Senior pair primed to play last home football game

Every college football player realizes one day he will step foot on his home turf for the final time. \nFor Versie Gaddis and Johnny Anderson, that day will come Saturday, when the Hoosiers play Wisconsin in their final home game of the season at Memorial Stadium.\nGaddis' and Anderson's respective journeys to this point in their careers haven't been easy. Both players have battled adversity throughout their careers.\nGaddis, a fifth-year senior, has experienced five straight losing seasons. Gaddis has dealt with critics who mocked him for dropping passes.\nAnderson had to battle the streets of Fort Pierce, Fla. and the junior college ranks before stepping foot on the IU campus two years ago. Anderson found a new life at IU, and his career at will conclude Saturday with two special visitors watching him. \nTHE GRIZZLED VETERAN\nGaddis is one of the few players remaining from the Bill Mallory days, and in five years at IU he has never played for a team that has won more than four games in a season.\nIn 1996, Gaddis, who played high school football in Atlanta, was one of four true freshmen to earn a letter after catching seven passes for 146 yards. \nThe following spring, Gaddis tore his anterior cruciate ligament and was forced to sit out the entire 1997 season. Gaddis received a medical redshirt, giving him an extra year of eligibility.\nGaddis caught just five passes in 1998, but came on strong in 1999 catching 35 passes for 633 yards. \nDuring the off-season, Gaddis' teammates selected him as a co-captain and he has served as one of the Hoosiers' vocal leaders throughout this season. \n"He has overcome a lot of adversity throughout his career," coach Cam Cameron said. "He has been a tremendous captain, as good as we've had."\nOn the field, Gaddis is having another solid season. After nine games, he leads the Hoosiers with 27 receptions for 537 yards. Gaddis' best game of the season was a six catch, 155 yard performance in a 51-43 victory Oct. 21 against Minnesota at Memorial Stadium.\nGaddis has not been invited to play in any postseason All-Star games yet, but he said he would like to pursue a career in pro football. He has already graduated from IU with a general studies degree and a minor in telecommunications. If a pro football career work out, Gaddis would like to do behind-the-scenes work in radio or television.\n"It has been a long, long road," Gaddis said of his IU career. "I want to go out and play a great game (Saturday). More importantly, I want to show my teammates that even though we're not going to a bowl game, I'm not going to quit. I want to finish with a bang."\n \nThe "Superhero"\nAnderson never thought he would reach this point in his football career.\nDuring his career at Westwood High School in Fort Pierce, Anderson said he spent time in and out of juvenile facilities.\nFootball proved to be Anderson's salvation and he eventually played in the junior college ranks for the Community College of San Francisco. Anderson received Golden Gate Conference Player-of-the-Year honors in the fall of 1998, and the following semester Anderson joined the IU program on a full scholarship.\nShortly after he signed with the Hoosiers, Anderson's mother died from a sudden illness, leaving behind two daughters, Sameathis and Niece, 14 and 17, respectively, who are now in Anderson's custody.\nAnderson started two games in 1999 and finished the season with 15 tackles. This season, he is one of the backbones on IU's defense. Anderson leads the team with 75 tackles heading into Saturday's game.\n"Johnny is a superhero," Gaddis said. "Johnny is in another world when he is out there. He plays to win. I don't care if we are down 50-0, Johnny is out there hitting and he isn't scared of anything. I don't think I've ever seen a player who has that much attitude and that much confidence on the field." \nAnderson was recently invited to play in January's Hula Bowl, which is one of college football's premiere All-Star games. Anderson said thoughts of playing in the NFL have crossed his mind, but he said he won't be nervous during the Hula Bowl.\n"I will just face it as another game and make the most out of it," he said. "It's my last opportunity to finish my resume as a college player." \nAnderson has two more games in an IU uniform. Besides being his last game home game, Saturday's game will be special because Sameathis and Niece are making the trip from Florida to watch him play for the first time in his collegiate career.\n"It's going to be a big game for me," Anderson said. "That's why I want to prepare as much as I can and give at all I got"