Mike Anderson (linebacker)
A hard-hitting linebacker who anchored the Denver Broncos' famed 'Orange Crush' defense in the late 1970s.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American football player·Birthday: February 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mike Anderson's path to professional football was anything but standard. After playing college ball at the University of Pacific, he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1971 but chose to first fulfill his military commitment, serving two years in the Army. When he finally joined the team in 1973, he brought a mature, disciplined ferocity to the field. Anderson became a cornerstone of the Broncos' defensive unit, which earned the nickname 'Orange Crush' for its relentless, suffocating play. As a starting inside linebacker, he was known for his intelligence, sure tackling, and leadership on a defense that propelled Denver to its first Super Bowl appearance following the 1977 season. His career, spent entirely with the Broncos, spanned a transformative era for the franchise, helping to establish a defensive identity that resonated with fans for decades.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Mike was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starting linebacker for the Denver Broncos' 'Orange Crush' defense that led the team to Super Bowl XII in the 1977 season.
- Played his entire nine-year NFL career (1973-1981) with the Denver Broncos.
- Recorded 12 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries over his career as a linebacker.
- Was a team captain and a consistent leader on one of the most famous defensive units in NFL history.
Did You Know?
He was drafted in the 9th round of the 1971 NFL Draft but did not play until 1973 due to Army service.
Anderson and his wife founded a successful construction company in Colorado after his football career ended.
He is a member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, inducted in 2007.
His son, Mike Anderson, also played in the NFL as a running back, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2000.
“I served my country first, then I came back to hit people for a living.”
