Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chose him in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, and he was a member of the Packers' Super Bowl XLV championship team against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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College career
Crosby attended the University of Colorado, where he played for the Colorado Buffaloes football team from 2003 to 2006. While enrolled at Colorado, he 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. 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.
He 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.
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. The Sporting News named Crosby to its All-Decade team for the first nine years of the 2000s (decade).
Crosby was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Following his junior season in 2005, he was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American, having received first-team honors from the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, and Walter Camp Football Foundation. As a senior, he was again selected as a first-team All-American by Pro Football Weekly and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He was the runner-up for the Lou Groza Award, despite being heavily favored to win. During his senior season, he became the first player in Big 12 Conference history to be named player of the week eight times, and became Colorado's all-time leading scorer, with 308 career points.
Statistics
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
- Lou Groza Award runner-up
- 2006
- Walter Camp All-American
- All-Big 12 Conference
Professional career
Crosby was chosen by the Green Bay Packers in 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. Crosby was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (the first rookie kicker to receive this honor on opening weekend).
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. 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.
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 9, 2011 in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons.
2011 season
On July 27, 2011, the Packers re-signed Crosby to a 5-year, $14 million deal. Crosby kicked four field goals in a game on three separate occasions, which were October 9, 2011 (Atlanta Falcons), October 23, 2011 (Minnesota Vikings), and December 11, 2011 (Oakland Raiders). On October 2, 2011, Crosby kicked a season-high 7 PATs against the Denver Broncos. On October 23, 2011, Crosby set the franchise record when he made a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter as part of a four-field-goal game. He also was good from 39, 45, and 24 yards and has made all 15 of his field goals as of week 9.
2012 season
Crosby kicked three field goals a game at the most all season, on 3 separate occasions, September 13, 2012 (Chicago Bears), October 21, 2012 (St. Louis Rams), and December 2, 2012 (Minnesota Vikings). On December 23, 2012, Crosby kicked a season-high 7 PATs against the Tennessee Titans. On September 14, 2012, Crosby kicked a season-long 54 yard field goal against the Chicago Bears.
In 2012, he finished with a 63.6 field-goal percentage. This was the lowest field goal percentage for any active kicker in the league in the 2012 season.
2013 season
On September 15, 2013, Crosby kicked a season-high five PATs against the Washington Redskins. On October 27, 2013, Crosby tied his season-high 5 PATs against the Minnesota Vikings as well. On October 6, 2013, Crosby kicked a season-high 5 field goals against the Detroit Lions. On November 17, 2013, Crosby kicked a season-long 57-yard field goal against the New York Giants. On December 15, 2013, Crosby tied his season-long 57-yard field goal against the Dallas Cowboys. Crosby kicked 33 field goals in the 2013 season, which is the most single-season field goals in franchise history, tied with Ryan Longwell and Chester Marcol.
2014 season
On September 14, 2014, Crosby kicked a season-long 55-yard field goal against the New York Jets. On November 9, 2014, Crosby kicked a season-high 7 PATs against the Chicago Bears. Crosby kicked 27 field goals in the 2014 season, which is the 5th most in franchise history. On January 18, 2015, Crosby kicked a season-high 5 field goals against the Seattle Seahawks.
2015 season
On September 28, 2015, Crosby kicked a season-high five PATs against the Kansas City Chiefs. On November 1, 2015, Crosby kicked a season-long 56-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos. On November 22, 2015, Crosby kicked a season-high 5 field goals against the Minnesota Vikings. On January 3, 2016, Crosby recorded a forced fumble against the Minnesota Vikings.
2016 season
On March 1, 2016 Crosby signed a four-year contract extension with the Packers.
On January 15, 2017, Crosby kicked 2 field goals, of 56 and 51 yards, in the final two minutes of the Packers' 34-31 second-round NFC divisional playoff win against the Dallas Cowboys, the second for the win as time expired, marking the first time a kicker made two 50+ yard field goals in the final two minutes of a postseason game.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Professional awards
- 2007
- NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)
- NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (November)
- 2010
- NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)
- 2011
- NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Weeks 5 and 7)
Personal life
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 Molly (née Ackerman) on June 28, 2008. They have two children: son Nolan James (born August 2010) and daughter Charlotte (born May 2013).
Crosby is a Christian. Crosby has spoken about his faith by saying, "I think He helps me knowing that kicking is what I do, not who I am. It's not everything that I am. I can escape knowing that my relationship with Christ is what carries me. I'm always reading in the Proverbs and Psalms to relax my mind before we play. I know that God cares for me all the time regardless of any outcome here."
Records
On September 20, 2015, Crosby broke Ryan Longwell's team career scoring record of 1,054 with his fourth field goal of the game against the Seattle Seahawks. He is now the all-time leading scorer in Packers' history. On January 16, 2016, Crosby successfully converted his 20th consecutive field goal in the post season, surpassing David Akers at 19.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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