh NFL campaign. He spent his first five seasons with the Denver Broncos before splitting time between the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams last season.
With Todd Gurley ailing, Anderson received the lion's share of the carries during L.A.'s playoff run, which culminated in a Super Bowl appearance.
Overall, Anderson is a one-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion, dating back to his time in Denver. For his career, he has rushed 760 times for 3,454 yards and 22 touchdowns while catching 108 passes for 900 yards and five scores.
While Kerryon Johnson is expected to be Detroit's bell-cow back in 2019, Anderson figures to receive plenty of work in short-yardage situations.