Mason Crosby

Mason Crosby

Mason Crosby during the 2007 season.
No. 2     Green Bay Packers
Placekicker
Personal information
Date of birth: September 3, 1984 (1984-09-03) (age 27)
Place of birth: Lubbock, Texas
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
College: Colorado
NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 6 / Pick: 193
Debuted in 2007 for the Green Bay Packers
Career history
Green Bay Packers (2007–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November 2007. Led the NFL in total points with 141 in his rookie 2007 season. Holds Packers franchise record for most points scored (no touchdowns) in a single season (141). Holds Packers franchise record for longest field goal (58 yds) Super Bowl champion (XLV)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2011
Field Goals Made	122
Field Goals Attempted	152
Field Goals %	80.3
Long Field Goal	58
Stats at NFL.com

Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984 in Lubbock, Texas), is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s Top 5 Seniors by position in 2006. Crosby was a unanimous selection as a First Team All American by the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, and Walter Camp Football Foundation for the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. He was the runner-up for the Lou Groza Award, despite being heavily favored to win.^[1]

College career

Crosby kicking a field goal in the 2006 spring game.

Crosby talking to the press.

During his senior season at Colorado, Crosby became the first player in Big 12 Conference history to be named player of the week eight times.^[2] In late 2006, he also became Colorado's all-time leading scorer, with 308 career points. The previous record holder was Eric Bieniemy (1987–1990) with 254.

While enrolled at Colorado, Crosby displayed extraordinary leg strength, making a school record 60-yard field goal against Iowa State in 2004. Crosby’s 58-yard field goal against Miami in 2005 was the longest ever kicked in NCAA Division I-A football at sea-level without a tee.^[3] In all, Crosby holds 31 school records. Crosby connected on 66 of 88 field goals in total during his college career, and 30 of 34 inside 40 yards.^[1]

During college, Crosby developed a reputation for kicking in the clutch, making 12 of 13 field goals in the fourth quarter, and a perfect 10-10 in the final 8½ minutes of games. This bent was most evident when Crosby played rival Colorado State University, against which Crosby made kicks of 55 (2004), 48, and 47 yards (2005) in consecutive years to win the Rocky Mountain Showdown.^{[citation needed]}

Crosby also served as the Buffaloes' kickoff specialist, where his knack for forcing touchbacks after touchdowns made him a fan favorite. Overall, 138 of Crosby's 203 career kickoffs were touchbacks, including an 87-yard kickoff touchback from the 20-yard-line against Iowa State in 2004.^[1] The Sporting News named Crosby to its All-Decade team for the first nine years of the 2000s.^[4]

Statistics

	Kickoffs					Scoring / Field Goals
Season	Total	Touch Backs	Inside 20	Over End Zone	Opponent Avg. Start	PAT	10-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+	FG-FGA	Pct.	Long	Points
2003	37	26	2	17	23	31-37	0-0	4-4	0-0	3-4	0-1	0-0	7-9	77.8	44	52
2004	59	41	6	26	21	28-30	1-1	5-5	5-5	3-5	4-6	1-1	19-23	82.6	60	85
2005	61	43	4	33	22	31-31	0-0	3-4	5-6	8-11	5-7	0-0	21-28	75.0	58	94
2006	46	28	8	12	22	11-11	0-0	5-6	7-8	5-5	2-6	0-3	19-28	67.9	56	76
TOTALS	203	138	20	88	22	100-108	1-1	17-19	17-19	19-25	11-20	1-4	66-88	75.0	60	308

Note: Average Starting Yardline: Onsides, short squibs and free kicks are omitted in figuring the above - out-of-bounds are not.

Collegiate awards

• 2005
  • Walter Camp All-American^[5]
  • Lou Groza Award runner-up
• 2006
  • Walter Camp All-American^[5]
  • All-Big 12 Conference^[5]

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

Crosby was chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 19th pick of the sixth round (193rd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, the last of three consecutive picks for the Packers, and the third kicker overall. Crosby entered training camp in a battle with incumbent placekicker Dave Rayner. During Green Bay's first pre-season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Crosby kicked a 52-yard field goal, the longest field goal in the history of Heinz Field. Crosby won the starting job during the final roster cut.

In his first regular season game, Crosby converted all three field goals he attempted, including a 53-yarder and a 42-yard kick with two seconds left on the clock to help the Packers defeat the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. The kick was the first game-winner by a rookie on opening weekend since 1979 (when Matt Bahr achieved the same feat). Crosby was the first player in NFL history to kick a 50-yard field goal and a game-winning field goal with under a minute remaining in his NFL debut.^[6] Crosby was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (the first rookie kicker to receive this honor on opening weekend).^[7]

Crosby was awarded the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November 2007. He led all NFL kickers with 54 points and tied for the lead with 12 field goals as the Packers posted a 4-1 mark. Crosby converted 12 of 15 field goals during November and was a perfect 18-for-18 on PATs. He had at least one field goal in every game, including four in the Week 9 win at Kansas City. His longest field goal of the month was a 52-yarder in the Week 13 contest at Dallas.^[8] For the 2007 season, Crosby led the NFL with 130 points scored and his 24 field goals ranked first in the NFC. Crosby finished second for most points scored in a season by a rookie (Kevin Butler had 144 points for Chicago in 1985). Crosby finished 2007 with the highest-scoring season by a kicker in franchise history and third-highest season point total by any Packers player.^[9]

In the first game of the 2010 regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles, Crosby kicked a field goal from 56 yards in the last seconds of the first half, his career long and a franchise record. He equaled this record distance on October 9th, 2011 in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons.

On July 27, 2011, the Packers re-signed Crosby to a 5-year, $14 million deal.^[10]

On October 23, 2011, Crosby set the franchise record when he drilled a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter as part of a four-field-goal game. The 58 yard field goal had about 6 yards to spare. He also was good from 39, 45 and 24 yards and has made all 15 of his field goals as of week 9.^[11]

Professional awards

• 2007
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)^[12]
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (November)^[13]

• 2010
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)^[14]

• 2011
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Weeks 5 and 7)^[15]

Personal information

Crosby graduated in December 2006 from the University of Colorado, majoring in communication. He attended Georgetown High School in Texas, where he played football and soccer. He is a Houston Astros fan and an avid golfer. Mason's father, Jim, was a running back in college for the UTEP Miners and graduated from Texas Tech. Crosby married the former Molly Ackerman on June 28, 2008.^[16]

Related Pages

• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Colorado Buffaloes
• Colorado Buffaloes football
• 2005 Colorado Buffaloes football team
• 2006 Colorado Buffaloes football team

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "2005 Colorado Football - Game 13 - Clemson". University of Colorado. http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf5/25780.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600&KEY=&SPID=255&SPSID=16159. Retrieved 2006-10-21. 
2. ^ "Big 12 Conference Records". CSTV. http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/big12/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/weekly-release.pdf?SPSID=4583&SPID=190&DB_OEM_ID=300. Retrieved 2006-10-21. 
3. ^ "CU Player Bios". http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3845&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=23105&Q_SEASON=2006. 
4. ^ "2009 Colorado Football - Game 4 - West Virginia Mountaineers". University of Colorado. http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/wv09/cunotes.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} David Plati (2006-12-07). "Crosby Named Walter Camp All-American". CUBuffs.com. http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=717156. Retrieved 2006-12-08. 
6. ^ "Packers: Consistent Crosby keeps on course". Madison.com. http://www.madison.com/tct/sports/264614. Retrieved 2007-12-29. 
7. ^ "AFC/NFC Players of the Week". Archived from the original on 2007-10-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20071029055347/http://www.cincyjungle.com/story/2007/9/12/191850/883. Retrieved 2007-09-13. 
8. ^ "Mason Crosby Named NFC Special Teams Player Of The Month". Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20071213054513/http://www.packers.com/news/releases/2007/12/06/4/. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
9. ^ Jenkins, Chris. "Green Bay Packers prepare for playoffs with 34-13 victory over Lions". THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20071230/ca_pr_on_fo/nfl_det_gb_4. Retrieved 2008-01-01. ^{[dead link]}
10. ^ "Crosby returning to Green Bay with five-year deal". Sacramento Bee. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/27/3797382/crosby-returning-to-green-bay.html. 
11. ^ http://packersnews.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20111023/PKR01/111023029/Insider-Crosby-Masthay-put-kicking-clinic?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs
12. ^ "Kicker Crosby earns NFC weekly honor and had the most points in the NFL his rookie season.". http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070912/PKR01/70912133/1989. Retrieved 2007-09-13. 
13. ^ "Mason Crosby Named NFC Special Teams Player Of The Month". Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20071213054513/http://www.packers.com/news/releases/2007/12/06/4/. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
14. ^ "Crosby wins second weekly award of 2011". http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article_spofford/article-1/Crosby-wins-second-weekly-award-of-2011/fb15e234-67e7-4c29-96aa-0af2799f0a61. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
15. ^ "Crosby wins second weekly award of 2011". http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article_spofford/article-1/Crosby-wins-second-weekly-award-of-2011/fb15e234-67e7-4c29-96aa-0af2799f0a61. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
16. ^ Green Bay Packers bio

External links

• Green Bay Packers bio

Persondata
Name	Crosby, Mason
Alternative names
Short description	American football placekicker
Date of birth	September 3, 1984
Place of birth	Lubbock, Texas
Date of death
Place of death