Colt Anderson enters his fourth season with the Bengals, after beginning his coaching career with Cincinnati in 2020. Considered one of the NFL's top special teamers during his nine-year (2009-17) playing career, Anderson now serves alongside one of the league's top special teams coaches in assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons.
In 2021, Anderson helped guide special teams units that particularly excelled in the kicking game. Namely, rookie K Evan McPherson led the league during the regular season in field goals made from 50+ yards (9), while ranking 12th in total field goals (28), seventh in extra points made (46) and 11th in points scored (130). McPherson also recorded the longest field goal in franchise history, converting from 58 yards in a win at Denver. The rookie went on to post historic numbers in the postseason in helping lead Cincinnati to an appearance in Super Bowl LVI, as he went a perfect 20-for-20 on placekicks (14 FGs, six PATs) — the most attempts without a miss in a single postseason in NFL history. Anderson once again worked with 13th-year veteran P Kevin Huber, who had 22 punts downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line and enters 2022 with the fifth-most career inside-20 punts among active punters (337).
In his first season in Cincinnati, Anderson helped oversee a Cincinnati kicking game that ranked sixth in the league in average drive start on offense (26.4-yard line), and sixth in average yards allowed per punt return (5.9). Headlining the special teams units was Huber, who posted career-highs in both gross (47.2) and net (42.8) average. Additionally, WR Alex Erickson ranked fifth in the NFL in average yards per punt return (10.1), while S Brandon Wilson was sixth in average yards per kickoff return (26.2).
As a player, Anderson was a rotational safety whose impact was felt most on special teams. Over his nine seasons as an NFL player, he spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills. He played in 84 career games (seven starts), and recorded 109 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles on defense, along with 58 tackles on special teams.
Anderson's final NFL stop as a player was in Buffalo, where he spent the 2016-17 seasons. Injuries limited him to just seven games over two seasons with the Bills, but he still managed five special teams tackles and when healthy was considered a core special teams player.
Prior to his time with Buffalo, Anderson spent two seasons (2014-15) with Indianapolis, where he totaled 16 special teams tackles and a forced fumble. His first NFL game action came with the Philadelphia Eagles, racking up 37 special teams tackles over four seasons (2010-13).
He entered the NFL as a college free agent signee of the Vikings in 2009, spending the majority of his first two seasons on Minnesota's practice squad before being signed to the Eagles' active roster in Nov. 2010.
Anderson played collegiately at the University of Montana, in Missoula, Mont. He originally joined the Grizzlies' program as a walk-on safety, and went on to become a four-time All-Big Sky performer — three times as a safety and once as a special teams player. As a senior in 2008, he set a school record with 129 tackles.
After his NFL playing career, Anderson spent one season (2019) as a volunteer coach at his alma mater, Butte High School, where he focused mainly on defense and special teams. He and his brother, Beau, own a restaurant in Montana called the Missoula Club, and he and his other brother, Luke, own a clothing company called Uptop. He and his wife, Keelie, also founded the Colt Anderson Dream Big Foundation, a non-profit that is focused on implementing "programs and experiences that will involve our youth, getting them excited about investing in their future."
Anderson was born Oct. 25, 1985, in Butte, Mont., and went on to star as a running back and safety in high school. He holds a degree from Montana in business information systems, and he also earned a teaching certificate in secondary education. He and his wife have four sons — Cage, Krew, Coye and Kace.
