By Stampeders.com staff
Running back Kelvin Anderson was the model of consistency as a member of the Calgary Stampeders.
In seven years with the Red and White — 1996-2002 — he recorded precisely that many 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Anderson established franchise marks for most 1,000-yard seasons and most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons that stand to this day.
Nobody has carried the football more often as a member of the Stampeders than has the native of South Bend, Ind., and his 8,292 yards on the ground are the second-highest total in Calgary history.
And yet, Anderson was somewhat overlooked during his time in the city. A lot of that had to do with some of offensive playmates — mega-watt stars such as Jeff Garcia, Dave Dickenson, Allen Pitts, Dave Sapunjis, Terry Vaughn, Travis Moore, Vince Danielsen and Marc Boerigter.
With that many dynamic players throwing and catching the football, it almost seemed like a disappointment to some fans when the Stampeders ran the ball, no matter how expertly Anderson was doing it.
It was too easy to take Anderson’s productivity and reliability — he missed just one game in seven seasons — for granted.
“He was so dependable,” said Garcia. “A tough running back who worked his tail off. You could rely on him every game to be out there on the field. I don’t remember him not being on the field.”
“The thing about Kelvin that always amazed me was his incredible balance,” said Duane Forde, the TSN analyst who was a fullback with the Stamps for much of Anderson’s career. “He never seemed to get knocked off his feet by the first hit.
“You always hear about YACs — yards after catch. Well, (former Stampeders assistant coach) Dan Dorazio always talked about a different kind of YACs — yards after contact. And Kelvin was great at that.”
Anderson took pride in his ability to show up for work and deliver the goods for head coach and general manager Wally Buono and the team.
“I always told Wally he never had to worry about me,” said Anderson, who was added to the Stampeders’ Wall of Fame in 2012. “I would always be there.”
Anderson followed Buono to BC in 2003 and recorded one more 1,000-yard season in his final year in the CFL. The eight consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns is a CFL record.
Anderson came to the Stampeders from the campus of Southeast Missouri State and excelled immediately as he racked up 1,068 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns — 10 rushing and four receiving — as a rookie.
Over his Calgary career, No. 32 had 52 rushing touchdowns and 24 receiving scores for a total of 76 majors, second only to Pitts in Stampeders history.
Anderson was a two-time Grey Cup champion with Calgary, winning titles in 1998 and 2001. In 1998, he established a Calgary Grey Cup record that still stands by rushing for 105 yards.
Anderson was a CFL all-star three times and a West Division all-star on five occasions. He was Calgary’s nominee for the Most Outstanding Player award three times and was twice a finalist for that honour.
And yet, he is very quick to deflect credit for his success.
“I’m so thankful for the offensive line the Stampeders gave me,” said Anderson in reference to all-stars such as Fred Childress, Rocco Romano, Jamie Crysdale and Jay McNeil. “The city pushed me and everything with the team was top-notch. I just loved every bit of it.”