Daily Bruin FIle Photo Free safety Marques
Anderson is one of the former UCLA football players being
evaluated at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
By Hannah Gordon
Daily Bruin Reporter
INDIANAPOLIS “”mdash;Â Clean-shaven, devoid of cornrows and
his No. 7 jersey, former UCLA free safety Marques Anderson is just
DB34.
In his NFL-issue grey sweatshirt and a kindergarten-style name
tag identifying him as “Anderson DB34,” he has left
behind the baby blue and gold and is ready to move on to the next
level.
Like Anderson, former UCLA linebacker Robert Thomas transformed
into LB23, but was in a somewhat different position than Anderson
at the NFL combine.
Thomas was on the list of 75 top players fed to the media. They
gobbled him up the moment he walked into the room, asking the
Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year how he became a leader for the
Bruins this past season.
“Everyone talked bad about our defense my whole career, so
the seniors and I got together and decided to change that,”
said Thomas, who set a UCLA season record with 26 tackles for a
loss.
Yet Anderson, one of those senior defensive leaders and a fellow
team captain, was left untouched by the ravenous press. DB34 was
just another grey sweatshirt among the 334 prospects at the
combine. But he attracted attention where it counted: from
coaches.
Thanks not only to his regular season play, but also to notable
performances in the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl,
Anderson could go in the middle rounds of the draft.
Anderson and Thomas interviewed with several teams, like their
fellow UCLA teammates at the combine, DeShaun Foster, Brian
Poli-Dixon and Kenyon Coleman.
“It’s fun, just being here is exciting,”
Anderson said. “Being looked at by every team physician,
though, now that is nerve-racking. Luckily my injury history is not
bad.”
Size, rather than health, was the concern teams had about both
Anderson and Thomas, deemed small for the NFL in the positions they
played in college. Anderson at 6-foot-0, 207 pounds could be a
strong and quick safety or play corner. Thomas is considered
undersized for a linebacker at 6-0, 230 pounds, but is
unconcerned.
“Teams say they don’t worry about my size,” he
said. “I can play middle or Will (weak-side). They’ve
said, “˜We’ll find a place for you.'”
To prepare for the combine, Anderson trained at the Wide World
of Sports in Orlando with Foster, Joey Harrington, Kurt Kittner and
Larry Tripplett. Thomas stayed closer to home, training in San
Diego.
As far as mental preparation, Thomas benefitted from the wisdom
of his brother Stan, who played pro football and his father, Stan
Sr., who played pro baseball.
“(The combine) takes a lot out of you mentally,”
Thomas said. “My brother’s been coaching me on his
mistakes (with off-field problems).
“It was kind of expected from my family to play
professional sports. It has always been a dream of mine,” he
added.
Anderson, on the other hand, has no relatives in professional
sports but was not intimidated by the combine atmosphere and felt
grounded enough to handle the heady world of the NFL.
“My parents raised me right. I talk to them every
day,” Anderson said, adding that he keeps in contact with
UCLA defensive coordinator Phil Snow as well.
While ready to shed the blue and gold, both felt UCLA prepared
them for their combine experience.
“UCLA prepared me well as far as being a good man,”
Thomas said.
Anderson, who had 40 solo tackles and two interceptions this
past season, focused on the physical aspects.
“Playing at that level of competition helped,”
Anderson said. “I do miss the camaraderie, but at a point
you’ve got to go fetch for yourself.”
And with that, DB34 left.