By Jim Gehman, Engagement Insider
A Wisconsin native, you were almost 11-years-old when Green Bay won Super Bowl I in 1967. Did you grow up as a Packers fan?
“Absolutely. I was at that very impressionable age when they were winning in the late ‘60s with that roster full of Hall of Fame players, from (Bart) Starr to (Ray) Nitschke and everybody in between.
“I was involved in the Punt, Pass and Kick Competition about that time, too. I was able to go to a regional event and the Packers were staying in the same hotel. They used to play some of their games in Milwaukee. And as fate would have it, I hit the elevator to go up our room, the doors opened up and who was standing there but Bart Starr.
“Little did I know that probably 12 years later, [Starr, then the team’s head coach] would call and say, ‘Hey John, congratulations. We just drafted you to be a player on the Green Bay Packers.’ Two very interesting experiences many years apart.”
A linebacker selected in the first round in 1978, you were named to the All-Rookie Team, went on to be Green Bay’s leading tackler, was voted as the team’s defensive MVP three consecutive years and named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s. That said, what makes you most proud of your 12-year career?
“Just being consistent and staying on the field. I played first down, second down, third down and even fourth down my whole career and I look at that as being able to do a variety of things. It put you sometimes in a rushing situation. Sometimes you’re in a nickel situation. Sometimes you’re in the goal-line. It was nice to be on the field and not have to come off the field based on down and distance.”
In 1998, you began to teach middle school environmental education at the Brookfield Academy in Brookfield, Wisconsin. What led to your decision to become a teacher?
“My degree in college was in environmental education. And also because I got done a little early, I added a teaching certificate on to my degree. Not knowing if I was ever going to use it or not, but thinking that I might. And so after [retiring following the 1989 season], I spent six years [as a TV sportscaster with] the Fox affiliate in Milwaukee. And then lo and behold there was an opening at this school that I’m still teaching at in earth science and they were looking for an athletic director.
“I thought, well, I know something about both of those things. So I jumped off of the path I was on in television and became an educator and I’ve been doing that ever since. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It’s been an enjoyment in the classroom, but I’ve also been able to coach a bunch of stuff, too. So that’s been rewarding.”
How rewarding is it when you realize that you’re getting through to your students, that they’re excited about learning?
“That’s a great joy, it really is. They all learn at different rates. I teach science, and I don’t pretend to think that every one of these kids is wild about science. But my hope for them is that they just give it a chance.
“For those who do have an interest in it, it’s just fun to watch them dig into it and ask questions and to seek out a little bit more information about certain topics. You realize that education is just so important today and just trying to give them the tools to be successful later on, even in middle school, is rewarding.”
Do you feel the kids look at you as Mr. Anderson, who I have for third period, or as a former Packer?
“I downplay the former player part as much as I possibly can. I don’t want them to look at me as a former player necessarily because I want them to approach me as they would any teacher. I don’t want any kind of interference that would get in their way of asking questions. We don’t talk too much about it and I prefer it that way.”
Twelve years in the NFL. Sixteen years as a teacher. Life’s good for John Anderson.
“Well, this has been a special year for us. I’ve got two daughters [Jane and Carly], and both of them were married this past year. My wife [Susan] and I just feel the joy this year. The young men that they have married are wonderful, young men. It’s just fun to watch you kind of hand your daughter off to a young man who’s got great character and a man of integrity who loves the Lord. So we are going to be entering a new stage here with that empty nest situation. But that’s not all bad either. We’re kind of looking forward to that next stage, whatever it might be.”