Middle school science teacher and former Green Bay Packers football player John Anderson.
Super Bowl fever has hit the nation! As we get ready to enjoy this sports spectacular, I am reminded that there are many examples of gifted athletes who are also talented classroom teachers. One of these is Roger John Anderson, a professional football player who became a junior high school science teacher.
Roger was born on February 14, 1956, in Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. All his life he preferred to be called John. As a youth, John attended Waukesha South High School, where he played both football and basketball.
Following his high school graduation, John enrolled at the University of Michigan, where he studied from 1974 to 1977. While there, he played college football as a linebacker and defensive end. In 1976, this stellar athlete was selected to be a member of the First-Team All-Big Ten Conference. In 1977, he was named a First-Team All-American.
In 1978, John played the first of 12 seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round. During these years, he was selected by the Packers as their Most Valuable Defensive Player three times. By the time he retired from pro football, John had become the Packers’ all-time leader in tackles (1,020). He was was tied with Ray Nitschke for the career interception mark (25). In 1996, John was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
When John’s career as a pro-ball player came to a conclusion in 1989, he became a sportscaster for WITI station in Milwaukee. In 1998, he decided to teach Earth Science at Brookfield Academy, a non-sectarian, private pre-K-12 school located in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He also served as the linebackers coach for Carroll University in Waukesha. Established in 1846, Carroll University is a private liberal arts college associated with the Presbyterian Church. Carroll was Wisconsin’s first four-year institution of higher learning.
Now 62, John retired from his teaching position at Brookfield Academy in 2017. To view a four-minute video interview of this inspirational athlete and educator, click on this link: Alumni Spotlight: John Anderson.
