O.J. Anderson burst onto the NFL scene with authority.

On September 2, 1979, the rookie running back from the University of Miami stormed through the Dallas Cowboys for 193 yards in his professional debut. His electrifying 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave the Big Red a 21–19 lead over the defending NFC champions—and left even legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry in awe.

“He’s gonna be a star,” Landry said afterward. “He’s gonna gain lots of yards this season. He can outrun all of us. He proved that today.”

Though the Cardinals finished a disappointing 5–11, Anderson delivered one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history. He was the unanimous NFL Rookie of the Year, NFC Offensive Player of the Year, and a first-team All-Pro. He set or tied nine NFL marks and nine team records, finishing the year with 1,605 rushing yards—just five shy of Walter Payton’s league-leading total.

Anderson remained the Cardinals’ offensive centerpiece for years to come, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards in five of his first six seasons (the exception being the strike-shortened 1982 campaign, when he gained 587 yards in just eight games). In 1981, barely halfway through his third season, he became the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.

By 1985, injuries began to take their toll. Anderson battled through a nagging right leg injury and missed seven games that season.

After head coach Jim Hanifan was dismissed, new coach Gene Stallings took over in 1986. A week before the season opener, the Cardinals rewarded Anderson with a new three-year contract worth $450,000 plus incentives—but just days later, after being benched in the second half of a 16–10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Anderson shocked everyone by asking to be traded.

“I can’t work under these circumstances, so I want to be traded,” Anderson said after the game. “He (Stallings) benched me and why, I don’t know. He pulled me and sat me down for most of the game. You can’t play football like that. I’m not effective, I can’t play with confidence, knowing that if I do something wrong, I may get yanked.”

Anderson had only gained seven yards and fumbled the ball before Mitchell entered the game in the third quarter. Stallings said he was only utilizing the luxury of having two talented backs.

“We’ve got two excellent running backs, and I’m going to take advantage of them,” Stallings said.

Anderson retracted his demand the next day, and Stallings said he wasn’t interested in trading his star running back. However, a few weeks later, Anderson was shipped to the New York Giants for second and seventh-round draft picks.

“That had nothing to do with it. Nothing whatsoever,” Stallings said when asked if O.J.’s demand led to him being shipped out of town. “I had no qualms with O.J. He worked hard. He practiced hard. He ran hard. In fact, last week was one of the better games I saw him play.”

“I felt like we could strengthen our football team in the future,” he said. “Yeah, we’re going to miss him. But, first of all, we’re 0-and-5. You can’t overlook that. We’ve got some good running backs. We’ve got to look at the production we’ve been getting with O.J. I just thought that under the same conditions, Stump could do just as well.”

Stallings claimed that he wasn’t sending a message to a team that had lost 17 of the last 19 games dating back to 1985. But he conceded that it might have a psychological effect.

“There’s always a chance that the team will perk up,” he said.

The news blindsided Anderson, who learned of the trade during practice.

“We were having a water break,” Anderson said. “Larry (Wilson) came over and told me I was traded. I thought maybe it was a joke. But when Larry Wilson comes over to talk to you, it’s no joke.”

Wilson said the team had been shopping Anderson for some time, but the Giants’ interest heated up after they beat the Big Red a few days before the trade. The deal was cut moments before Anderson was informed at practice. “We had hoped to have it done before practice,” Wilson said.

Anderson had displeased some in the front office by sitting out a game and a half with a hamstring injury and had been booed by some fans for not running hard, but his teammates vehemently disputed that after learning of the trade.

“He meant a lot. Everybody knows that,” said Anderson’s close friend Mitchell, who was devastated by the trade. “I’ve got nothing to say. Nothing. All I’ve got to say is I didn’t make this trade.”

“It’s their team and they can do what they want,” said offensive lineman Luis Sharpe, “but I don’t have to feel comfortable with it. And I don’t. We’re a lesser football team without Ottis Anderson.”

“The thing I’m upset with is that we need some help offensively, right now,” quarterback Neil Lomax said. “You take away a guy like Ottis Anderson—well, we don’t have much to work with as it is. I don’t know what’s going on. You have an offense that’s hurting, and you take away a good offensive player like O.J., and it’s going to hurt even more.”

“It’s a void that’s going to take years to fill,” stong safety Leonard Smith said.

Sharpe questioned the Cardinals’ dealing of Anderson to a division rival.

“You ask our defensive guys if they want to bring him down, when he wants to run that football,” he said. “They’ll tell you they’d rather not face him. I wish they’d sent him to a team we don’t play twice a year.”

Sharpe also believed that Anderson’s outburst on opening day led to the deal.

“I’m sure it did,” he said. “But that situation wasn’t that big a deal. He was upset after the team played a bad ball game, and he flew off the handle. I don’t think he meant some of the things he said. But I think it set the precedent for what happened.”

“I have nothing negative to say about St. Louis or anything else,” Anderson said. “I never want to burn any bridges. And the way Stump Mitchell carried the load last year you could almost see it coming somewhat. The way I was hurt last year, a lot of things sort of added up.”

Anderson refused to criticize the fans, who had previously criticized him for falling short of their expectations.

To the fans, he said, “Thanks for everything. It’s been a great eight years here. I think the fans here were fans. If they were pleased with the things you’d done, they cheered. If they weren’t, they booed. It went hand in hand.”

Anderson spent six and a half seasons with the New York Giants, capturing two Super Bowl titles. He earned Super Bowl XXV MVP honors after rushing for 102 yards and scoring a pivotal third-quarter touchdown in the Giants’ 21–19 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

After a remarkable 14-year career, O.J. Anderson retired in 1993 as the NFL’s eighth all-time leading rusher with 10,273 yards. His 84 rushing touchdowns also ranked among the league’s top ten. Decades later, he still holds the Cardinals’ franchise records for rushing yards (7,999) and rushing touchdowns (54)—a testament to his enduring greatness.

O.J. Anderson’s time in St. Louis ended abruptly, but his legacy was anything but fleeting. What began with a record-shattering debut against the mighty Cowboys evolved into a career defined by durability, power, and perseverance. Though his departure left a void in the Big Red backfield, Anderson’s story didn’t end there—it only grew larger on football’s biggest stage. In New York, he reinvented himself as a dependable veteran and champion, capping his career as a Super Bowl MVP and one of the most respected backs of his era.