Hayden Anderson had just completed eighth grade when he first attracted attention in Windsor.
On the practice field, the incoming freshman wide receiver was one-on-one with then-new senior Makhi Johnson. He ran a simple vertical route, darted past Johnson, then leapt up and snagged the ball in mid-air against the Cal Poly freshman.
“Paul Cronin (then Windsor coach) and I looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, he’s going to be a D1 player,'” Windsor head coach Dean “DJ” Sexton said. “We said it right away. He’s one of those guys you don’t see very often, and when they come, you don’t really realize what you have until they’re gone. But when he stepped on our field, we realized he was better than any other kid we’d ever seen.”
And now that the wide receiver/defensive back is entering his final season, he has established himself as not only one of the best players Windsor has produced, but one of the best the Redwood Empire region has ever produced.
Ahead of the fall season, which begins Friday night, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas player has totaled 64 carries for 726 yards with 13 touchdowns on the ground and 168 receptions for 2,795 yards and 31 touchdown catches — and heck, he even caught 5 of 8 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
And that’s just his offensive performance. Anderson’s defense in the secondary was equally outstanding, totaling 89 tackles (74 solo), 11 interceptions for 229 yards, 11 pass deflections, two blocked punts and two blocked field goals.
His play has earned him numerous accolades, including being named Press Democrat Defensive Player of the Year and North Bay League-Oak Co-Offensive Player of the Year last season, and Press Democrat Offensive Player of the Year and NBL-Oak MVP the year before.
Not bad for a boy from a small town in Texas.
Anderson, 18, grew up about two hours northeast of Dallas in Mt. Pleasant. He first wore the protective gear at age 4, when he played on the youth team his father coached. And although he played other sports growing up, the football field was always his favorite place.
“I always played football, basketball and baseball, but football was always my favorite sport,” Anderson said. “It was also the sport I was best at, so it was probably my favorite sport. I always loved it, always enjoyed playing it and had a passion for it.”
Anderson moved to the North Bay Area when he was 9, and football was a little different than what he was used to in Texas. Not only was he playing with the older kids, but coaching also took some getting used to.
“The coaches, in particular, handle things a little differently,” Anderson recalls of football in Texas. “Sometimes they use a different vocabulary and are a little stricter there. Even when I was five years old, they would yell at you and rip your head off. It’s definitely different, but great football is played here, just like there.”
For the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Anderson, it was just football at first – until he realized in his sophomore year that he could take his skills to the next level.
Anderson had his breakthrough season in 2022, running 45 times for 522 yards and 10 touchdowns, catching 46 passes for 957 yards and scoring another 10 points. On defense, he had four interceptions and two blocked field goals.
And then the college offers started pouring in.
Cal came first, followed shortly by Washington, Utah and UNLV. Washington State, Arizona, Oregon and Oregon State also responded, but in the end the Rebels got Anderson’s nod.
“I looked at a few other schools, but it’s just a feeling you get,” he said of his commitment. “I just felt most comfortable there. I feel like I have a better chance of playing there earlier in my career. So playing time was a factor, and the coaches I really liked.”
Before he goes to Las Vegas, however, he has one more season with the black and gold Jaguars team. And he finds himself in an unfamiliar situation – after playing with older kids his whole life – including his brother Judson, who has now graduated – he is now the oldest boy on the Jaguars’ block.
“My coaches have always talked to me about improving,” said Anderson, whom Sexton describes as the type of guy who leads by example. “And I’ve done that the last few years, but especially now. I’m the oldest on the team now, and since we have younger players, we have to help them learn the fundamentals and get them ready for varsity football.”
“It will be a good season and I have full confidence in my team.”
Reach staff writer Kienan O’Doherty at 415-887-8650 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @kodoherty22.
