Mason Crosby

At 39 years old, Mason Crosby has this physical status:

Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 5984) is an American football placekicker for the National Football League (NFL).

He played college football for the University of Colorado and earned unanimous All-American honors.

In the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Packers selected him, and he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl XLV championship team.

Early years

Crosby attended and played high school football at Georgetown High School. In Fort Collins, Colorado, Crosby attended Werner Elementary.

Personal life

In December 2006, Crosby graduated from the University of Colorado, majoring in communications. He attended Georgetown High School in Texas, where he competed football and soccer. He is a Houston Astros fan and an avid golfer. Jim Mason, Jim, was a running back in college for the UTEP Miners and graduated from Texas Tech. On June 28, 2008, Crosby married Molly (née Ackerman). They have three children.

"I think He helps me know that kicking is what I do not who I am," Crosby says of his faith. It's not like me. I can't escape the fact that my Christian faith drives me. To relax my mind before playing, I'm always reading in the Proverbs and Psalms. Regardless of what happens here, I know that God is there for me."

Crosby is a sponsor of Compassion International and their "Fill the Stadium" campaign.

Source

College career

Crosby attended the University of Boulder, Colorado, where he competed on the Colorado Buffaloes football team from 2003 to 2006. As he was enrolled at Colorado, he demonstrated exceptional leg strength, winning a school-record 60-yard field goal against Iowa State in 2004. Crosby's 58-yard field goal against Miami in 2005 was the longest ever kicked in NCAA Division I-A football at sea-level without a tee. All in all, Crosby holds 31 school records. During his college career, Crosby recorded 66 of 88 field goals, with 30 of 34 inside 40 yards.

He's gained a reputation for kickin the field, scoring 12 of 13 field goals in the fourth quarter, and a flawless 10/10 in the final 812 minutes. Crosby's bent became more apparent when he faced Colorado State University, in which Crosby made kicks of 55 (2004), 48, and 47 yards (2005) in a row in consecutive years to win the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

Crosby was also known as the Buffaloet's kickoff specialist, where his knack for getting touchbacks after touchdowns made him a fan favorite. Overall, 138 of Crosby's 203 kickoffs were touchbacks, with an 87-yard kickoff touchback against Iowa State in 2004. Crosby was named to the Sporting News' All-Decade staff for the first nine years of the 2000s (decade).

In 2004, 2005, and 2006, Crosby was a first-team All-Big 12 pick. Following his sophomore season, he was named as a unanimous first-team All-American by the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Pro Football Weekly and the Walter Camp Football Foundation selected him as a senior for his second-team All-American. Despite being highly favored to win, he was the runner-up for the Lou Groza Award. He became Colorado's all-time top scorer with 308 career points during his senior season and became the first player in Big 12 Conference history to be named player of the week eight times.

Professional career

In the sixth round (193rd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers made the pick in the sixth round (193rd overall) and the third kicker overall. In a war against incumbent placekicker Dave Rayner, Crosby entered training camp. Crosby kicked a 52-yard field goal during Green Bay's first pre-season match against the Pittsburgh Steelers, marking the longest field goal in the history of Heinz Field. During the final roster cut, Crosby earned his starting job.

Crosby converted all three field goals he attempted, including a 53-yarder and a 42-yard kick with two seconds remaining to help the Packers beat the visiting Philadelphia Eagles in his first regular season game. On opening weekend, the kick was the first game-winner by a rookie (when Matt Bahr did the same feat). Crosby became the first NFL player to kick a 50-yard field goal and a game-winning field goal with less than a minute remaining in his NFL debut. Crosby was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (the first rookie kicker to be recognized on opening weekend).

For November 2007, Crosby was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month. With a 4-1 record and tied for the lead with 12 field goals, he led all NFL kickers with 54 points and tied for the lead with 12 field goals. During November, Crosby converted 12 of the 15 field goals, finishing in a perfect 18-for-18 on PATs. In every game, including four in Week 9's victory over Kansas City, he had at least one field goal, including four in the Week 9 victory. In the Week 13 contest at Dallas, his longest field goal of the month was a 52-yarder. Crosby led the NFL with 130 points scored and his 24 field goals ranked first in the NFC for the 2007 season. Crosby finished second for most points scored in a rookie season (Kevin Butler had 144 points for Chicago in 1985). Crosby had the best-scoring season in franchise history and third-highest season point total by any Packers player in 2007.

Crosby kicked a field goal from 56 yards in the first game of the 2010 regular season against the Eagles in the last seconds of the first half, his first appearance in the first game of the season and a franchise record.

Crosby and the Packers appeared in Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers at the end of the 2010 season. He converted all four extra point attempts and his first field goal attempt in the 31-25 victory.

The Packers re-signed Crosby to a five-year, $14 million contract on July 27, 2011. In a game on three occasions, Crosby kicked four field goals (Atlanta Falcons), October 23, 2011 (Minnesota Vikings), and December 11, 2011 (Oakland Raiders). Crosby kicked a season-high 7 PATs against the Denver Broncos on October 2, 2011. Crosby set a new franchise record by making a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter as part of a four-field-goal game on October 23, 2011. Through week 9, he was on target from 39, 45, and 24 yards, and he had all 15 of his field goals. In the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons, he tied his then-record distance on a 56-yard field goal on October 9, 2011. He finished the 2011 season with 68-of-69 extra point attempts and 24-of-28 field goal attempts. The Packers' season came to an end against the New York Giants in the Divisional Round. He converted both extra point attempts and both field goal attempts in the 37-20 loss.

On three occasions, Crosby kicked three field goals in a game at the most recent season, including September 13, 2012 (Chicago Bears), October 21, 2012 (St. Louis Rams), and December 2, 2012 (Minnesota Vikings). Crosby kicked a season-high 7 PATs against the Tennessee Titans on December 23, 2012. Crosby kicked a season-long 54-yard field goal against the Chicago Bears on September 14, 2012.

He finished with a 63.6 field-goal percentage in 2012, his lowest finish in 2012. In the 2012 season, this was the lowest field goal percentage for any active kicker in the league.

Crosby kicked a season-high five PATs against the Washington Redskins on September 15, 2013. Crosby had his season-high 5 PATs against the Minnesota Vikings on October 27, 2013. Crosby kicked a season-high 5 field goals against the Detroit Lions on October 6, 2013. Crosby kicked a season-long 57-yard field goal against the New York Giants on November 17, 2013. Crosby scored his season-long 57-yard field goal against the Dallas Cowboys on December 15, 2013. Crosby scored 33 field goals in the 2013 season, tying the franchise single-season record for both Ryan Longwell and Chester Marcol.

Crosby kicked a season-long 55-yard field goal against the New York Jets on September 14, 2014. Crosby kicked a season-high 7 PATs against the Chicago Bears on November 9, 2014. In the 2014 season, Crosby scored 27 field goals, the fifth most in franchise history. Crosby kicked a season-high 5 field goals against the Seattle Seahawks on January 18, 2015, including a 48 yarder to force overtime. However, Seattle scored a touchdown, snapping the Packers season.

In his 124th game as a member of the New England Patriots, Crosby scored his 1,000th point in his career (after the Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski and Gino Cappelletti).

Crosby scored 1,054 on his fourth field goal of the game against the Seattle Seahawks on September 20, 2015. He is now the all-time leading scorer in the Packers' history. Crosby scored a season-high five PATs against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 28, 2015. Crosby kicked a season-long 56-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos on November 1, 2015. Crosby kicked a season-high 5 field goals against the Minnesota Vikings on November 22, 2015. Crosby's forced fumble against the Minnesota Vikings on January 3, 2016.

Crosby signed a four-year deal with the Packers on March 1, 2016.

In the final two minutes of the Packers' 34-31-second-round NFC divisional playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys on January 15, 2017, Crosby kicked three field goals, two of which did not count). The first 51 yardser was ruled out due to a Cowboys timeout that resulted in the icing of the kicker. Crosby kicked the second 51-yard win when time expired, marking the first time a kicker made two 50+ yard field goals in the final two minutes of a postseason game. He also scored his 20th straight field goal in the post season, beating David Akers' previous record of 19.

Crosby completed the 2017 season with a 78.9% field goal completion percentage, his lowest level since 2010. Crosby's second lowest completion percentage in his career was 93.3%. During the year, the Packers had been having issues with the longsnapper's position and the holder's responsibilities changed hands several times. Many field goals were missed and two others were delayed, due to the hunt for a longsnapper and a reliable holder.

Crosby missed a 35-yard field goal on the off-line snap that was then mishandled by rookie holder and punter Justin Vogel during a Week ten matchup against the Chicago Bears. Crosby missed one more kick for the remainder of the season, a new record at Heinz Field of 57 yards.

Aaron Rodgers' absence for the majority of the season, defensive issues, and special teams' misscues, this year will be the second year Crosby has not played in a playoff game in his 10-year NFL career.

Crosby made what seemed to be the game-winning field goal at the end of regulation in a Week 2 match against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings did call a timeout right before the attempt to "ice the kicker," and Crosby missed the second attempt, resulting in overtime and a potential tie. Crosby was 1-5 on field goals and missed his first extra point attempt since Kris Brown in 2001, becoming the first player in NFL history to miss 4+ field goals and an extra point in a game. Crosby bounced back last week, winning all three extra point attempts and all four field goal attempts, with a 27-yard winner in a 33-32 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He converted 34 of 36 extra point attempts and 30 of 37 field goal attempts during the 2018 season.

In a Week 6 victory over the Detroit Lions, Crosby kicked three field goals, including the game-winner; he performed a Lambeau Leap to celebrate the victory. During a Week 17 match against the Lions on December 29, he kicked another game-winning field goal.

Crosby's three-year, $12.9 million contract extension with the Packers was announced on February 24, 2020. Crosby was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Packers on July 30, the Packers' reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on August 15, 2020. Crosby will have a stellar regular season for the first time in his career, scoring 16 of his 16 field goals. He attempted 16 field goals in a career low, in the Packers' offense had a record-breaking year: McCarthy had fewer field goals than wide receiver Davante Adams (18), but Davante Adams had touchdowns (18).

The Green Bay Packers restructured Crosby's deal by converting part of his base salary into a salary increase, as well as his $1.25 million roster bonus to a signing bonus on March 23, 2021. As part of the restructure, he was also responsible for three years of unemployment. Crosby made all three of his field goal attempts, including the 51-yard game-winner as time expired in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Crosby missed three straight field goals that might have won the game for the Packers, but the Packers won the game 25-22, with a game winning field goal in overtime. According to DVOA, the special teams unit was ranked dead last in effectiveness in what had been an up-and-down year. Parts of this were due to a slew of miscommunications and missed kicks. Crosby was kicked by Jimmie Ward in the divisional round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers at the end of the first half. Since the Packers went on to lose by a score of 13–10, this blocked kick would come back to haunt them.

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Professional awards

• 2007
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (November)
• 2010
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)
• 2011
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Weeks 5 and 7)
• 2021
  • NFL Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 3)