The highlight of Eryk Anders’ career as a linebacker at Alabama came in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. His jarring sack of Texas QB Garrett Gilbert forced the ball loose deep in Longhorns territory; Alabama would recover and score on the subsequent possession to make it 31–21.
Anders is returning to Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, hoping to deliver a different kind of hit: As a budding MMA fighter.
The 25-year-old from San Antonio, who is still fighting as an amateur, is the current ISKA Light Heavyweight Champion in the state of Tennessee. He goes up against Chase Horton on Saturday.
After failing to catch on with an NFL team following his 2010 graduation, Anders turned to MMA — just as former college players such as Herschel Walker, Michael Westbrook and Jarrod Bunch did before him.
Tide fans in attendance on Saturday would no doubt like to see Anders level Horton the same way he leveled Gilbert in Pasadena. Eryk Anders profile
