Irv Cross

Irvin Acie Cross (born July 27, 1939) is a former professional American football cornerback and sportscaster.

Irv Cross
No. 27
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1939-07-27) July 27, 1939
Hammond, Indiana
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:Hammond (IN)
College:Northwestern
NFL Draft:1961 / Round: 7 / Pick: 98
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

Playing career

Cross graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy in 1961, the same graduating class as future broadcasting colleague Brent Musburger. He was part of Ara Parseghian's first recruiting class at Northwestern.[1] A three-year football letterman from 1958 through 1960,[2] he also starred in track and field and was honored as the university's Male Athlete of the Year when he was a senior.[1]

He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round (98th overall) of the 1961 NFL Draft.[2] He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for Aaron Martin and Willie Brown on June 8, 1966.[3] In 1969, he returned to the Eagles and became a player/coach. He retired from play before the 1970 season, becoming a coach for the Eagles. Cross is an inductee of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.[4]

After football

Cross was employed as an analyst and commentator for CBS Sports from 1971, when he became the first African-American to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television, to 1994. In addition to his work on CBS' NFL coverage (including co-anchoring The NFL Today from its inception in 1975 through 1989), Cross called NBA basketball, track and field, and gymnastics at various times for the network.

Cross served as athletic director at Idaho State University from 1996 to 1998.[5] He then was the director of athletics at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota for six years until June 2005.[6] He was the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota until May 2010, and returned to football commentary for the Twin Cities' Fox station KMSP-TV.

Irv Cross was the 2009 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award – the award, given annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, recognizes "long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football."[7]

Personal life

Cross has two daughters, Susan and Lisa, from a first marriage, and two children, Matthew and Sarah, with his second wife, Elizabeth.[4][8]

References
  1. Deardorff, Julie. "Bearing the Cross: Pioneering Broadcaster Pens Memoir," Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy, Monday, January 15, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018
  2. Northwestern University 2018 Football Media Guide. Retrieved December 11, 2018
  3. Cross, Irv & Brown, Clifton. Bearing the Cross: My Inspiring Journey from Poverty to the NFL and Sports Television. New York City: Skyhorse Publishing Inc., 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2018
  4. "CROSS, IRV". indiana-football.org. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  5. "PLUS: COLLEGE FOOTBALL - IDAHO STATE; Irv Cross Dismissed". The New York Times. AP. November 6, 1998.
  6. https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2005/06/macalester-hires-new-ad
  7. "IRV CROSS NAMED ROZELLE AWARD WINNER". profootballhof.com. July 7, 2009.
  8. Nieto, Mike (August 4, 2009). "Where Are They Now?: Hammond High grad Irv Cross to receive Pete Rozelle Radio-TV Award". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved April 10, 2017 – via nwi.com.

Further reading
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