ANDERSON'S OPPORTUNITY AT HAND; FRESHMAN CORNERBACK HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO SUCCEED.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

It is the story of opportunity. UCLA's senior cornerback gets hurt. The sophomore struggles, and a starting job opens. A true freshman, Marques Anderson, grabs it.

But it is also the story of environment and absorption. A close, two-parent family. A brilliant prep coach. A fabulous high school tradition. A roommate with a Hall of Fame dad. Summer workouts with the stars. At every turn, it seems, success and knowledge have greeted Anderson with open arms.

``I have a lot of support systems,'' he said. ``When you go home or talk to friends and you get congratulated, that makes you want to go out and do more. That's had happened to me. I've had a lot of support from a lot of people who know football.''

His father, Maurice, was a running back and punt returner at Oregon. Dan Fouts, Ahmad Rashad and Norv Turner were teammates. The coaching staff included John Robinson (offensive coordinator), Bruce Snyder (running backs) and George Seifert (secondary).

Anderson's powerhouse Pop Warner team of the early 90s, the Carson Jets, included Ohio State freshman Kenyon Rambo and Dominguez High School's Jason Thomas, perhaps the best prep athlete in California.

His football and track coach at Long Beach Poly, Don Norford, knows a thing or two about developing talent. In 1996, he was named the NFL's high school coach of the year based on recommendations of his former players, Leonard Russell, Willie McGinest, James Burton, Mark Carrier and Marquez Pope. They're available for advice day or night; all Anderson has to do is call. It's the Poly way.

He worked out every day this summer with Norford, then got to UCLA and realized his roommate was the son of arguably the greatest defensive back of them all, Ronnie Lott.

No wonder Anderson shunned scholarship offers from Notre Dame, Tennessee and Nebraska. To leave L.A. meant leaving his support system - a network that's responsible for him becoming the fourth true freshman ever to start at cornerback for UCLA.

``What makes Marques unique is his mentality, and that comes from a great upbringing and a family of high achievers,'' said Norford, who has been Poly's assistant football coach for 21 years and the head track coach for eight.

``He knows himself. He knows what to do on the field and how to apply it. If a coach puts five or six new things he wants done on a board, Marques can apply them on the field.''

Norford's summer program is legendary. Held daily at either Poly or Long Beach State, he emphasizes the conditioning, techniques and mental preparation necessary for immediate success at any level. Former Bruin Karim Abdul-Jabbar (Miami) was a regular this summer. So were McGinest (New England), Omar Stoutmire (Dallas Cowboys), Darnell Autry (Arizona Cardinals), Danjuan Magee (UCLA), Anthony Cobbs (ex-UCLA) and Kelly Malveaux (Arizona Wildcats).

Anderson worked construction from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., then spent two hours inhaling morsels from Norford and the players. Abdul-Jabbar explained the game from a running back's perspective. Cobbs offered academic counsel, including the best studying techniques during road trips. Stoutmire, a defensive back himself, dispensed advice by the minute.

Anderson - whose sister, Andrea, attends UCLA and is the Pac-10's 200-meter champ - arrived at training camp armed with techniques that many collegians don't master until their junior year. Under Norford, he learned to weave while backpedaling, which prevents a receiver from getting a half-step edge in any direction. He honed tackling technique and improved his speed. He also learned to anticipate a receiver's route based on yards covered and the quarterback's dropback.

``Every 5 yards up field he goes, that eliminates a certain route,'' Anderson said. ``After 10 yards, you figure he's going to run a post, fade or curl. It narrows it down.''

Anderson prefers a physical style, which provides both a psychological and physical advantage. ``If I hit them first, that takes some of the pain off me,'' he said. No surprise, then, that his favorite defensive backs pack a wallop: Rod Woodson and Lott, whose son, Ryan Nece, is Anderson's roommate.

Lott offered a few tips at dinner one night, and Anderson was so absorbed he almost forgot to eat. Lott said that great cornerbacks always keep their eyes on the receiver, not the ball, and that a cornerback's greatest enemy is lack of discipline.

All Anderson needed was the opening to apply his knowledge. It came in the second game, against Tennessee, when starter Aaron Roques injured a shoulder. Anderson had played well in practice, better than sophomore Jason Bell and redshirt freshman Damian Allen. He started at Texas, had an interception in the 66-3 victory and has not relinquished the job.

``The first week, he was a little soft and tentative, but we asked him to be so he wouldn't get beat deep,'' defensive coordinator Rocky Long said. ``Since then, he's more confident, and he's playing tighter on receivers.''

Anderson is big (6-foot, 180). He is fast (4.48 speed in the 40-yard dash), and he's a solid tackler. In other words, he's the kind of cornerback the Bruins have lacked since Carlton Gray departed in 1992.

``He reminds me of Marcus Turner (seven NFL seasons) or Dennis Price (five), some of the bigger corners we've had,'' said assistant coach Bob Field, in his 19th season at UCLA. ``Marques has the tools to be a real good player, but it's up to him. If he's satisfied with playing as a freshman, he won't improve. If he dedicates himself, he's got a bright future.''

Odds are, the support system won't let Anderson fail.

Into the Fire

This season Marques Anderson has become the seventh true freshman to start on defense for UCLA since 1972. The short list:

Player Position Year

Manu Tuiasosopo DL 1975

Billy Don Jackson DL 1977

Kenny Easley FS 1977

Lupe Sanchez CB 1979

Carlton Gray CB 1989

Javelin Guidry CB 1994

Marques Anderson CB 1997

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: no caption (Marques Anderson)

Chart: Into the Fire (see text)