Sept. 19, 2005
He will not dazzle you with eye-popping stats, two receptions for 18 yards, but he will with his determination. Chris Crosby, a native of St. Louis, came to the University of Missouri from Christian Brothers College (CBC). As a senior at CBC, Crosby managed a season of records, 48 catches for 957 yards and 12 touchdowns. For his skills on the field, Crosby was named among the 50 best wide receivers in the country, earning first team All-State, All-Metro and All-Conference honors. However, his four years on the gridiron had not always been easy. Injuries shortened Crosby's seasons throughout his first three years of high school before he finally stood out with his senior campaign in 2000.
The question Crosby faced after his high school graduation then became how would the change to Mizzou work for him. Entering his first year of college at 6-feet 3-inches tall and a slender 185 pounds, Crosby gained strength and weight during his freshman year at Missouri and spent numerous weeks on the scout team with quarterback Brad Smith. Over the course of five seasons, Crosby has grown into a strong 205 pound wide receiver.
Although he hasn't had much game-time experience with Smith, Crosby is complimentary of the teammate he has worked and developed alongside over the past five years.
"You always have to be on your toes, the play is never over until the whistle blows especially with Brad," Crosby said.
As a redshirt feshman in 2002, Crosby saw action in his first collegiate game, playing against Ball State and later Troy, Kansas and Texas A&M. Crosby's first career catch came in Missouri's eventual victory over Border Showdown opponent and long-time opponent Kansas holding on for a seven-yard reception at Homecoming.
In his sophomore outing, Crosby bettered his reception record with a career-long 11-yard catch against Eastern Illinois, later earning scout team MVP honors for his work in practice leading up to the Texas Tech game.
Battling back from an off-season conditioning knee-injury in 2004, Crosby saw limited playing time last fall, taking the field only once against Ball State.
But while stats get players drafted, Crosby brings the intangibles to the Tiger team. He likes to look at himself as the player who does things the right way.
"Adversity is nothing to me, I figure as long as I keep working hard I will continue to get better," Crosby said. "We will just take it from there."
The injuries, while a hindrance, are something Crosby credits with helping him get to the place he is in his football career. "Because of the injuries I know this is what I am supposed to be doing in my life right now," Crosby said.
He looks forward to a year of health and a way to share his experiences here at Mizzou.
Therefore, while others lead the offense, Crosby must find his own personal way to lead. For him, the best way to help the team is through great leadership. A perfect fit for the philosophy major.
A fifth year senior, Crosby will receive his degree in May. Leadership is the ability to guide, and philosophy analyzes these types of abilities. For him the role takes on that of sideline coach.
"Right now my role on this team is a leader, and I need to make sure I know what I am supposed to do as well as what everybody else needs to get done," Crosby said. "I need to be a positive leader and help keep both sides of the ball taking care of business."
As a senior, it can be hard sitting on the bench waiting to play. All players want to get in the game and help the team succeed, but the coaches make the decisions on a game situation basis. Crosby has fought through injuries to get to where he is today.
"I see the guys in front of me as motivation," Crosby said. "These are the guys I need to learn from and compete with in practice."
This season, Crosby saw playing time in Missouri's 2005 opener against Arkansas State, Sept. 3, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., and came close to recording his first career touchdown reception. Crosby ran a fade route to the pylon from freshman quarterback Chase Daniel.
While leaving Missouri will be hard, he hopes that this class will be considered the one that turned the Mizzou football program around and led the team with style.
"All I want is to be able to look back and say `I helped build that'," Crosby said.
-Written by Jeff Kemper, MU Media Relations Student Assistant