Wayne State University Athletics

Keith Anleitner, a four-year Wayne State football letter winner (1973-76) as a linebacker, has been selected for induction into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame. Anleitner, a native of Garden City, led the Tartars to a 28-13 mark during his playing career including a GLIAC title in 1975. He served as a co-captain on the 1976 squad, which compiled an 8-2 mark and still holds the school record for wins in a season along with the 1975 team. He concluded his career first in total tackles with 505 including 255 solo stops. He holds the record for most career assisted tackles with 250. His team-best 160 tackles as a junior is the second-most in WSU history, while his 25 tackles on Nov. 1, 1975, against Northwood still ranks as the second-best single-game total in school history. WSU's Most Valuable Defensive Back in both 1974 and 1975, he was also honored with the squad's "Hitter of the Year" (now defunct award) following his freshman campaign. The 1976 Ron Solack "#35" Award recipient, Anleitner was named to the All-GLIAC First Team his final two seasons by unanimous vote of opposing coaches (his first two years WSU played an independent schedule). As a freshman in 1973, he recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery and was selected WSU's Lineman of the Week for the Indiana Central contest. He also had a team-high 113 tackles. Anleitner still holds the record for most assisted tackles in a season with 88. The Garden City East H.S. product recorded a team-leading 106 tackles as a sophomore including 62 solo while recovering two fumbles. Four times during the 1975 season, he was the Defensive Tartar of the Week and as a senior he had a team-high six interceptions, which ranks as the seventh-best yearly total in school history. His career total of nine interceptions is an all-time high among linebackers. Anleitner also had 126 tackles in 1976. A 1980 graduate of Wayne State with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, Anleitner also received his Masters in Education in 1988 and his Educational Specialist degree in 1998. Both graduate degrees are from Wayne State University. He is currently a Principal in Garden City at Farmington Elementary and the Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach at Canton Agape Christian. He has coached boys' high school football and basketball at a number of schools for the last 20 years including St. Alphonsus, Garden City East, L'Anse Creuse, Southgate Aquinas, Marysville, St. Clair and Marine City Holy Cross. He is also an Elder in the church at Agape Family Worship Center in Canton. Anleitner resides happily in Canton with his wife of 25 years, Gerry, and has four children: Paul, Heather, Jack, and Mary. O bserver and Eccentric article on Keith Anleitner.