Mason Crosby

When it comes to the art of kicking off, few players in the collegiate or professional ranks boast the leg strength Crosby has. The holder of 31 school game, season and career records, he closed out his tenure as Colorado's all-time scorer with 307 points. While some skeptics cite the thin air in the Mile High City for the success of kickers in the Denver area, Crosby has proven time and again that he can be just as successful at sea level. With his power and follow-through, records at the professional level could soon be in jeopardy. As a senior at Georgetown High School, Crosby earned first-team All-District 13-5A honors as a place-kicker, punter and free safety, adding All-Central Texas as a kicker. Prep Star named him to its All-Midlands team, while Rivals.com ranked him as the third-best place-kicker in the nation. He was first-team All-District and second-team All-Region at kicker as a junior. During his final season, Crosby converted 7-of-11 field goals (long of 59) and 23-of-25 extra-point attempts. He owned a 39.8-yard average for 40 punts (61 long), with 10 kicks being downed inside the 20-yard line, including five inside the five. At free safety, he recorded 78 tackles (26 solos), eight for losses, three interceptions, three passes broken up, three forced fumbles and two recoveries. In the Cedar Park High game during his senior year, his 59-yarder was the longest field goal in Texas prep football in eight years and tied him for the third longest in state history. He also had a 61-yard punt in the game. In the Round Rock game that year, he had seven tackles and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown and kicking the extra point following the score. As a junior, Crosby made 8-of-10 field goals (52 long) and 17-of-20 PATs (all misses were blocked). He averaged 37.2 yards on 60 punts (64 long), with eight inside the 20. He had 58 tackles (25 solos, 10 for losses), with three interceptions, four pass deflections, three hurries and two fumble recoveries. Against Copperas Cove as a junior, he made three field goals (52, 46 and 39 yards) against a team that came in with five consecutive shutouts. Georgetown High was 5-5 his senior year and 6-4 his junior season under coach Larry Moore. He also earned two letters in soccer (defense/midfielder), receiving All-District honors as a sophomore (14 goals) and junior (17 goals). Crosby, a single-digit handicap golfer, has good athletic roots. His father, Jim, was a fullback at Texas-El Paso and his grandfather, Harry, ran track at Marshall. Having spent two years in the Fort Collins region as a youngster, he became an avid Colorado Buffalo fan, making his decision easy during the prep recruiting wars. Crosby enrolled at the University of Colorado in 2003. He was only the second true freshman to handle the place-kicking chores in a CU season opener in school history, and only the fifth to see any action, period. He set a Colorado record for the most points scored by a freshman with 52 (the old record of 48 was shared by two players). The talented first-year performer connected on 31-of-37 PATs and 7-of-9 field goals. Only 10 of his 37 kickoffs were returned, with 26 being ruled touchbacks (17 of those boots sailed clear out of the end zone). In 2004, Crosby was the unanimous first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection and a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, earning second-team All-American honors from The NFL Draft Report and Rivals.com. He led the NCAA in field goals made from 50-plus yards with six (topping Ohio State's Mike Nugent, the Groza winner, who had five), and hit on 23-of-29 overall for the season (19-of-23 during the regular season, 4-of-6 in the bowl game). Crosby led the conference and was sixth in the nation in field goals made per game (1.77), and became just the 10th player in NCAA history to make a 60-yard or longer field goal without a tee when he nailed a 60-yarder against Iowa State, the longest in the nation in 2004. He also kicked the game-winning field goal in that game, doing so again in the Colorado State and Washington State contests. As a junior, Crosby was runner-up for the Lou Groza Award (by just six points to Oregon State's Alexis Serna). He became the first place-kicker in Colorado history to earn first-team All-American honors and was the unanimous selection for first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors, adding league Special Teams Player of the Year accolades. Crosby put together an amazing list of accomplishments for the season, the crown jewel being a 58-yard field goal at Miami, the longest ever at sea level (seven feet) without a kicking tee in NCAA Division I-A history. He led the team in scoring with 94 points, converting all 31 PAT kicks (he has made 38 consecutive) and 21-of-28 field goals. He also led the nation in the average distance per field goal made at an astounding 41.2 yards. Only 18 of his 61 kickoffs were returned, with 33 of his 43 touchbacks going out of the end zone. Six games were decided in Colorado's favor thanks to Crosby's field goal exploits. The nation's premier place-kicker in 2006, as evidenced by Crosby earning first-team All-American honors, he was strangely relegated to semifinalist activity on the Lou Groza Award voting. One of three team captains, he became the seventh player in Colorado history to be named first-team All-Big 12 Conference three times. He connected on 19-of-28 field goals, though most of the misses were from long range; he was a solid 17-of-19 inside 50 yards, as good as any one in the country (one of the two misses was blocked), as he finished with 74 points scored. One of his failed field goals just missed sailing through the upright, a 65-yard attempt against Iowa State. "I was a little disappointed about it, I hit it about as good as I thought I could I just got a little too much height. You usually don't complain about height, but I needed a little more drive and a little less height. Hopefully I'll get another chance next year in the NFL." Crosby also kicked off 43 times, with only 15 of his attempts being returned. Asked about his kickoff success and the high amount of touchbacks he produced (137 of 200 kickoffs), he matter-of-factly replied, "I don't usually think about not kicking it for a touchback but I always try to get good height. So if it doesn't go for a touchback then at least it sets up our coverage team in good position to prevent a good return." Crosby closed out his career by becoming the first Colorado place-kicker to play in the Senior Bowl, where he scored nine points in the game to help the North to a 27-0 win. He holds the school record for kickers by playing in 48 games. He is the school's all-time scorer with 307 points, connecting on 66-of-88 field goals (75.0 percent) and 109-of-117 extra-point attempts. He was successful on 19-of-25 field goals from the 40-49 yard range, 11-of-20 from 50-59 yards and made one of four tries from beyond 60 yards. He also had just 63 of 203 kickoffs returned, as 138 were ruled touchbacks and 88 went out of the end zone.

positives

Has a thick frame with adequate muscle development, thick thighs and calves...Shows very good agility, balance and body control in his approach to the ball...Right-footed soccer style kicker with fluid leg action and extension...Makes good adjustments on the field and works hard at his craft...Shows very good poise in pressure situations and demonstrates the explosive leg drive to consistently launch his kickoffs into the end zone (only 62 of his 203 kickoffs were returned, as 138 were ruled touchbacks, including 88 that sailed out of the end zone)...Very consistent in his long-range field goal attempts, having connected on 30-of-45 attempts between the 40-59-yard range)...Seemed to have made some of his biggest kicks in inclement weather conditions or at sea level, disputing the fact by some that Crosby's success has been the result of the thin air in Colorado (owns the third-longest field goal in the history of football, college or professional)...Very confident in his ability to make the long-range kicks...Can also handle punting duties effectively in an emergency...Has the hands to adjust to the off-target punt snap...Drives the ball for tremendous distances and with excellent hang time (averaged 68.7 yards on his kickoffs)...His snap-to-toe range is superb, generally getting the ball off under 1.26 seconds...Gets the ball up quickly and with good rise (two blocked kicks during his career)...Gets incredible hang time on his kickoffs (4.37-4.54 second average) that has prevented the opposition from returning many of those kicks (only 26.5 percent of his kickoffs have been returned)...Excels in pressure situations, coming through with six game-winning field goals as a sophomore and junior...Extremely accurate on his intermediate field goals and placements...Has more than enough leg strength to drive his ball against the wind...Athletic enough to serve as a lead blocker on fake field goals, and while not fast he has the leg drive to break tackles carrying the ball...Likes to get down field and cover on kickoffs and will make every effort to deliver the tackle...His seven-yard approach on kickoffs (does so without a tee) allows him to generate full force of his leg strength and he has a quick approach to the ball, showing very good extension and follow-through on his two-step field goal approach.

compares to

JEFF WILKINS-St. Louis...For consistency, accuracy, leg strength and excellence on kickoffs, few in the league can match Wilkins in those areas. That is, until Crosby earns a job in 2007 training camp. Don't buy into that line that he has an advantage kicking in a thin air environment. There is no one in the collegiate ranks that can match Crosby's leg strength.

negatives

Likes to get down field to cover on kickoffs, but lacks speed to be more than a space occupier...Will sometimes shank a few when he gets rushed in the backfield, resulting in low trajectory.

2002: Suffered a right knee meniscus tear during his senior year in high school.

Campus: 5.2 in the 40-yard dash

Right-footed soccer-style kicker

Right-handed

29-inch arm length

8 1/2-inch hands

25/39 Wonderlic score.

Attended Georgetown (Texas) High School, playing football for head coach Larry Moore

Earned first-team All-District 13-5A honors as a place-kicker, punter and free safety, adding All-Central Texas as a kicker

Prep Star named him to its All-Midlands team, while Rivals.com ranked him as the third-best place-kicker in the nation

First-team All-District and second-team All-Region at kicker as a junior

During his final season, Crosby converted 7-of-11 field goals (long of 59) and 23-of-25 extra-point kicks

Owned a 39.8-yard average for 40 punts (61 long), with 10 kicks being downed inside the 20-yard line, including five inside the five-yard line

At free safety, he recorded 78 tackles (26 solos), eight for losses, three interceptions, three passes broken up, three forced fumbles and two recoveries

In the Cedar Park High game during his senior year, he made the longest field goal in Texas prep football in eight years when he drilled a career-best 59-yarder; it tied him for the third longest in state history. He also had a 61-yard punt in the game

In the Round Rock game that year, he had seven tackles and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown and kicking the PAT following the score

As a junior, Crosby made 8-of-10 field goals (52 long) and 17-of-20 PATs (all misses were blocked)

Averaged 37.2 yards on 60 punts (64 long), with eight inside the 20. He had 58 tackles (25 solos, 10 for losses), with three interceptions, four pass deflections, three hurries and two fumble recoveries

His best career games included vs. Copperas Cove as a junior, when he made three field goals (52, 46 and 39 yards) against a team that came in with five consecutive shutouts

The team was 5-5 his senior year and 6-4 his junior season

Also earned two letters in soccer (defense/midfielder), receiving All-District honors as both a sophomore (14 goals) and junior (17 goals).

Graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communication in December 2006

Single-digit handicap golfer. Many kickers have interesting rituals or superstitions, his is to hit at least 60 golf balls at a driving range two days before a game

Very active in his community, including local mission and church youth group work

Father, Jim, was a fullback at Texas-El Paso in the mid-1970s

Grandfather, Harry Crosby, ran track at Marshall

Born 9/03/84 in Lubbock, Texas

Resides in Georgetown, Texas.