Even if Monster Jam is in driver’s blood, it can be rough ride

Saying 26-year-old Ryan Anderson was born to drive a monster truck may be the ultimate understatement. It’s like simply calling his mammoth vehicle “big.”

Anderson’s dad, Dennis, created the iconic Grave Digger monster truck, arguably still the most recognizable in the Monster Jam monster truck series. So Ryan says climbing behind the wheel was “a no brainer” for him. And he’ll be doing it once again as he pilots the appropriately named Son-uva Digger truck at the annual Monster Jam competition in Atlanta. It’s March 5 at the Georgia Dome.

Anderson, who’s been driving professionally since 2010, recently climbed out of the driver’s seat long enough to open the hood of his career as a monster truck driver and talk a little shop.

On the first time he drove a monster truck:

“I was 16 years old. We were testing a new truck that we had built. So my dad kind of threw me to the gauntlet. He wanted me to get the full effect of what a truck can do to you. He said, ‘Jump in there.’ I was very familiar with the trucks at that time, and knew them inside and out as far as working on them. But that was the first time I had ever driven one. I got in there and took the truck to the test field. … I jumped about 116 feet, which was my first jump ever in a truck. When I landed, I slammed the truck down nose first. I bit my tongue with every single tooth in my mouth. I stretched my neck out like a giraffe, and my tongue was swollen so big I could barely talk. Luckily it’s not that brutal every time.”

On not feeling pressured to enter the family business:

“My dad was so devoted to Grave Digger and to his fans, and that’s what I grew up knowing. I kind of knew it was meant to be. It’s not that my dad didn’t give us other options. He told my brother (Adam) and I, ‘You can either go to college or follow me in this business.’ Who in their right mind would turn down a golden paved road to Monster Jam? Any kid would want to drive a monster truck. My brother and I are very fortunate for all that my dad has done in the business, but that’s what he worked for. He wanted to build an empire, and that’s what he’s done. His life revolves around it, our lives revolve around it and so do the lives of our kids. You don’t see any of the little Anderson boys running around without a monster truck toy in their hands.”

On his closest call during a Monster Jam competition:

“I’ve had quite a few crazy crashes. A lot of times, a crash that doesn’t seem that bad is a lot worse than one that really looks bad. I actually broke my neck in a truck years ago. I was new on the scene. At the time, Monster Jam drivers were pushing the trucks so far that in a matter of a year or two we elevated the game two times over. Technology didn’t have time to catch up, and we weren’t slowing down because things were so amazing. We were starting to do backflips and all this crazy stuff that wasn’t happening before. I had an accident and broke my neck. Luckily, as severe as that was, it wasn’t life-threatening. It was honestly a wake-up call for the entire industry. We learned so much from it and (technology) evolved to become so much better. It was a major milestone for Monster Jam.”

On competing at the Georgia Dome:

“It’s amazing. So many historic runs and events have happened there. Every event there is spectacular. It’s not just because of the Monster Jam performances. The fans in Atlanta get so behind it. The Georgia fans are spoiled, because they’re used to seeing something fantastic. The average Monster Jam show isn’t worthy in Atlanta, so we have to go above and beyond at the Georgia Dome.”