{{Short description|American gridiron football player (1931–1989)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{For|other people named Robert Cross|Robert Cross (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Bobby Cross | image = Bobby Cross - 1952 Bowman Large.jpg | caption = Cross on a 1952 Bowman football card | number = 76, 60, 73, 57, 78, 71, 77 | position = Offensive tackle, defensive tackle | birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|7|4}} | birth_place = Ranger, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1989|6|18|1931|7|4}} | death_place = Kilgore, Texas, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lb = 240 | high_school = Kilgore (TX) | college = Stephen F. Austin State | draftyear = 1952 | draftround = 9 | draftpick = 104 | pastteams = * Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1952}}) * Hamilton Tiger-Cats ({{CFL Year|1953}}) * Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|1954|1955}}) * San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|1956|1957}}) * Chicago Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1958|1959}}) * Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1960}})* * Boston Patriots (1960) | highlights = * Grey Cup champion ({{CFL Year|1953}}) * Little All-American (1951) * All-LSC (1951) | statleague = NFL/AFL | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 87 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 64 | statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue3 = 5 | pfr = CrosBo20 }}
'''Robert Joe Cross''' (July 4, 1931 – June 18, 1989) was an American professional football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Cardinals. He also was a member of the Boston Patriots in the American Football League (AFL) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Stephen F. Austin State University.
==Early life== Cross attended Kilgore High School, where he practiced football, basketball and track. He enrolled at Kilgore Junior College. He later accepted a football scholarship from Stephen F. Austin State University, where he became a three-year starter.
In 1948, he placed second in the Border Olympics shot put competition, a track-and-field event held in Laredo in which Southwest Conference teams also participated.
In 2002, he was inducted into the Kilgore College Athletics Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kilgore.edu/athletics-organizations/athletics-hall-of-fame | title=Kilgore College Athletics Hall of Fame | access-date=March 1, 2019 | archive-date=June 11, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611075139/https://www.kilgore.edu/athletics-organizations/athletics-hall-of-fame | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Chicago Bears=== Cross was selected by the Chicago Bears in the ninth round (104th overall) of the 1952 NFL draft. Although he was named a starter as a rookie at right tackle, at the end of the season he opted to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19530801&id=j4wwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Wt8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2683,191100&hl=es | title=Gregus Back | access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref>
===Hamilton Tiger-Cats=== In 1953, he was the starting left tackle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while helping the team win the Grey Cup.
===Los Angeles Rams=== On May 8, 1954, while he was in the process of asking for reinstatement into the National Football League,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19540511&id=4IskAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bd0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4444,3060590&hl=es | title=Tiger-Cats Expected Cross Back | access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> The Bears traded him to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for defensive end Larry Brink.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19540509&id=sxpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3726,3175215&hl=es | title=Rams Trade Brink | access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> He was a starter at left tackle. In the 1955 NFL Championship Game, he was moved to center to replace Leon McLaughlin who was sick with mumps.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19551221&id=kGpgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C3INAAAAIBAJ&pg=6418,4549659&hl=es | title=Mumps Hit Rams | access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref>
On September 9, 1956, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third round draft choice (#27-George Strugar).
===San Francisco 49ers=== On August 31, 1958, after two seasons of playing at left tackle, he was traded to the Chicago Cardinals in exchange for a draft choice.
===Chicago Cardinals=== He played two seasons with the Chicago Cardinals. In 1959, he missed his first game in the NFL.
===Dallas Cowboys=== Cross was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL expansion draft. He was tried at offensive tackle and center, but was released before the start of the season.
===Boston Patriots=== On November 9, 1960, he was signed as a free agent by the Boston Patriots of the American Football League.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19601110&id=pWNQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rg8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2993,5273126&hl=es | title=Patriots Sign Pair | access-date=March 1, 2019 | archive-date=May 12, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512182213/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19601110&id=pWNQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rg8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2993,5273126&hl=es | url-status=dead }}</ref> He was a part of the franchise's inaugural season, playing in 4 games before being released on December 5.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2209&dat=19601206&id=Pa0rAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W_0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5045,3675532&hl=es | title=Released | access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{Find a Grave|64705851}}
{{Bears1952DraftPicks}} {{41st Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross, Bobby}} Category:1931 births Category:1989 deaths Category:People from Ranger, Texas Category:Players of American football from Eastland County, Texas Category:American football offensive tackles Category:Kilgore Rangers football players Category:Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football players Category:Chicago Bears players Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Category:Los Angeles Rams players Category:San Francisco 49ers players Category:Chicago Cardinals players Category:Boston Patriots players Category:American Football League players Category:American men shot putters Category:Kilgore High School alumni Category:Sportspeople from Kilgore, Texas Category:Players of American football from Rusk County, Texas