By Bill Koch
Enquirer staff writer

When Willie Anderson was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl last year, he finally received the recognition he has sought ever since he entered the National Football League with the Bengals in 1996.

But as proud as he is of being honored by his peers as one of the game's best offensive linemen, there's another legacy that's more important to him.

GOOD SPORTS

• Making a difference • Cris Collinsworth • Danny Graves • Bob Huggins • Marvin Lewis • Anthony Muñoz • Tim Naehring • Doug Pelfrey • Sean Casey • Willie Anderson

"I've always said I'd rather be known as a guy who was doing humanitarian work than as a great football player," Anderson said, "because that's going to be with you longer."

Anderson, the Bengals' nominee for the NFL Man of the Year Award in 2000, 2001 and 2002, has long been involved in the Cincinnati community in a way that few people realize.

He sponsors a football team at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cincinnati and through his church, the New Jerusalem Baptist Church, and he sponsors holiday dinners for the homeless. He also sponsors Christmas parties at Children's Hospital Medical Center.

In addition, he provides 10-15 tickets for underprivileged children for every Bengals home game at a cost of about $5,400.

"We take so much from the community," Anderson said, "as far as salaries and everything, it's only right for us to go out and give back and be recognized as guys in the community."

Anderson said he has been especially touched by his work for the homeless.

"I always saw homeless people as being homeless men," Anderson said. "I never thought that there were homeless women and children out there. It touches something in your heart. There's a lot of homeless kids out there that we don't know about. You never see the women and the children because they're in the shelters.

"A lot of my money I try to give to the shelters. I tell my son there are kids who at Christmas time are not expecting anything. They want something to eat from January to December. They're not thinking about toys.

"If I can do anything to ease that pain or help that problem out, I'm going to continue doing it. When it comes to kids, they're helpless. Whether they're black, white, Asian, Spanish, whatever, they're helpless."

It's important, Anderson said, that the Bengals began to make strides toward regaining the respect of the community on the field last year because it makes them more accepted when they do their work off the field. The two, he said, should go hand in hand.

Anderson said the players care about Cincinnati as much as he does.

"When this city is rioting over stuff, that's affecting us, too," Anderson said. "We live here."