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Looking Back At Texas Tech First Round Draft Picks

By Matthew Conner

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell speaks during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell speaks during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 08: The Texas Tech Red Raiders Masked Rider during a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Jones AT
LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 08: The Texas Tech Red Raiders Masked Rider during a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Jones AT /

Donny Anderson – Running Back

Nicknamed “The Golden Palomino” because of his signature blonde hair and his ability to run like a horse, Donny Anderson was the first Texas Tech football player to become a media sensation.

As the No. 7 pick in the 1965 NFL Draft, Anderson helped to put Texas Tech football on the map.  Like Texas Tach’s first 1st round pick, Walt Schlinkman, he was taken by the Green Bay Packers where he would become a central component of the offense.

Anderson was a 1968 Pro Bowler and helped Green Bay win the NFL Championship in 1966 and 1967 and Super Bowls I and II.  In a nine-year NFL career, Anderson ran for 1,197 yards and 41 touchdowns, caught 209 passes for 2,548 yards and 14 touchdowns and returned 49 kicks and punts for 981 yards and a touchdown.

But perhaps his best skill in the NFL was as a punter.  Credited with coining the term “hang time” when referring to his punts, Anderson changed the way punting was viewed.  Because of his ability to kick the ball high in the air allowing the coverage to get to the return man, Anderson became a revolutionary figure in the evolution of special teams.

Anderson was one of three original inductees into the Texas Tech Football Ring of Honor in 2012.  At Texas Tech, he was three-time all-SWC selection and finished 4th in the 1965 Heisman Trophy Race, the best finish for any Red Raider.

Anderson was also key in the 1965 Texas Tech season that ended in a Gator Bowl birth following an 8-2 season.  Anderson used his good looks and flashy play to bring star power to Texas Tech and it was evident that the nation was aware of that star power when he was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.

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