Former Armwood defensive back R.J. Anderson

[bulldozier1]

Greg reported that R.J could be a walk on this fall. That would be great.

[bulldozier1]

That's weird, that they could end up getting there old recruits back for the 2009 season. Isheal Grant, Leslie Stirrups, and R.J. Anderson.

[BULLfreak]

could add much needed depth

[Matt]

refresh my memory on RJ.  did he decide to go play professional baseball?  or not qualify?

[Guest AstroBull]

He was drafted pretty high and decided to play baseball.  I think his grades were fine.

[Mama_Bull]

refresh my memory on RJ.  did he decide to go play professional baseball?  or not qualify?

We knew when we signed him that he might decide to take the money if he was drafted high enough in baseball. He chose baseball anyway, even though he was drafted lower than he said, because they gave him $235,000, so I can't really blame him.

Here is the story from Greg:

And no, I didn't forget that football name ...

That new football name? It's actually an old football name. You might have heard that former Armwood fullback Kalvin Bailey is trying to get into USF this fall and is finishing classes at Hillsborough Community College to make that possible. That's true, but he's not the new/old name -- it's his old teammate from Armwood, former defensive back R.J. Anderson, who signed with the Bulls in 2005 but ultimately chose pro baseball after the Texas Rangers picked him in the ninth round that summer.

Anderson, who got a $235,000 signing bonus according to Baseball America, played three seasons with the Rangers -- BA tagged him as the fastest baserunner in the Rangers' farm system in 2006. You'll see him referenced as "Ronnie Anderson" a lot in his baseball days. He played nearly all his career in the Arizona League, but after hitting .286 as a rookie, he saw his average drop to .210 in 2006 and .235 last season. The Rangers released him in March, and he hasn't latched on with another team in the month since; he's due to return home to Tampa from Arizona on Friday.

I talked with Anderson on Wednesday about the possibility of him returning to USF, and all he would say was that it was "an idea" he would be exploring. He'll meet with USF's football coaches in the next few weeks to see how he might fit in with the Bulls. Former Armwood baseball coach Joey Fernandez said his understanding was that Anderson's contract with the Rangers included a clause that the team would help pay for the cost of his college education, suggesting he could join the Bulls as a walk-on.

Anderson hasn't played football since 2004, when he had eight interceptions and earned all-state honors for the second year in a row. He had seven picks as a junior, and his speed is unquestionably elite. The spring he was drafted, he recorded a 60-yard time -- that's baseball's equivalent to football's 40 -- of 6.27 seconds, then the fastest recorded time in the history of the Perfect Game Showcase. For reference, Red Sox phenom Jacoby Ellsbury also has been timed at 6.27 seconds.

It might be another month before we know whether Anderson will return to football. His baseball career doesn't affect his amateur status for football, and at 21, he still has a pristine five-year window of eligibility, so he could even redshirt this fall as he gets acclimated to football again. His speed and potential make this an intriguing possibility we'll continue to update as it unfolds this summer ...

Posted by Greg Auman at 12:59:59 AM on May 2, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (11)

http://blogs.tampabay.com/usf/2008/05/and-no-i-didnt.html

[Matt]

yea its hard to pass up on 235K.  atleast he made his mind up fairly quick (well i guess he didnt really make up his mind to come back to football on his own, since he was released from baseball)

but he didnt wait as long as chris weinke.

[BullBlood]

still hasn't said he's going to come to USF.  Seems like it would be a great fit, but I'll wait till something official happens before I will get too excited.  He would be a great addition if this actually happens.

[smazza]

hate going back

i am not optimistic

[I_Bleed_Green&Gold]

If he came back it would be great.  Its not like he's been sitting on the couch eating donuts for 3 years.  He's was a professional athlete.  I can envision him sitting out a year to sharpen his game and then be ready to play at a high level.  This guy isn't a kid anymore...he's nearly in his prime. 

It would be sweet if we get him.