Cincinnati Bengals great Willie Anderson has his fingerprints all over the 2023 NFL draft class in a big way.
Ohio State Buckeyes offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. revealed this week that Anderson actually took him under his wing when he was just 15 years old.
Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager wrote the following: “Paris Johnson, Jr. just told a good story on @GMFB. Before his sophomore HS season, he was introduced to @Bengals legend Willie Anderson. Anderson, then, had a 15-year-old young buck come down to Atlanta, took him under his wing, and trained him to play O line all summer long.”
It’s an awesome story and one sure to pop up time and again as we get closer to the draft.
Anderson, a Bengals Ring of Honor inductee and a two-time finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, clearly helped in a big way. His Bengals won’t have a shot at Johnson, the borderline consensus No. 1 lineman in the class who could come off the board as early as the top five.
