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Longtime cornerback and broadcaster Irv Cross died near his home in Minnesota on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles reported.
He was 81 years old.
The Eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of Irv Cross.
– Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 1, 2021
Cross spent nine seasons in the league from 1961 to 1969, first with the Eagles after recovering him in the seventh round of the 1961 draft. Cross played his first five seasons in the NFL with the Eagles before a brief stint of three years with the Los Angeles Rams starting in 1996. He then returned to Philadelphia for one final season before retiring in 1969.
Cross racked up 22 total interceptions and collected 11 fumbles throughout his career, and won Pro Bowl nods in 1964 and 1965.
Cross made the jump to CBS Sports in 1971 as an NFL analyst and joined the pre-game show “The NFL Today” with Brent Musburger, Phyllis George and Jimmy Snyder four years later. Cross was the first host of the sports show Black Network, another historic first for the show – as George was also the first woman to do so.
“I’ve hung out with all kinds of people, from all walks of life. I don’t know if I could give you a nicer person than Irv Cross,” Musburger said, via the Eagles. “He was a constant gentleman.”
Cross was on the pre-game show for 14 years and with CBS for 23. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the 2009 Pete Rozelle Award recipient.
Cross went on to work as an athletic director at both Idaho State and Macalester College, and worked as an executive director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and Love Inc.
He is survived by his wife, Liz, and their four children.
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