http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/sports/7541449.htm
Croom's NFL playing career? One game in '75 By JIM MASHEK THE SUN HERALD It's an amazing footnote to Sylvester Croom's football resum�. The new Mississippi State coach's NFL playing career consisted of one regular-season game in 1975. Croom was undersized by big-time college football standards, but it was even more the case when he joined the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent from Alabama. He stood about 6 feet tall and weighed about 235 pounds when he reported to the Saints' training camp in Thibodaux, La. The NFL club returned to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., the following year under former coach Hank Stram. "My wife (Jeri) and I left for New Orleans with everything we had in the back of a U-Haul trailer," Croom said. "I played most of the preseason and started the first game of the season at Washington." Even though the Saints used a second-round draft pick on Auburn center Lee Gross that year. Archie Manning, the Saints' quarterback at the time, has a vivid recollection of that road trip to Washington. "John North was our head coach at the time," Manning said, "We had a center, John Didion, who had pretty good credentials, but they traded him before the season. For an eighth-round draft pick, I think. Sylvester came in, and I don't know if he weighed more than 230 pounds, but he had great technique. He made a good impression on the offensive line coach. "Most NFL teams played a 4-3 defense in those days, with the center uncovered by a lineman. Well, the Redskins had Diron Talbert lined up on the center, and Sylvester got killed. It took the coaches about six weeks to realize he wasn't big enough to play center in the NFL." The Redskins won the game 41-3. Croom walked into North's office the next day and was told he'd been cut. "He gave me two extra weeks pay, and I was grateful for that," Croom said with a smile. "I went back to Alabama as a graduate assistant, and I thought I'd go back to minicamp the next year with Coach Stram, but I had a case of athlete's foot... I couldn't put a shoe on. I knew my pro career was over right there. "At the time, I didn't think it was fair, but that's pro football. As I look back, it might have been the best thing that happened. I'm grateful to have been a coach in this league for 17 years. "No grudges. No regrets." ______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List "Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!" To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
