SASKATOON — Mario Anderson’s cutting ability is clear to see.
As a running back or a barber, he applies his skills to benefit the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“Yes, sir!” he said with a smile. “It all fits.”
Anderson Jr. was a nice fit for the Roughriders during his rookie season of 2025. The former University of Memphis standout carried the ball 24 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns — both of which were scored in the Labour Day Classic against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
He averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry as a complement to backfield bulwark A.J. Ouellette, whose 1,222 rushing yards placed him second in the league, and Thomas Bertrand-Hudon.
“I was able to seize the opportunities I got last season,” Anderson Jr. said at Coors Light Training Camp. “This year, I’m hoping for more opportunities and being able to seize them as well.”
It helps to have a full season of professional football on his resume.
“I’m more prepared than ever for training camp and ready for the season,” the 5-foot-8, 205-pounder said.
“The game has slowed down a lot more for me. Last year was crazy, coming from the States and seeing all the different motions and different calls. This year, I’ve been able to hone in on a lot of those things.”
Anderson Jr. also honed his hair-cutting talents during the off-season, working at VIP Barber Shop and Salon in Charleston, S.C.
“In my freshman year, I walked on at Newberry College,” Anderson Jr. recalled when asked how he became a barber.
“My mom actually took out loans for me to be able to go to school. That was a real big thing for her to do for me, so instead of me asking for money while I was in school — she had already taken out loans — I picked up a pair of clippers that my uncle gave me. I learned how to cut hair so I could make a little bit of money on the side.”
Seven years later, Sequoya Anderson’s 25-year-old son is still putting those skills to good use. And he is still very grateful.
“I appreciate my mom so much,” he said. “She’s a single mother who raised four boys. Everything that I do, I try to put my best foot forward not only for myself, but to recognize the hard work and dedication of my mom and the sacrifices she made for me.
“If it wasn’t for her taking out those loans so I could play college football, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
After being redshirted at Newberry College in 2019, Anderson Jr. rushed for 3,301 yards in 29 games at the small South Carolina school.
He produced 1,237 yards in 13 games with the Newberry Wolves in 2021 before increasing the yardage total to 1,560 in 10 contests the following year. He scored 19 touchdowns in 2022 while averaging 7.4 yards per carry.
Anderson Jr. transferred to the University of South Carolina in 2023 and rushed for 707 yards in 12 games, eight of which he started.
For his senior season, he transferred to the University of Memphis and rushed for 1,362 yards —11th in the nation— and 18 scores in 13 games with the Tigers. He averaged 5.8 yards per rush.
Shortly before training camp in 2025, Anderson Jr. signed with the Roughriders. He was placed on the practice roster following the pre-season, only to be released on June 23.
A season-ending knee injury suffered by veteran CFL running back Ka’Deem Carey prompted the Roughriders to once again reach out to Anderson Jr. He re-signed with the Green and White on July 22 and ended up being a part of a Grey Cup championship team.
During his brief time away from Saskatchewan, he worked as a barber back home in South Carolina. He also put those skills to good use as a first-year Roughrider.
“I was telling people that I’m a barber,” Anderson Jr. said. “At first, they were kind of skeptical. Once people have got their barber, they don’t like to cheat on their barber. I understand that.
“But once people saw what I could do with the clippers, I got more and more of my teammates coming to me (for haircuts), and some of the coaches as well.
“I try not to charge too much. I try to keep it at a fair, reasonable price. We’re still ballin’, keeping the main thing the main thing, and cutting hair is just something I like to do on the side.”