Dick Anderson never played anywhere else. The Dolphins took the strong safety out of Colorado in the third round in 1968, and he spent the rest of his career in South Florida.

He made an impression right away. As a rookie, he led the AFL in interception return yards and finished with eight picks, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year. Two years later he did it again, leading the NFL in interception return yards with another eight interceptions. Even early on, he could take the ball away and then make people pay for throwing it.

From 1972 to 1974, he went to the Pro Bowl every year. The first two of those seasons also brought first-team All-Pro honors, and they happened to be the years Miami won back-to-back Super Bowls. In 1973, he led the league with eight interceptions, including four in one game against the Steelers (two returned for touchdowns), and took home Defensive Player of the Year. He also returned punts here and there and finished his career with 1,338 all-purpose yards.

What set him apart in those peak years was how complete he was in the middle of the field. Anderson could cover ground, deliver hits, and turn takeaways into long returns. He was physical enough to handle tight ends and running backs in the box, yet still rangy enough to range over the top and take away deep throws. Next to Jake Scott he gave the Dolphins a safety pair that cleaned up mistakes by the front seven and created problems of their own. When the No-Name Defense was humming in 1972 and 1973, Anderson was right in the middle of it, and quarterbacks learned quickly that the middle of the field was not a safe place to throw.

A knee injury wiped out the entire 1975 season. He came back for two more years, but the burst was gone. He retired after 1977 with 34 interceptions and 792 interception return yards. The Dolphins put him on their Honor Roll in 2006.