Before Kurt Warner and the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams re-imagined offensive football in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were the Los Angeles Rams of the 1970s and 1980s.
In the decades before the franchise moved east in January 1995, the Rams were consistently one of the winningest organizations in pro football.
From 1967 through 1989, Los Angeles only missed the playoffs seven times and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV after the 1979 season.
The 1985 and 1989 iterations of the team advanced all the way to the NFC Championship game before bowing out.
In 1989, the Rams had the second-best offense in the NFL and boasted quarterback Jim Everett and receivers Henry Ellard and Flipper Anderson.
Anderson was only in his second year out of UCLA, but he was fast becoming a breakout star.
@MikeRichardsTSN @TSN1050Radio Mike how could u forget the great flipper Anderson from the la Rams?Lol love the show pic.twitter.com/rr9QBLEwGM
— nelo brown III (@nelo_number2) January 13, 2016
During a Week 12 contest against the New Orleans Saints that season, he and Everett connected 15 times for 336 yards.
That mark set a new NFL record for receiving yards in a single game.
Then, weeks later in the divisional round against the New York Giants, Everett spied Anderson for a 30-yard game-winning touchdown catch in overtime, and instead of stopping to celebrate, the receiver kept running to the locker room.
Anderson played five more years in the City of Angeles before decamping to Indianapolis, Washington, and Denver to close out his career.
It was his cup of coffee with the Broncos in 1997 that gave Anderson a Super Bowl ring.
Although his stats were modest, Anderson is still remembered for his thrilling play and huge moments when he was needed most.
This is the story of Flipper Anderson.
Growing Up In New Jersey
Willie Lee “Flipper” Anderson was born on March 7, 1965, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Anderson got his notable nickname from a babysitter when he was an infant.
“She said that when my mother dropped me off, I would cry like a dolphin,” Anderson said in 1985. “She started calling me Flipper.”
Growing up in New Jersey as an only child didn’t mean Anderson was alone.
There were plenty of other kids around and a host of uncles, many of whom showed the kid how to play sports.
He might have been shy and introverted, but Anderson came into his own when he played.
When he arrived for his freshman year at Paulsboro (New Jersey) High School, Anderson made the football team, and the Red Raiders won the conference title that season.
Paulsboro High School (Paulsboro, NJ)
Kevin Ross ’80
Willie "Flipper" Anderson ’84
Julie’n Davenport ’13
Gerald Hodges ’09
Isaac Redman ’05
Alex Silvestro ’07
Glenn Howard ’77@PaulsboroSports pic.twitter.com/3bbxH9PA8o
— Prep2ProDB (@Prep2ProDB) February 15, 2022
As a junior in 1982, Flipper caught 51 passes on offense and collected seven interceptions as a defensive back.
Then, before his senior year, Anderson’s coach moved him to quarterback since he was the best player on the team.
Paulsboro High won the conference championship both years with Flipper firmly established as a team leader.
Just for good measure, when he wasn’t on the gridiron, Anderson could be found on the Red Raiders’ basketball and track teams.
Flipper Signs with the Bruins
In a world before social media, Anderson still made plenty of noise with his athletic exploits.
Big-name schools such as Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and UCLA all wanted him.
It was his visit to head coach Terry Donahue and UCLA that sold Anderson on the West Coast.
“I came to UCLA first, in December (of 1982) while UCLA was preparing for the Rose Bowl game,” Anderson said. “When I left New Jersey, there was snow everywhere. When I got here, it was about 70 degrees and sunny. I knew, then, that this was the place for me.”
As a member of the Bruins in 1984, Flipper stayed mostly on the sidelines as a redshirt freshman, but did return five kicks for 73 yards.
During his sophomore year in 1985, Anderson got a little more playing time opposite future pro Mike Sherrard.
Mike Sherrard, UCLA all time leading Receiver & a Super Bowl Champion with the 49'ers, will be a coach in the #CAshowcase!!! @mikesherrard88 pic.twitter.com/gSUkjH1b7W
— California Showcase (@CA_Showcase) February 3, 2017
While UCLA went 9-2-1, Flipper caught 21 passes for 445 yards (a Pac-10 best 21.2 yards per reception), four touchdowns, and also saw snaps in the Bruins’ Rose Bowl win over Iowa.
“The long touchdown catches are special, of course,” he told the LA Times in 1985. “They give me a chance to display my speed a little bit.”
With Sherrard gone to the NFL in 1986, Anderson became a full-time starter and hauled in 35 passes for 669 yards and four touchdowns.
Aikman to Flipper
Before the 1986 season, former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Troy Aikman transferred to UCLA and had to sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules.
So, when it came time to play as a junior in 1987, Aikman frequently found a great receiving target in Anderson.
With Aikman slinging the ball all over the field and Anderson using his 4.3-40 yard dash time to get open, the receiver caught 48 passes for 903 yards (conference-high) and six touchdowns (all career-bests).
College Football returns in 68 days
Troy Aikman – UCLA
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/vmkcA7JA2m
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) June 22, 2026
The Bruins went 10-2 and beat the Florida Gators in the Aloha Bowl, 20-16.
During his college career, Anderson caught 104 passes for 2,017 yards and 14 touchdowns and returned five kicks for 73 yards.
Second Round Pick
In 1985, the Los Angeles Rams went 11-5 and advanced to the NFC Championship game before getting shut out by the Chicago Bears.
A year later, the team went to the playoffs again before losing in the wild-card round to Washington.
Then, after the first three games of 1987, franchise cornerstone running back Eric Dickerson was traded to the Indianapolis Colts.
LA missed the postseason that year and set about building a potent offense for 1988.
In the first round of the event, the Rams took Anderson’s UCLA teammate, running back Gaston Green, and added Arizona State receiver Aaron Cox later in the first round.
Rams' Flipper Anderson
I think over 300 yds? pic.twitter.com/ryTrQ8FT2S— Raymond Gatter (@RaymondGatter1) August 19, 2023
One round later, LA took Anderson with the 46th overall selection, keeping him in Los Angeles.
“You know, coming from UCLA, I was the guy there for two, three years. And even though Aaron Cox was drafted ahead of me, he was the first-round pick, and I was the second, I felt like we had equal talent,” said Anderson. “My reaction was ecstatic. There were several UCLA players that were already there. Mike Young, he was also a receiver, and Henry Ellard, he really took me under his wing.”
Although the rookie didn’t start any games, he played in all 16 contests and caught 11 passes while the Rams’ offense improved to third overall in the NFL while going 10-6.
Record Breaker
The 1989 team was loaded with Jim Everett at quarterback, Greg Bell as the starter at running back, and Ellard, Anderson and Cox at receiver.
LA was even more potent offensively than the year before, boasting the league’s second-best offense.
Anderson started 13 games and pulled in 44 passes from Everett for 1,146 yards, an NFL-best 26.0 yards per reception, and five touchdowns.
Week 4, 1989#49ers #LARams
Montana 25-35-227
Craig 18-67 2-10
Anderson 4-112-1
Rice 2-36
Everett leads the #Rams down the field for a game winning FG with :02 left
13-12 #RamsHouse
pic.twitter.com/7EMPbmguV9— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) October 3, 2022
He made history during a Week 12 showdown with the New Orleans Saints on national television.
Initially, Anderson wasn’t supposed to start that day, but an injury to Ellard put him in the starting role.
By the end of the 20-17 overtime win for LA (an Anderson reception set up the winning field goal), Flipper had collected 15 catches for 336 yards and a touchdown.
November 26, 1989
MOST RECEIVING YARDS IN AN #NFL GAME#Rams wideout Willie "Flipper" Anderson tallies an NFL single-game record 336 receiving yards on 15 receptions in a Sunday night showdown in New Orleans.
His game-tying TD with a minute left in regulation and Jim Everett's… pic.twitter.com/PdI5mm9nxe
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) November 26, 2025
His yardage mark set a new NFL record for a single game and is still the top mark in league history.
“Everything that was going up, I was catching. (Our quarterback) Jim (Everett) was spot on. All the balls were right there. It was just one of those nights where everything was just clicking. I’m happy to have been in the right spot at the right time,” said Anderson.
Beating the Saints propelled the Rams to an 11-5 finish and a playoff berth, where Flipper would again make national headlines.
Walk-Off Winner
LA traveled to Philadelphia and dispatched the Eagles in the wild-card round, 21-7.
The following week, the team traveled to the East Coast again to meet the New York Giants.
In the second quarter, the G-Men led 6-0 before Everett found Anderson for a 20-yard touchdown pass and a 7-6 lead.
At the end of regulation, the score was tied at 13, and the Rams won the coin toss in overtime.
"YOU MAKE THE CALL!"
The controversial defensive pass interference call against the #Giants' Sheldon White that set up Jim Everett's game-winning overtime touchdown pass to Flipper Anderson in the 1989 NFC Divisional Playoff — a 19-13 #Rams victory
January 7, 1990 pic.twitter.com/SanWm5Fugx
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 8, 2025
During the third play of OT, Giants corner Sheldon White was called for pass interference on Anderson.
Two snaps later, Everett found Anderson for a 30-yard touchdown, giving the visiting Rams another win against the NFC East.
Jim Nantz had the radio call of the Flipper Anderson TD catch for the LA Rams that beat the Giants in the 1989 NFC Divisional Playoff. https://t.co/YP2iuFpmNf pic.twitter.com/krgHF8OUFU
— Gershon Rabinowitz (@GershOnline) May 3, 2024
After he reached the end zone, Anderson continued running down the players’ tunnel and into the Rams’ locker room (at the time, NFL overtimes did not give both teams an offensive possession).
“So we just happened to be in the situation, they called my number, and I got the catch,” Anderson said in 2024. “The tunnel was right there in front of me. I couldn’t miss it. And the most memorable thing about that is the quietness of Giants Stadium at that time. You could hear a pin drop.”
Unfortunately, LA’s dream season ended against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship a week later, losing in a 30-3 blowout.
(Despite a good core group of players, LA wouldn’t return to the playoffs until a decade later-when they were based in St. Louis and the “Greatest Show on Turf” won Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999 with QB Kurt Warner).
Highs and Lows
During the Rams’ 5-11, 1990 season, Anderson, displaying his incredible speed, started 13 games, caught a career-high 51 passes for 1,097 yards, a league-best 21.5 yards-per-catch average, and four touchdowns.
“From the minute he got there until the minute he left,” said Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jackie Slater, Anderson’s Rams teammate from 1988 to 1994, “our DBs used to say, ‘If I can cover Flipper Anderson on a go [route], I can cover anybody.’”
In 1991, LA won three games, and head coach John Robinson was fired and replaced by Chuck Knox, also known as “Ground Chuck” for the coach’s ground-game preference.
“Well, we weren’t doing too much winning at that time. I guess it was time for a change,” Anderson said. “Robinson’s way of coaching wasn’t working at the time with us. We brought in a running back, Jerome Bettis, and were kind of changing over to a running game. And with the pieces that we had then, Henry Ellard had left, Jim Everett had left, when Knox came in, the writing was on the wall as far as what kind of offense we’re going to have.”
Meanwhile, Flipper caught 32 passes in 10 starts.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Willie "Flipper" Anderson set the NFL record for most receiving yards in a game with 336 against the New Orleans Saints in November of 1989. He played for the Rams from 1988 – 1994. #WillieAnderson #LARams #LosAngeles #Rams #football #Flipper pic.twitter.com/9Vg9kMXCNQ
— The Thrill of Victory (@ThrillVictory) November 24, 2020
He then caught 38 passes and a career-high seven touchdowns in 1992, when Knox’s bunch improved to six wins.
The Rams regressed to five wins in 1993 when Anderson had 37 receptions and four touchdowns, then 46 receptions and five scores in 1994 when LA won just four times.
Leaving Town
During the 1994 season, Anderson was targeted 103 times as the primary pass-catcher.
1994, Rams at 49ers. Flipper Anderson torches Deion Sanders. pic.twitter.com/p3qHk56eYF
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) November 16, 2021
Ellard had been given his walking papers after the 1993 season, and the Rams drafted Memphis receiver Isaac Bruce in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft.
Before the 1995 season, the Rams relocated to St. Louis and Flipper was no longer a part of their plans.
He was released and signed by the Indianapolis Colts in early March.
“(Anderson) is the deep threat we have lacked since (Andre) Rison (in 1989). He can catch a 90-yard touchdown pass and change a game for you. Our list was short on offseason needs and (Anderson) was definitely one of them,” said then-Colts general manager Jim Irsay.
Indy was in prime position that year with Jim Harbaugh at quarterback, Marshall Faulk in the backfield, a solid offensive line and a good defense.
During a Week 1 game against Cincinnati, Anderson scored twice on passes from Harbaugh.
Flipper Anderson#Colts pic.twitter.com/VVcH6BJEWP
— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) January 22, 2021
The following week against the Jets, he injured a knee and was lost for the remainder of the year.
While sidelined, Anderson watched as “Captain Comeback” Harbaugh and company advanced to the brink of a Super Bowl, losing in the AFC title game to Pittsburgh.
Retiring On Top
The fall from star to bench warmer can be quick in pro sports.
Little did Anderson know that his big day for the Colts in Week 1 of 1995 would be his final big moment.
He was waived by Indy and then signed by the Washington Redskins for 1996.
While standing on the sidelines for the season, Flipper saw action in two games but did not post any stats.
Then, in 1997, the Denver Broncos signed Anderson.
As Denver went 12-4 with quarterback John Elway at the helm, Anderson appeared in four games, but again posted zero stats.
However, he was present when the Broncos advanced to Super Bowl XXXII and beat the Green Bay Packers, 31-24.
On this day in 1998:@johnelway and the @Broncos finally win the big one, beating the Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. @Terrell_Davis is named Super Bowl MVP after running 30 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns. #ThisDayInHistory pic.twitter.com/YthUDScliJ
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) January 26, 2019
Following the season, Anderson retired with a Super Bowl ring in hand.
During his career, Flipper caught 267 passes for 5,357 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Anderson twice led the NFL in yards-per-reception.
“The amount of years that I played, it’s just tough to be in the NFL that long. And I managed to get 10 years in on that six-foot, 175 pounds or less body. To last that long, I’m pretty proud of that,” he said.
Life Since Retirement
After retiring from pro football, Anderson pivoted to referring basketball at the high school and college levels.
He also coached youth football in the Atlanta area where he and his wife, Chantal, raised their three children.
Son of the former Rams Great Flipper Anderson! https://t.co/HRTpSf5vwe
— Angry Mike! NFL 🧀 (@angrymike23) March 23, 2026
Anderson’s son, Seth, played receiver for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2023-2025 and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in April 2026 to the team’s rookie mini-camp.
Another son from Anderson’s first marriage, Dres, played receiver for the Utah Utes and bounced around the NFL and CFL from 2015 through the 2021 season.
References
https://www.sports-reference.com
https://www.profootballhof.com
https://giantswire.usatoday.com
https://web.archive.org/web/20230120192358/https://fivethirtyeight.com
https://www.pro-football-reference.com
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