Anderson, a native of Queens, New York, played tight end and defensive end at Penn State for coach Rip Engle from 1960 to 1962. He played in the 1961 and 1962 Gator Bowls and also captained the Nittany Lions baseball team. Anderson earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Penn State in 1963. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 29th round of the 1963 American Football League Draft and by the Cleveland Browns in the 17th round of the NFL Draft, but Anderson opted to remain at Penn State as a graduate assistant while earning his master's degree and playing for the semi-pro Newark Bears on the weekends.