Twin factor
There are many examples of successful twins in the world of athletics: NFL stars Ronde and Tiki Barber, skiers Phil and Steve Mahre, major leaguers José and Ozzie Canseco. OK, scratch Ozzie, and place an asterisk next to José.
Locally, Adam and Aaron Anderson are standout three-sport athletes at Riverside High School, where they’re close to winding up high-profile football careers, with basketball on deck.
Adam is Riverside’s leading rusher this fall with more than 600 yards (and eight yards a carry) despite ankle injuries that have limited him to about half a season. He also plays safety on passing downs.
Aaron, a shade bigger at 6 foot 1 and 205 to his brother’s 5 foot 11 ½, 200, is an all-league and all-state defensive end who occasionally plays up front on the offensive line in short-yardage situations.
While their talents are a little different, said Rams football coach Allen Martin, their character is not.
“They’re awesome kids on and off the field, with absolutely no negatives. They’re good all-around athletes, and they have good values and strong ethics. They’ve been in our district all along, so I’ve watched them grow up.
“For me, they’re both captains. They’re friends and rivals at the same time. They can fight like cats and dogs one minute, but they’ve grown up doing everything together, and they have a deep respect and love for each other. They’re typical brothers, but probably even more because they’re twins.”
Both young men echo that point of view.
“What do we argue about?” reflected Aaron. “Everything, pretty much. Like ‘You’re wearing my shirt,’ or ‘Take off my pants.’ Last week, we got into a fight about one of us drinking out of the other’s juice box.”
Adam agrees with that, then points out that when it comes to sports, they leave their domestic squabbles at home.
“When we get on the field,” he said, “we forget our differences.”
Not that those differences are very often any more significant than that juice box. Both boys, asked what it’s like playing with a twin brother, use the same word: “Cool.”
“We’re not really very different,” said Adam. “We’re both pretty aggressive, although Aaron, being a defensive end, is probably a little more that way. But we like most of the same stuff.”
They almost didn’t play football in high school, having to win over a father concerned that injuries would get in the way of their prep basketball careers.
Aaron, in fact, suffered a torn ACL as a sophomore, and as a result Adam is the faster and more explosive of the two. Both of them have spent plenty of time in the weight room, but with a different point of emphasis. And while Aaron has stayed with track in the spring, Adam now plays baseball.
“Both are great leaders,” said Martin. “Adam may be a bit more athletic, but both are gifted athletes. Aaron’s role is limited offensively, but he’s a motivating presence for the team. His strength is incredible – teams simply run away from him.”
The boys are friendly rivals on the practice field, but rivals nonetheless.
“I love my brother,” said Aaron, “but I love to stick him hard. We both go at it really hard in practice, and I think that pushes us to get better.”
The best moments, though, are when one or the other makes a big play, says Aaron.
“It’s awesome to scream for him when he makes a long run. Everybody can yell about it, but not like I can. I get to enjoy it a little bit more, and we get home we can just keep talking about it.”
Neither is excited about the possibility of splitting up in their approaching college years. No firm athletic offers have surfaced yet, although both have drawn some interest.
“It would be weird to go to different places,” said Adam, “but if it happens we’ll still call each other every day and talk all the time.”
“I’d rather not have to split up,” said Aaron, “but what happens, happens. That’s not all in our control.”
Whatever happens, both the boys will treasure the time they’ve had together on the athletic fields and courts. As both of them will tell you, it’s been cool.