NFL DRAFT EXPERT IN LOVE WITH ANDERSON

Kelvin Anderson might not be a high National Football League draft choice, but Dave "Tee" Thomas is certain that Southeast Missouri State University's career rushing leader will getting paid to play on Sundays next season.

Thomas runs a scouting information bureau for the NFL and his basic function is providing NFL teams with information on prospects. He also publishes a scouting service for the general public.

Speaking over the telephone from his New York City office a few days ago, Thomas said he considers Southeast Missouri State's "Earthquake" to be one of the real hidden gems of the NFL draft, which will be held April 22-23.

"Right now Kelvin Anderson is being treated like a Rodney Dangerfield and I don't understand it," said Thomas. "There are a lot of concerns about Kelvin, but I consider him to be a poor man's Dave Meggett. To me he's another Stump Mitchell, who pound for pound was one of the better running backs I've seen."

Meggett is a current NFL star despite being one of the league's smallest running backs while Mitchell is a former NFL star who was also one of the smallest backs in the game.

Thomas said that Anderson measured out at a shade under 5-feet-8 and weighed 198 pounds during last month's NFL Scouting Combine held in Indianapolis, where the nation's top college prospects worked out. That lack of size, coupled with a knee injury suffered before his senior season and a perceived lack of power, figures to keep Anderson from going high in the draft, according to Thomas.

"I project him to go between the fourth and sixth round, but I also have him projected as the biggest steal in the draft at the running back position," Thomas said. "What it is right now, somebody will get him in the fire sale and he'll come in and light somebody's fire."

Anderson, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards during each of his three season at Southeast, suffered a serious knee injury prior to the 1994 season. He started off somewhat slow but picked up steam and again went over the 1,000-yard mark as a senior.

"A lot of people are still concerned about the knee, but I say just look at what he did the last half of the season," said Thomas.

Thomas said he graded Anderson well at the NFL Scouting Combine, although bench-pressing only 12 repetitions at 225 pounds probably didn't help his cause.

"People are scared off by his size, the injury and lack of power," Thomas said. "If he had done 225 maybe 20 reps, it would have been a different story."

But Thomas said Anderson proved to be one of the best all-around athletes among the 49 running backs at the combine. Thomas said Anderson ran 4.18 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle that rates agility, which was fifth among all running backs. He had a 37-inch vertical leap, which only two other running backs topped.

Although Anderson ran just a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, Thomas said there was an extremely slow track. And Anderson was impressive in the 10-yard dash that rates initial explosiveness, where only three running backs beat him.

"I think he did well at the combine, considering that nobody did all that super," said Thomas. "He only ran a 4.59 40, but the running backs as a whole only averaged 4.64. And the 10-yard is what I judge a lot in my running backs. I want to see that explosiveness, that first step off the ball."

Thomas said he has Anderson rated seventh among all running backs eligible for next weekend's draft. Although he said the New Madrid County Central High School product doesn't figure to be selected that high, it doesn't mean the "Earthquake" won't end up getting the last laugh.

Said Thomas, "Will Kelvin be playing on Sunday's next year? Definitely. And there will be 29 teams kicking themselves in the butts for not picking him."