Only three weeks ago, the 27-year-old Anderson was a man without a team

The Peyton Manning lesson that guided C.J. Anderson through adversity to his Rams ‘moment’

Vincent Bonsignore

https://theathletic.com/750391/2019/01/04/the-peyton-manning-lesson-that-guided-c-j-anderson-through-adversity-to-his-rams-moment/?redirected=1

As​ innocent​ as​ he​ was to​ the sometimes​ cutthroat nature​ of professional sports​ at​ the​ time, C.J. Anderson instinctually knew there​​ was a valuable lesson to be learned when he became a teammate of Peyton Manning on the Denver Broncos five years ago.

It was a lesson the running back undoubtedly would draw upon when his number inevitably turned up and he was summoned to the coaches office to be told the team was going in another direction and to make sure he dropped off his playbook on the way out.

The conversation became all too familiar for Anderson, who was dumped by three teams in less than a calendar year, only to resurrect himself as a late-season addition with the Rams and play his way into a role on one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses.

Even back then in 2013, as new to the league as he was, Anderson understood personnel decisions don’t discriminate among Hall of Famers, special-teams aces or third-string defensive ends. The reasons may vary — numbers game, salary dump, injuries, performance, advancing age — but it’s only a matter of time before that call gets made.

An undrafted free-agent rookie at the time, Anderson was just trying to turn enough heads to stick on the Broncos’ 53-man roster. About the only thing he had in common with the legendary Manning was they wore the same uniform.

But they were much more alike than anyone could imagine. The fact that Manning was even in Denver was all the proof anyone needed of that.

In a just world, Manning should have closed out his fabulous career with the Indianapolis Colts. The record-setting quarterback and Super Bowl champion deserved that much after everything he did as the longtime face of the franchise and the role he played in the realization of Lucas Oil Stadium, which, thanks primarily to Manning’s gifted right arm, sprung from the ground and exists as the crown jewel of downtown Indy.

However, perfect endings aren’t guaranteed in pro sports, even for legends like Manning. So when the Colts decided to rebuild around Andrew Luck, whom they had their eye on with the first pick overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, they parted ways with Manning.

That is how Anderson and Manning crossed paths in Denver. One was an underdog kid who had to scratch and claw for everything he got as a junior college transfer at Cal, where he shared running back duties. The other was a future Hall of Famer changing uniforms, cities and franchises in the twilight of his career.

Deep down, Anderson knew that, despite all their differences, there was an important takeaway in his sharing the same backfield as Manning.

“Because if they can (release) No. 18, man …” Anderson told The Athletic, his voice trailing off.

Then no one is safe.

That realization left him uniquely prepared to deal with whatever came his way. And it’s why he isn’t bitter, surprised or vindictive over the disappointing twists and turns his career has taken over the past year.

Only three weeks ago, the 27-year-old Anderson was a man without a team after being cut by the Broncos in April, signed and waived by the Panthers in November and, over six days in early December, signed and then let go by the Oakland Raiders.

All three teams had different reasons for releasing him. The Broncos, for whom Anderson gained 1,007 rushing yards last season and helped win a Super Bowl in 2015, were looking to redistribute salary to other positions. Christian McCaffrey’s breakout season made Anderson expendable in Carolina. And in Oakland, two offensive linemen got injured, forcing the Raiders to create room on the roster for replacements.

All three decisions were a reflection of circumstance rather than Anderson’s performance. In fact, given his skill level, he would be lying if he said he ever thought he would find himself in the predicament he endured this season.

“Not with the résumé I’ve had or what I’ve put on tape and put on film in the past,” he said.

The coping mechanism wasn’t something he had to search for, though. Almost from the moment he stepped foot in the NFL, there has been a practicality about him.

“It’s bound to happen to somebody,” Anderson said. “I learned a long time ago. I saw 18 get traded off for Andrew Luck. So everybody’s up.”

Anderson arrived in Los Angeles as backup depth and, possibly, an emergency replacement for Todd Gurley. He made a seamless transition to the starting job, quickly picking up a new offense and rushing for 167 yards against the Arizona Cardinals and then 132 against the 49ers.

Anderson isn’t the biggest or fastest running back, but he is smart, has tremendous vision and footwork and does an excellent job setting up his blocks and squeezing himself into limited space to produce yards.

“I just think he’s got a great feel for the game,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “He’s one of the players that when you meet him, so cerebral, so smart, and he’s got a great feel for the game.

“You could just see. There’s a couple runs where it’s real tight and he’s just got a feel for maybe the backside over-pursuing. He sticks his foot in the ground on a wide zone and he’s making some cuts in the backside ‘A’ and ‘B’ gaps. He’s just kind of got a natural feel for how to work edges on people, too. So, really efficient, really good football player, and I’m sure glad he’s with us.”

Said Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth: “You could tell from Day One that he’s a vet, a pro and a guy that you can lean on.”

Regardless of Gurley’s status — and right now it looks like he will be a full go when the Rams open the playoffs next weekend — Anderson is likely to see the field the rest of the way.

“Todd’s our starting running back, but I think, definitely, over the last couple weeks C.J.’s earned the right to be on the field,” McVay said. “How much or what we end up doing is kind of to be determined, and a lot of that is predicated on our opponent. But he’s certainly earned the right to be on the field. He’s done a great job these last couple weeks.”

And in the process, Anderson has become a reminder to his new teammates — especially the younger ones — that no one is immune to the often ruthless reality of professional sports.

“It doesn’t hit everybody until it happens to them,” Anderson said. “I’ll continue to shed the knowledge and wisdom of what’s going on, but at the end of the day, no one’s feeling sorry for (me) and I’m not feeling sorry for myself. It happened, you move on, and I’m in this position now trying to take advantage of this moment.”