Glenville's Latwan Anderson resurfaces, signs with Notre Dame College
By Tim Warsinskey, The Cleveland Plain Dealer
on February 05, 2015 at 12:52 PM, updated February 05, 2015 at 1:36 PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Five years ago, Latwan Anderson was considered one of the 15 best high school football recruits in the country.
On Wednesday, he signed with Notre Dame College, the Division II school in South Euclid, hoping to resurrect a once promising career. Anderson is enrolled full time at NDC, living on campus, and has two years of eligibility remaining, according to NDC coach Adam Howard.
"Latwan bounced around. He's had some things going on,'' Howard said. "Much like the Doniel (Gambrell) story, he has kid now, and he's really kind of matured and he's been declared eligible by the NCAA and has a couple years left.''
Gambrell, also a Glenville graduate, landed at NDC after starting at Eastern Michigan and is supporting a wife and three children while working and going to school. He could be selected in the NFL Draft in May.
"Coming out of high school, he was one of the best players in the country,'' Howard said of Anderson. "We're happy to have him. He has a support system here in Cleveland and he's serious about coming to school and getting his degree, and we're excited to have him.
Anderson, a defensive back and kick returner, was the 15th-ranked overall football recruit by Rivals.com in 2010.
Coming out of high school, he was one of the best players in the country.
He was even more highly regarded as a sprinter. He recorded the nation's fastest high school 200-meter time (20.92) and second-fastest 400 (47.26), as well as the second-fastest indoor 55-meter time (6.38).
"He's an elite level talent. He has Olympic speed. He'd going to make a difference at this level,'' Howard said.
At Glenville, Anderson was being recruited by Ohio State and USC, among others, and initially committed to West Virginia, but didn't sign. He wound up at Miami (Fla.) on a track scholarship, where he was to play football. He left after a few months and later enrolled at two community colleges.
Howard said he had been in contact with Anderson for several years through Scott Niedzwiecki, an NDC consultant who coached Anderson at St. Edward and later at Glenville. Anderson, who began his high school career at Euclid, scared off some recruiters while in high school because he had been in and out of trouble, including being kicked out of St. Edward after a confrontation with a teacher.
[NOTE: Posted nine months ago on HurricaneWarriors - "After playing with the Akron Blaze in one of the new spring outdoor leagues (the RPFL - see story posted immediately above) earlier this year, it appears that S/WR/KR Latwan Anderson was signed by the Arena League's Cleveland Gladiators. However, Anderson is not presently listed on either the active or inactive roster of Cleveland Gladiators - as currently posted online. Anderson attended Miami on a track scholarship (40: 4.28) and played football at the JUCO level. He is originally from the Cleveland, Ohio area."
Comment: It's possible that the RPFL Akron Blaze were a semi-pro outfit that doesn't meet the NCAA's definition of "professional" - presumably similar to the semi-pro football team that Miami LB Miles Levine played on in New England in between college stints at Vermont and later at the U. Although Anderson has a Bio on the Arena League's site, as indicated in the proCanes entry in this note, there's no confirmation that he actually played for the Arena League champs, the Cleveland Gladiators, last season. Absent those or some other explanations, it sure seems like Anderson should no longer be considered a college amateur in the sport of football. - HW Ed.]