Neal Anderson Charles Neal Anderson ( born August 14 , 1964 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League ( NFL ) for eight seasons during the 1980s and 1990s . Anderson played college football for the University of Florida . He was a first - round pick in the 1986 NFL Draft , and he played professionally for the Chicago Bears of the NFL . Early years . Anderson was born in Graceville , Florida in 1964 . He attended Graceville High School , and played for the Graceville Tigers high school football team . College career . Anderson received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville , Florida , where he played for Charley Pell and Galen Hall ' s Florida Gators football teams from 1982 to 1985 , and shared the Gators ' backfield with fullback John L . Williams for four years . Memorably , Anderson ran for a 197 yards versus the Kentucky Wildcats as a freshman in 1982 , a seventy - six - yard touchdown against the LSU Tigers in 1983 , and 178 yards and an eighty - yard touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers in 1984 . He was a team captain in 1985 , a first - team All - Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) selection in 1985 , an Associated Press honorable mention All - American in 1984 and 1985 , and the recipient of the Gators ' Fergie Ferguson Award in 1985 . In his four years as a Gator , Anderson had fourteen games with 100 yards or more rushing , 639 carries for 3 , 234 yards rushing and thirty touchdowns , forty - nine reception s for 525 yards receiving and two touchdowns , and ninety - seven yards passing . In terms of career rushing yardage , he remains the Gators ' third all - time running back behind Errict Rhett and Emmitt Smith . Behind the rushing of Anderson , the rushing and receiving of John L . Williams , the receiving of wide receiver Ricky Nattiel and the passing of quarterback Kerwin Bell , the Gators finished with identical best - in - the - SEC records of 9 – 1 – 1 in 1984 and 1985 . Anderson graduated from Florida with a bachelor ' s degree in public relations in 1986 , and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a " Gator Great " in 1995 . Professional career . The Chicago Bears selected Anderson in the first round ( 27th pick overall ) of the 1986 NFL Draft , and he played for the Bears for eight seasons from to . He joined the franchise as a rookie immediately following the Bears ' championship season . The Bears picked Anderson to back up , and eventually succeed , Walter Payton , who became the Bears and NFL ' s all - time rushing leader during his lengthy career . After Payton ' s retirement in , Anderson became the team ' s starting running back . Anderson ' s best years came during the late 1980s , where he rushed for over 1 , 000 yards in three consecutive seasons . In all three seasons , Anderson scored over ten touchdowns and averaged over four yards per carry . Ultimately , his best season came in , when he rushed for 1 , 275 yards , received 434 yards , and scored 15 touchdowns . He was invited to the Pro Bowl in , 1989 , and . He was the last Bears running back to be invited to the Pro Bowl until Matt Forté was invited in . Over his eight - year career , Anderson appeared in 116 regular season games , and started 91 of them ; he amassed 6 , 166 yards and scored 51 touchdowns rushing , and 2 , 763 yards and 20 touchdowns receiving — a career total of 71 touchdowns . Anderson ' s career was shortened by injuries and the Bears ' fall - out during the early 1990s . He is currently the Bears ' second all - time franchise rusher , behind Payton ( 16 , 726 yards ) . Life after football . Anderson now lives with his wife and their three children in the Gainesville area , where he helped found a bank and owns a peanut farm . Anderson also mentors teenagers and helps coach youth football in the community .