Jersey Guy Credit: Big Red Dave
By Sean Keeley on

University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore Maxwell Anderson is a simple guy who knows what he likes.

Specifically, he likes to sit in the front row of his 9:30 a.m. geography class while wearing a different sports jersey every time.

While he probably didn’t think much of it, another student sitting in the back of the auditorium took notice and kept taking notice all semester, much to the delight of the internet.

It began on Sept. 3 when X user Big Red Dave shared a photo of Anderson sitting in the first row wearing a Nick Van Exel Lakers jersey. A few days later it was a Karl Malone Utah Jazz jersey. Then an Aaron Judge Yankees jersey, Magic Johnson jersey, Jaxon Smith-Njigba jersey, Steve Largent Seahawks jersey, and on it went.

Anderson became aware that he was a viral sensation in early October when a TikTok video featuring his wardrobe went viral.

While social media got a kick out of seeing such a dedicated jerseyhead, the folks at Fanatics saw an opportunity. And so, when Anderson showed up for class on Thursday, he had a surprise waiting for him. A whole lot of surprises, actually.

That’s nearly 60 jerseys that were waiting for him on his preferred front-row seat, including a jersey of his favorite player, LeBron James.

“I was stunned, I couldn’t say anything,” Anderson told the Journal Star. “Standing there, I was in shock. I had no idea this was going to happen.”

Somewhat surprisingly, one jersey Anderson didn’t have in his collection was a Nebraska Cornhuskers one. That changed Friday when he attended the Nebraska-Indiana men’s basketball game and received four, including one with “Jersey Guy” on the back. 

Regardless of whether or not Anderson’s viral fame will continue next semester, he says he has no plans to stop wearing jerseys anytime soon.

“I don’t really care if it’s only my 15 minutes of fame and it doesn’t last. This is a moment I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Anderson said. “I’m gonna die with this moment. I’m gonna tell my kids about it, I’m gonna tell my family.”

[Journal Star, Big Red Dave, Jake Bartecki]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

View all posts by Sean Keeley