Kicker drops to sixth round of NFL draft
As I write this, back in Georgetown, Tex., former CU kicker and All-American Mason Crosby just found out his new mailing address for perhaps the next 10 to 15 years will be somewhere in the greater Green Bay, Wis., area.
In the sixth round, with the 193rd overall pick in the NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers took what many draft experts considered a steal in grabbing the CU standout kicker.
At CU, Crosby was a legend, both on and off the gridiron. Fans routinely chanted his name when the Buffs offense stalled-even on the wrong side of the 50-yard-line. Assuming the Buffs offense could reach their own 35-yard-line, the student section, as well as Crosby himself, believed that nothing was out of reach for No. 16.
On campus, he would receive an almost continuous string of congratulations and compliments as he walked between classes on Norlin Quad. People would sit next to him in class, elated if they could just ask the star kicker for an extra sheet of paper.
And that was in 2005.
At the end of Crosby’s junior year, many NFL draft experts had penned Crosby in as a first day draft choice, perhaps even going late first or early second round. Yet the man with the Texas-sized right leg decided to wait on his professional career, instead choosing to come back to CU his senior year and not only kick for that elusive 70-yard field goal and help his team win a few more games, but also to get his degree.
Crosby will be the first to admit, his senior year was not as great as he had hoped. In 2006, in his most dominant category, Crosby made only two of nine field goals of over 50 yards, compared to five of seven during his 2005 season. Oh, and the Buffs went from Big 12 North champs in 2005 (I know, that’s not saying much, but still.) to 2-10 the very next year.
Now, many people might consider Crosby’s decision to come back to school for his senior year as an easy one. He was the undisputed Big Man on Campus. A late-night barhopping trip to Pearl St. most likely meant two things: he wouldn’t need to pay for a single drink at the bar, and he would have an almost infinite line of desirous college girls begging for a piece of him-not exactly a rough life.
Still, how many of you could turn down millions of guaranteed dollars? Crosby could have obviously received the same “benefits” as a National Football League player as he did here as a star kicker in Boulder. But because of his decision last year to stay around campus, not only will Crosby have his wealth, but framed on the wall in one of his many rooms in his mansion will be that one piece of paper that says he achieved his degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
And something tells me that that piece of paper will be just as important to him as the six-figure contract he will sign with the Packers in a matter of days.
Contact Campus Press Staff writer Evan Acker at evan.acker@thecampuspress.com.
