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Steve Crosby

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For other people named Steve Crosby, see Steve Crosby (disambiguation).

Steve Crosby
No. 33
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1950-07-03) July 3, 1950 (age 74)
Great Bend, Kansas, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Pawnee Rock (Great Bend)
College:Fort Hays State
NFL draft:1974 / round: 17 / pick: 419
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
As an executive:
Career highlights and awards
  • NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year (2007)
Record at Pro Football Reference
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Steven Kent Crosby (born July 3, 1950) is an American former professional football coach and player. He spent 33 years in the National Football League (NFL)—3 as a player, 4 as a scout and 26 as a coach. Crosby was named the NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year with the San Diego Chargers in 2007.

A running back, Crosby played college football for the Fort Hays Tigers He played professionally for the New York Giants (1974–1976). Afterwards he scouted or coached in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. He then coached college football for three years at Vanderbilt University before joining the Chargers in 2002.

College career

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Crosby played college football at Fort Hays State, where he received honorable mention on the Associated Press's Little All-American team (1973). He was a two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-District 10 (1972–1973) and two-time All-Great Plains Athletic Conference selection (1972–1973).[1][2][3] The tailback finished his career with 2,780 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns while also filling in for injured teammates at quarterback and middle linebacker.[4]

Professional playing career

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Crosby was selected by the New York Giants in the 17th round of the 1974 NFL draft.[5] He was one of the few 17th round picks to ever make an NFL team after reporting to training camp in his best ever physical condition.[4] The 1974 NFL strike also may have helped as veterans missed training camp.[4] Stomach and knee injuries impacted Crosby's first year.[4] He played three seasons with the Giants and retired following the 1976 season after a serious knee injury.[6]

Coaching career

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Crosby recovered from his injury and earned his master's degree. Three weeks after accepting a position to teach high school, he was offered to be a scout for the Miami Dolphins.[6] He accepted, and later became a coach under Don Shula. The Dolphins went to Super Bowl XVII in 1982. Crosby then coached for the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1985 with the Browns, Crosby was the running backs coach that oversaw both Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack both running for 1,000 yards.[2]

Crosby joined the Chargers in 2002 as special teams coach under their new incoming head coach, Marty Schottenheimer.[7] Crosby was honored as the 2007 NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year by Professional Kicking Services.[8][9] His kickoff strategy with the Chargers emphasized placement of the ball—forcing the return team to one side of the field—as a tradeoff for the distance of the kick.[10] During his Chargers tenure, four special team players were selected to the Pro Bowl including covermen Kassim Osgood (3-time selection) and Hanik Milligan, kicker Nate Kaeding (2-times) and long snapper David Binn.[2] Additionally, punter Mike Scifres was a Pro Bowl first-alternate four times, and kick returner Darren Sproles was a first-alternate once and a second alternate twice.[2] Kaeding, who started his NFL career under Crosby, was the NFL's most accurate kicker of all-time as of the end of the 2010 season, converting 86.5% of his field goals attempts.[2][11]

The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that Crosby's special teams unit in 2010 was "by some measures the worst special teams season in NFL history."[7] The Chargers allowed touchdowns on three kickoffs and one punt, and had four punts blocked and another deflected.[8] As of 2010, two teams since 1994 had allowed more kickoff returns for touchdowns and five allowed as many as the Chargers. Two teams had allowed more blocked punts, and none since 1976 surrendered a punt return average higher than the Chargers' 18.9 yards.[7] Crosby was unable to get a group of inexperienced players to play at an acceptable level.[12] Some team members said it was time for a change after listening to Crosby for nine years, and his contract was not renewed after the season.[7][13]

References

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  1. ^ Prickett, Ryan (2011). "2011 Fort Hays State Football Media Guide". Fort Hays State. pp. 90, 92. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e "2010 San Diego Chargers Media Guide" (PDF). San Diego Chargers. 2010. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2010.
  3. ^ Mulligan, Kevin (May 22, 1996). "Daniels Hires Pair Of Scouts Dick Daniels: New System". Philadelphia Daily News. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d Keating, Bob (January 12, 1975). "Crosby See Future With Giants". The Great Bend Tribune. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  5. ^ "Steve Crosby NFL & AFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Hanks, Kathy (December 12, 2008). "Charger is chief attraction". The Hutchinson News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d Acee, Kevin (January 3, 2011). "Crosby takes fall for special teams slide". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Bair, Scott (January 3, 2011). "CHARGERS NOTES: Special teams coach Crosby won't return". North County Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2011.
  9. ^ Jensen, Sean (March 27, 2008). "Toub snubbed for special teams award - Inside the Bears". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2011.
  10. ^ Sullivan, Tim (August 11, 2011). "NFL fans may want to give new kickoff rule the boot". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011.
  11. ^ "Chargers K Kaeding out for season after hurting left knee on opening kickoff". The Washington Post. Associated Press. September 12, 2011. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018.
  12. ^ Acee, Kevin (January 4, 2011). "Along with new coach, Bolts need new (old) mentality on special teams". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on January 8, 2011.
  13. ^ Trotter, Jim (August 31, 2011). "Chargers hope to rebound after playoff-less 2010". SI.com. CNN/Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024.
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