Tiny Croft
Ripon | |||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1942: 20th round, 186th pick | ||||||||
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| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Milburn Russell "Tiny" Croft (November 7, 1920 – January 22, 1977) was an American professional football
1944 NFL Championship
with the Packers.
Early life and education
Croft was born on November 7, 1920 in
Steinmetz High School.[2] While there, he was selected to an all-star team of high school players from Chicago to travel to Arizona for a game against an all-star team of Phoenix area players.[3] Croft then began attending Ripon College. Despite his size, Croft was known to be gentle on the football field. Trying to stop this, the Ripon coaches set up a boxing match with a semi-professional boxer who punched Croft in the nose, angering him. This experience was seen as a turning point in his athletic career as he became more aggressive.[4] Croft went on to become a three-year starter as a lineman for the Ripon Red Hawks, earning first-team All-Midwest Conference in three consecutive years.[5] He played placekicker for the team.[6] He also played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.[2]
Professional career
After finishing his college career, Croft was drafted as the 186th overall pick in the 20th round of the
1944 NFL Championship with the Packers.[12] Croft would go on to play for the Packers until 1947.[13] While with the Packers, he played as a right or left tackle in 51 games, 11 of which he started. During his career, he was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 287 pounds.[14][2]
Personal life
While not playing football, Croft worked in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.[15] In his freshman year, he wrote to actress Ann Sheridan to invite her to his college's prom. Sheridan wrote back to him, declining the invitation. However, she did send a signed picture inscribed with "To Milburn from Ann". Four other college "Glamor Boys" also invited actresses, with Croft being the only one to get a personal response.[16] He married Myra Ann Wasserburger, a fellow Ripon graduate and an English teacher in 1943.[17][15] He was a district manager for American Motors.[1] He died of a heart attack on January 22, 1977, at age 56 in Woodruff, Wisconsin.[13][2]
References
- ^ a b "Obituary for Milburn Milburn Croft". Green Bay Press-Gazette. January 24, 1977. p. 25. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Tiny Croft Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ "State Prep Gridders Arrive for Drills". Arizona Republic. December 27, 1937. p. 10. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Punch in Nose Awakens Gridder". Wausau Daily Herald. October 12, 1939. p. 18. Retrieved March 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Milburn Croft first all-midwest conference 3rd time in a row". The Gazette. November 30, 1941. p. 13. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Coe-Ripon (Tiny Croft)". The Gazette. September 28, 1941. p. 12. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tiny Croft 'Light'". Green Bay Press-Gazette. July 15, 1942. p. 13. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Tiny Croft', 305-Pound Tackle, Joins Redskins". The Springfield Daily Republican. August 8, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved March 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tiny Croft Signs 4th Year Contract With Packers; Opens Drills Thursday". The Post-Crescent. August 7, 1945. p. 14. Retrieved March 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lambeau Makes Shifts in Lineup; Packers Get Croft from Redskins". Kenosha News. September 10, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISSN 2331-9968. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ^ "December 16, 1944 - Packers to Clash With Giants for Pro Grid Title". Green Bay Press-Gazette. December 16, 1944. p. 9. Retrieved March 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Obituary for Milburn Croft (Aged 56)". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. January 26, 1977. p. 13. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tiny Croft Set for Fourth Bay Season". Green Bay Press-Gazette. May 9, 1946. p. 19. Retrieved March 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b ""Tiny" Croft Weds Today". Green Bay Press-Gazette. December 21, 1943. p. 13. Retrieved March 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tiny Croft Gets Ann Sheridan's Picture". The Morning Call. February 8, 1939. p. 20. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wassserburger-Croft Wedding". Ironwood Daily Globe. January 7, 1944. p. 3. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.