{{Short description|American football player (1920–1977)}} {{good article}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox gridiron football biography | name = Tiny Croft | image = File:Tiny Croft.png | alt = Picture of Croft's head and shoulders, he is looking to the left of the image | number = 75 | position = Tackle | birth_date = {{birth date|1920|11|07|mf=y}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1977|01|22|1920|11|7}} | death_place = Woodruff, Wisconsin, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 3 | weight_lb = 287 | high_school = Steinmetz (Chicago) | college = {{unbulleted list|Alabama|Ripon (1938–1941)|}} | draftyear = 1942 | draftround = 20 | draftpick = 186 | pastteams = * Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1942|1947}}) | highlights = * NFL champion (1944) | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 51 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 11 | statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue3 = 4 | pfr = CrofTi20 }}
'''Milburn Russell "Tiny" Croft''' (November 7, 1920 – January 22, 1977) was an American professional football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers from 1942 to 1947. He played college football at Ripon College and the University of Alabama. Croft was selected by the Washington Redskins in the 20th round of the 1942 NFL draft. He won the 1944 NFL Championship with the Packers.
==Early life and education== Croft was born on November 7, 1920 in Chicago, Illinois,<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=1977-01-24 |title=Obituary for Milburn Milburn Croft |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92551220/obituary-for-milburn-milburn-croft/ |access-date=2022-01-14 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=25|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and graduated from Steinmetz High School.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1937-12-27|title=State Prep Gridders Arrive for Drills|pages=10|work=Arizona Republic|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89674255/state-prep-gridders-arrive-for-drills/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1939-10-12 |title=Punch in Nose Awakens Gridder |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/wausau-daily-herald-punch-in-nose-awaken/167558351/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=Wausau Daily Herald |pages=18|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1941-11-30|title=Milburn Croft first all-midwest conference 3rd time in a row|pages=13|work=The Gazette|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92550374/milburn-croft-first-all-midwest/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He played placekicker for the team.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1941-09-28|title=Coe-Ripon (Tiny Croft)|pages=12|work=The Gazette|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92550289/coe-ripon-tiny-croft/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He also played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.<ref name=":1" />
== Professional career == After finishing his college career, Croft was drafted as the 186th overall pick in the 20th round of the 1942 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1942-07-15|title=Tiny Croft 'Light'|pages=13|work=Green Bay Press-Gazette|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92552240/tiny-croft-light/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Tiny Croft Stats|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CrofTi20.htm|access-date=2022-01-14|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|language=en}}</ref> He was the heaviest rookie in the NFL,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1942-08-08 |title='Tiny Croft', 305-Pound Tackle, Joins Redskins |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-springfield-daily-republican-tiny-c/167558677/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=The Springfield Daily Republican |pages=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> until Ed Neal was signed by the Green Bay Packers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1945-08-07 |title=Tiny Croft Signs 4th Year Contract With Packers; Opens Drills Thursday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent-tiny-croft-signs-4th-y/167558112/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=The Post-Crescent |pages=14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Croft was acquired by the Packers during his first training camp before he had a chance to play a league game for Washington.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1942-09-10|title=Lambeau Makes Shifts in Lineup; Packers Get Croft from Redskins|pages=8|work=Kenosha News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92550713/lambeau-makes-shifts-in-lineup-packers/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Humanities |first=National Endowment for the |date=1947-09-21 |title=Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854–1972, September 21, 1947, Image 34 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1947-09-21/ed-1/seq-34/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Croft+Tiny&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=6&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=Tiny+Croft&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=4 |access-date=2025-03-04 |issn=2331-9968}}</ref> He won the 1944 NFL Championship with the Packers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1944-12-16 |title=December 16, 1944 – Packers to Clash With Giants for Pro Grid Title |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-december-16-194/17690769/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=9|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Croft would go on to play for the Packers until 1947.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1946-05-09 |title=Tiny Croft Set for Fourth Bay Season |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-tiny-croft-set-f/167558313/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=19|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
== Personal life == While not playing football, Croft worked in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.<ref name=":3" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1939-02-08|title=Tiny Croft Gets Ann Sheridan's Picture|pages=20|work=The Morning Call|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89674233/tiny-croft-gets-ann-sheridans-picture/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He married Myra Ann Wasserburger, a fellow Ripon graduate and an English teacher in 1943.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1944-01-07|title=Wassserburger-Croft Wedding|pages=3|work=Ironwood Daily Globe|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92550978/wassserburger-croft-wedding/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=1943-12-21 |title="Tiny" Croft Weds Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-tiny-croft-wed/167558508/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=13|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was a district manager for American Motors.<ref name=":2" /> He died of a heart attack on January 22, 1977, at age 56 in Woodruff, Wisconsin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=1977-01-26|title=Obituary for Milburn Croft (Aged 56)|pages=13|work=Chippewa Herald-Telegram|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92551251/obituary-for-milburn-croft-aged-56/|access-date=2022-01-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Redskins1942DraftPicks}} {{1944 Green Bay Packers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croft, Tiny}} Category:1920 births Category:1977 deaths Category:American football offensive tackles Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players Category:Ripon Red Hawks football players Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:Players of American football from Chicago Category:20th-century American sportsmen