About Inductee

Howard Cross, Jr. was born in Huntsville, on August 8, 1967, and raised in New Hope. He became one of the most highly decorated athletes in the history of Madison County. In his Senior season at New Hope High School, he was named All-County and All-State in both football and basketball. An excellent student as well as an outstanding athlete, he made the Honor Roll and the Who's Who list in high school. Cross signed a football scholarship with the University of Alabama in 1987, and played four varsity seasons, the first two for Ray Perkins and the last two for Bill Curry. During his career at the Capstone, the Crimson Tide went 9-2-1, 10-3, 7-5 and 9-3. Cross, at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, was the starting tight end during most of that time, developing into a strong blocker and a reliable pass receiver. He was also the two-time President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (1987-88) at Alabama. As a college Senior, he was the recipient of the Charley Compton Award. This award is presented annually to the outstanding Christian leader among the seniors on the football team and is named for a former Alabama football player who was killed in a car wreck in 1972 while serving as a missionary in Brazil. Picked in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL draft by the New York Giants, Cross played a franchise-record 13 years for the Giants, appearing in 207 games. Although primarily known for his blocking prowess, he also caught 201 passes for 2,194 yards and 17 touchdowns. Cross was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team in 1989. He caught three clutch passes for first downs in the Giants' 20-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the 1991 Super Bowl in Tampa. "What I remember most about that game was `wide right'," said Cross, referring to Scott Norwood's missed field goal on the last play. He played in one other Super Bowl, the Giants' 34-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, also at Tampa. Cross is now a real estate broker in Paramus, New Jersey. He and his wife Pia have two children, Howard III and Isabella. Cross said his father, Howard Sr., had the greatest impact on his athletic accomplishments. "He got me involved early and followed me around," Cross said. "He was always there for me. He's the example of what I believe a Dad should be."