Rising NFL Star Picks Up Film Photography During Offseason

Sports Illustrated

The NFL is oh so close to being back, and while the players have been running drills and pumping iron to keep themselves in shape during the offseason, one rising star has also been pursuing a more cultured pastime.

Will Anderson Jr. is a 25-year-old defensive end for the Houston Texans. When he’s not sacking quarterbacks — which he’s apparently very good at — Anderson is a renaissance man, not just taking up photography but going all-in by picking up an analog Canon AE-1 Program.

In a recent video with Sports Illustrated, Anderson indicates that he only recently got into photography, picking up his 1981 Canon SLR at the start of the offseason as well as what looks like a Fujifilm X-T5.

Will Anderson Jr. picked up film photography in the offseason 📸 pic.twitter.com/kw8e7dEIlA

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 20, 2026

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder opens up his photo philosophy. “Instead of just being focused on one thing, there are so many different things in the picture that you can focus on,” says Anderson.

“And I think that’s what art is and that’s what photography is. A lot of times, when you look at photography, look at art, people just zoom in on one little thing, but it may be the thing behind what everybody else is looking at. I could be taking a picture of you, but really I’m looking at this little white thing right here, and that’s the big picture. So, that’s what it does for me.”

It’s great to hear the thoughts of someone who has not long picked up a camera and is starting to take photography seriously. He’s already thinking outside of the box, and that is the mark of a true photographer.

Anderson even has a photography Instagram page where he posts the views that catch his eye, sharing a mixture of film photos, iPhone snaps, and images made digitally.

Anderson is far from the only football player to pick up a camera: retired NFL running back Marshawn Lynch returned to Seattle donning a photographer’s vest last year, even throwing an elbow to protect his gear as one of the players ran toward him.