10/29/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO – A four-game basketball suspension during his junior year of high school helped set Georgia Southern defensive lineman Eli Anders on a path he never expected to take.
At the time, Anders was focused on basketball, with dreams of playing at the collegiate level.Â
Football was an afterthought, even as the football coaches continued to encourage him to give it a chance. After one rough basketball tournament, however, his mother decided it was time for a change.
"I was the guy who got more fouls than points," Anders joked. "The football coach had been trying to get me to play for a while, but I wasn't going to do it. Then I had a really bad tournament, and on the drive back, my mom called the football coach and said, 'Hey, what time is practice tomorrow? Eli will be there.'"
Anders initially lined up at tight end, where learning the offensive scheme proved challenging. His coaches eventually moved him to defensive end, giving him a simpler assignment as he learned the game.
"When they moved me, they basically said, 'Hey, just run up the field and hit the guy with the ball,'" Anders said. "That's what I did that year. I was still really raw. I had the natural athleticism, but I didn't really understand the game yet."
By the end of his junior year, things began to click. After transferring to a new high school, Anders continued to develop, and his senior year brought the possibility of playing football at the next level.
"I got most of my offers during the summer before my senior year, but I would say the spring of my senior year, when I got to the new high school and went through spring practice, was really when everything clicked for me," Anders said.Â
Among his opportunities, Georgia Southern stood out. Not only was it the first program to offer him, but the coaching staff and the success of former players from his high school helped solidify the connection.
"Coach (Brandon) Bailey and Coach Rip (Rowan) really stood out to me because of the way they approached me," Anders said. "I knew guys like Branden Palmer, Isaac Walker and De'Shawn Davis who came from the same high school I transferred to. Seeing the success those guys had and knowing they came up under these coaches showed me the kind of players they develop."
Once he committed to Georgia Southern, Anders decided to enroll early. Having played football for only two years, he knew he needed every opportunity to catch up and prepare for the college game.
"I was a little behind the curve with football since I had only really played for two years, so every opportunity I had to develop was huge for me," Anders said. "I knew I needed to take it seriously, so I was like, 'All right, forget going to prom, forget senior assassin and all that.' It was time to lock in, learn the plays and get ready for the next level. Having a full semester and offseason to get in the weight room, go through workouts and participate in spring ball helped me develop tremendously."
The early arrival gave Anders more than additional time in the weight room. It also allowed him to build relationships with his future teammates and coaches before the rest of his recruiting class arrived.
The entire defensive line welcomed the young newcomer, helping him adjust to life away from home for the first time.
"Isaac Walker, De'Shawn Davis, Davion Rhodes, Jacob Ferguson and the whole defensive line took me under their wings," Anders said. "I was 17 years old, on a college campus and away from my mom for the first time ever, and those older guys took me in. We'd go to the dining hall and have dinner together or go watch games at somebody's house. Before long, I felt like I was one of them. By the time my recruiting class got there, I felt like I was already light-years ahead in terms of adjusting to college. I was hanging out with seniors like Tyrell Davis and all these other guys who were going to do big things."
After redshirting his freshman season and seeing limited action on special teams, Anders leaned on the veterans who had guided him through his transition. They encouraged him to keep working and reminded him that his opportunity would come.
"When those opportunities came, I made sure I was ready for them," Anders said. "Getting into games and experiencing live action taught me a lot. You make mistakes, miss tackles or miss assignments, and you realize, 'Crap, this is real.' Practice is fast, but the game is 10 times faster. Getting that experience gave me things to learn from and improve on."
By his third year, the defensive line looked different. The veterans who once guided Anders had moved on, leaving him with an opportunity to help lead a younger group entering the 2026 season.Â
Initially, Anders believed he needed to establish himself on the field before he could take on a leadership role. As his production grew, however, he realized that leadership was no longer something to prepare for. It was something his teammates needed from him.
"I never really saw myself as a leader in that room," Anders said. "I thought I needed to produce on the field first. I felt like I had to prove myself and show that I could do certain things before I could step into that role. Then I started producing, and I looked up one day and thought, 'Crap, it's my time to be a leader.'"
"Kebba Secka and I did a good job this offseason of stepping into that role and guiding some of the younger guys," Anders said. "We've made an effort to get the guys together outside of football, make sure everybody knows where they're supposed to be and when they're supposed to be there, and just build a strong culture. Leadership came naturally to a point, but it was also one of those things where I looked up and realized, 'Oh, I'm that guy now.'"
His growth as a leader has extended beyond the football field.Â
In spring 2026, Anders was selected by his peers to serve as the next president of Georgia Southern's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The opportunity was not one he initially sought. In fact, Anders said he removed his name from the ballot on the day of the vote. His fellow student-athletes had other plans.
"I wasn't sure I wanted to do it," Anders said. "I talked to Maggie Sale about it and told her I wasn't going to, and I actually took my name off the ballot on the day of the vote. They still voted for me, though, so I ended up serving in the role. It was awesome to be recognized by my peers as a leader and selected for such an honorable role."
Taking on two prominent leadership positions has taught Anders that being a leader requires more than setting an example. It also means understanding the people around him and recognizing that everyone responds differently.
"I've learned that you can't approach everyone the same way and that different situations require different approaches to get things done," Anders said. "Whether I'm giving guys advice or leading the D-line room, I've learned a lot about myself and how to lead others. I think I've really developed as a leader this year."
That growth has come through experiences far more personal than football or leadership responsibilities.
In the summer of 2024, Anders received devastating news: his mother would soon pass away. The person who had encouraged him to try football and helped set his collegiate journey in motion was suddenly facing a battle he could not change.Â
"We were here working out when Coach Rip got a call," Anders said. "He told me to check my phone, and as I was walking in, I saw calls from my grandparents. They told me, 'Hey, you need to come home.' So I got on the road and went home. She ended up passing away, and we buried her. About a week and a half later, I was back here for fall camp and just hit the ground running. I told myself, 'All right, let's go.'"
Returning to Statesboro so soon after losing his mother was difficult, but Anders carried with him one of their final conversations. She wanted him to continue pursuing the life he had worked toward and not allow her passing to keep him from the opportunities ahead.
"One of the last conversations I had with her was about how it was time for me to start my life," Anders said. "She told me, 'I want you to live your life and go be great. You're doing so many great things, and I don't want this to hinder that.' I knew she would want me to be at my first fall camp, back with my brothers, competing and learning the system."
The family atmosphere that first attracted Anders to Georgia Southern became especially important as he navigated his grief. The same teammates who had welcomed him to campus as a 17-year-old once again made sure he did not have to face difficult moments alone.
"One of the biggest things that drew me to Georgia Southern during recruiting was the family environment, and that support system was there for me when I needed it most," Anders said. "My brothers, especially Isaac Walker, and all the guys I've talked about, rallied around me. There were days when I'd be sitting in my dorm room and wouldn't want to do anything, and they'd all show up and pile into my little room just to sit with me."
"Coach (Clay) Helton would pull me aside to check on me, and so many others did the same. That support system really helped me get through it and gave me the strength to do what my mom would have wanted me to do, which was keep living my life and playing the game of football. They made it so much easier to come back and keep going."
Anders continues to carry his mother's memory with him – in his daily life and through two tattoos dedicated to her. Each represents a reminder of the lessons she instilled in him and the love that continues to guide him.
"Proverbs 24:16 says, 'For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…,'" Anders said. "Growing up, my parents always told me that when you fall down, you get back up. That's actually a tattoo my mom and I were supposed to get together after she finished chemo. Our thing was always, 'Fall down seven, stand up eight.' It was a reminder to keep getting back up, no matter what life throws at you. Another thing that means a lot to me is the book Love You Forever. The line, 'I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be,' is something my mom always told me. Those are things she shared with me that I'll always carry with me."
His faith has also remained a constant throughout his journey. Through Georgia Southern's Athletes in Action (AIA) program, Anders found guidance and a community that helped him navigate loss while continuing to grow in his faith and understanding of the person he hopes to become.
"Being part of a program like AIA and having leaders like Matt Wise helped me navigate those tough times and find my way back," Anders said. "Being here has grown me not only as a man but also in my faith. It's helped shape me into the person I want to be and equipped me to lead my family the right way one day."
After picking up more fouls than points on the basketball court, Anders never imagined a four-game suspension would help lead him to NCAA Division I football.Â
Now wearing No. 97 in the Prettiest Little Stadium in America, the Georgia Southern defensive lineman has grown into a leader, mentor and son honoring his mother's legacy on and off the field.Â
As Georgia Southern prepares to welcome App State to Paulson Stadium for Saturday night's Halloween matchup, Anders will take the field with that reminder close to his heart.
And for a North Carolina native who grew up rooting for the Mountaineers, the rivalry has taken on a different meaning.
"I'm a North Carolina native, and I grew up loving App State," Anders said. "I came to the right side of the rivalry. So, everybody, pack Paulson! It doesn't get much better than this. We're going to need the Power of Paulson, so come out, support us and get rowdy! Make it uncomfortable for those guys and send them back to Boone."
Eagle Nation, the Eagles need you at Paulson Stadium this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Pack Paulson, bring the noise and help Georgia Southern defend home field.
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