LAS VEGAS - C.J. Anderson of Lone Tree, Colorado, has been to the National Football League's Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, and he now has competed on one of the biggest stages in bowling as well.

The Denver Broncos running back, who has made two Super Bowl appearances since his 2013 NFL debut, including a win in Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers, is an avid bowler and decided to test his skills this week at the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Masters.

Anderson has experienced Professional Bowlers Association regional competition, but his visit to The Orleans Bowling Center for the USBC Masters was his first taste of the top-level competition at a major championship.

Though he won't be hoisting the trophy this week, the opportunity to compete in the Masters was priceless for Anderson, who averaged 174.2 on this week's 40-foot oil pattern, with a high game of 242.

"It's been a learning experience, and that's how I take it," said Anderson, who scored the last touchdown in the Broncos most recent Super Bowl win. "I really enjoy bowling, but I don't get to bowl all year round because of my other profession. I have a window, which usually is from whenever the season ends for us, until we have to report back in April, so this week has been a lot of fun."

As a high-level competitor, struggling at the Masters could have been discouraging, but Anderson didn't see it that way at all.

"I came up here to bowl in this because I'm a competitor, and I knew it would be a good learning experience - the best money I could spend to work with and compete against these guys," Anderson said. "It feels good out here, and it's nice to have the support of many players and ball reps, who have tried to help me out and help me be successful in this sport, too. It's definitely a work in progress, though."

While honing his bowling skills, Anderson has received guidance from top players as well as formal coaching, including time with USBC Gold coach Hank Boomershine.

But, as much as he enjoys bowling and has enjoyed the Masters, Anderson is excited about getting back on the football field to prepare for the 2017 season.

After a pair of Super Bowl appearances and a selection to the 2015 Pro Bowl, he suffered a knee injury in October 2016 that required surgery and sidelined him for nine weeks.

"The knee is good, and I'm ready to play football," Anderson said. "Football is what I do. It's like a bowler missing his opportunity to bowl and missing a couple tournaments. Missing nine weeks of football last year just reminded me how much I really do enjoy and love the game, so I can't wait for football season to start."

To sum up his time at The Orleans competing against nearly 400 of the best bowlers in the world, Anderson was able to describe the experience using a comparison of his two passions - football and bowling.

"This is a big event," Anderson said. "It's huge, and you can compare it to any other big sporting event. When you're bowling well, things hopefully continue to go well. When you're struggling, you're just trying to figure it out. It's just like football in that you're not going to rush for a 70-yard touchdown or 100 yards every game, so you have to keep your head down and keep grinding. That's what I've done this week, and that's what I've done all my life."

2017 USBC MASTERS TIDBITS

• There are 20 women in the field at the 2017 USBC Masters, and 14 are members of the Professional Women's Bowling Association.

• This week's event features players from 17 countries - Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, England, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Sweden, United States and Venezuela.

• The oldest player at the 2017 Masters is 74-year-old Rick Miller of St. George, Utah, while the field also featured three 16-year-old bowlers - Tristan Butler of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Jalen Mosley of Indianapolis and Cerrell Cardines of Las Vegas.

• The 395-player field this week includes 204 amateurs. The last time an amateur won the Masters was left-hander Brett Wolfe in 2002.

All competitors at The Orleans this week are bowling 15 games of qualifying over three days to determine the match-play field. The double-elimination match-play bracket will include the top 63 competitors after 15 games, plus defending champion Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas.

Match play will take place Friday and Saturday to determine the five players for the championship round. Those five bowlers will compete in the stepladder finals, live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 26.

The 2017 Masters features a total prize fund of nearly $300,000 and again is a major event on the PBA Tour. The winner will take home the coveted Masters trophy and $30,000 top prize.

All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit PBA.com.