LakeNET - Irv Cross

Irv Cross, is currently the Director of Athletics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and 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.

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. He graduated from Hammond High School in 1957. 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.

Mr. 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 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.

Irv 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 was on the Board of Trustees of the NCAA Foundation; past-chairman and current chairman of the Educational Advisory Panel for Pop Warner Little Scholars; advisor to the 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, former chairman of the American running and fitness Association, and a past member of the Board of governors or the Downtown Athletic Club in New York and a former member of the Heisman Memorial Trophy Committee, and is currently on the Board of the NFL Players Assistance Trust Fund.

Irv lives in Roseville, Minnesota, with his wife, Liz, their 14-year-old son, Matthew, and twelve-year-old daughter Sarah. A fitness enthusiast, Irv works out whenever he can, and enjoys biking with his family on weekends.

Source: provided by Irv Cross, 10/2003