Request More Info
Print Page
Auto Racing Baseball Basketball Football Golf Hockey Olympians Soccer Sports Commentators |
|
IRV CROSS
Irv Cross, currently Director of Athletics at Macalester College in St. Paul, is also a sportscaster, public speaker, community leader and family man.
Best-known for his years as a network sportscaster for CBS Television, Irv began his career at CBS as a game analyst and was co-host and expert commentator on CBS TV's Emmy-Award-winning "NFL Today" show for 15 years. Besides football, Irv covered a variety of sports for CBS, including track and field, gymnastics and the NBA.
Still a familiar presence in the broadcast booth, Irv covered the Vikings during the 1999-2001 seasons for KFAN Radio, Fox and CBS/Channel 4.
While playing during the off-season, Irv worked as a stockbroker with Bache and Company and became vice president of institutional sales for Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette.
Irv is also in demand as a public speaker, covering a wide variety of topics ranging from motivational, inspirational and humorous subjects to leadership, team-building and planning for the future.
Born in Hammond, Indiana, Irv was an outstanding athlete during his high school days, winning numerous athletic honors. At Northwestern University he played fullback and defensive and offensive end and earned honorable mention on the All-Big-Ten team. He is a lifetime member of Deru, the senior men's honorary society, which is the highest honor awarded for academics and leadership.
Cross joined the Philadelphia Eagles as a seventh-round draft choice, and was quickly recognized as one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in pro football. He played in two Pro Bowls before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he played for three seasons. He returned to the Eagles as a player-coach for one year, and then retired as an active player to devote his time to being a defensive backfield coach.
Irv was instrumental in bringing the Canadian Football League into Baltimore, Birmingham, Memphis and San Antonio, and worked closely with the league office in establishing expansion guidelines and procedures.
Try is active in numerous community and charitable projects. Causes that are closest to his heart include youth, the homeless and abused women and children. He on the Board of Trustees of the NCAA Foundation; past-chairman and currently chairman of the Educational Advisory Panel for Pop Warner Little Scholars; advisor to the Department of Agriculture for Team Nutrition; past advisor to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports' Youth Fitness Committee; past member of the Board of Highland School, Youth for Tomorrow, and Chadwick International; and former chairman of the American Running and Fitness Association.
Irv lives in Minnesota, with his wife, Liz, their 14 year-old son, Matthew, and 12-year old daughter, Sarah. A fitness enthusiast, Irv works out whenever he can, and enjoys biking with his family on weekends.
|