Will Anderson Jr. helps promote safe driving with USAA; Texans star wants to lead by example on and off field

When Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. isn’t winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year or getting selected to a Pro Bowl, he’s using his platform to help promote safe driving. USAA, Official Salute to Service Partner of the NFL, Anderson and the Houston Fire Department took part in an event to spread awareness and offer tips for safe driving practices. 

“It was really a blessing to get a perspective on another career, another job … see much hard work really goes into being a firefighter,” Anderson told CBS Sports.

The Georgia native wants to give back to a community that made him feel at home when he was drafted at No. 3 overall by the Texans in 2023. Last year was his first partnering with USAA, working with them and the coast guard on hurricane relief efforts. 

“Houston welcomed me and my family with open arms and we always get a lot of love,” he said. “So I wanted to dive back into the community and give back to those who poured into me and my family when we first got here.”

His goal continues to be to use his voice to be a “positive influence in the community”, saying, “We just want everybody to be safe on the road,” adding it’s about using your seatbelt, going the speed limit and checking your mirrors. 

When asked what life lessons football has taught him, Anderson explained, “patience, perseverance and just enjoying my process … I feel like now in society everyone wants to rush their process … football has really taught me really just how to trust my process, fall in love with the process.”

This is also an approach he agrees people need to have with safe driving, the patience to get where they’re going rather than speed and risk an accident, one of many crossovers that carries from lessons on the football field to life off it. 

“We want to make sure everyone’s getting home to their families and loved ones,” he said. “It’s very important to give back, especially with this platform that we have.”

Going into his third season with the team, Anderson is more of a leader in the locker room, and part of what makes him a good leader is not just what he does on the football field, but the example he sets during his down time. He’s following a blueprint set by other NFL players before him, watching how they gave back to their communities as well.

“Talking to people, connecting with people and meeting people, showing my authentic real self … as a leader you really just want to be your authentic self and not try to be anybody else and not try to be the ‘on top of the world’ type of guy. Being a leader is all about serving others, it’s not about your own needs. It’s about being there for other people and being a service to them,” Anderson said.

“[My goal is] just to be the best Will Anderson that I can possibly be. Be a great team leader,” he said. “I try to set a good example every day, try to have a smile on my face and come to work with enthusiasm.”

He wants to continue to help build the culture of the Texans, which is the “SWARM mentality,” standing for Special Work Ethic and Relentless Mindset.

“It’s not changing, it’s not deviating,” he said, with the focus of playing the best brand of ball for the Texans. 

“I’m excited for this season I can’t wait to see the good things that we do,” he said, adding that in his third offseason he is going in with more confidence than he did as a rookie.

His message for those who are going into their first year in the pros: “I would just say keep your head down, work, you don’t gotta say too much, let your work speak for itself and just follow up with your process.”

Since joining the NFL, all Anderson knows is divisional championships, with the Texans taking the AFC South crown in 2023 and 2024. The team hasn’t been able to get past the division round not only those two years, but in the entire history of the team. 

Anderson said anything but a divisional title is a disappointment now and that an AFC South crown is not the end goal. Getting over the divisional round hump is.  

“The ultimate goal is the Super Bowl. The ultimate goal is to get to the dance and win the dance,” he said, adding that you have to take it week by week and lock in for every game. 

“We’re almost there,” the 23-year-old said.

Continuing to build on the team camaraderie, aligning on head coach DeMeco Ryans‘ approach and bringing good people into the building, something Anderson says the Texans continue to do, are how he believes they can get over this hump. 

“I’m just excited to keep leaving my legacy wherever I go,” Anderson said.