After a storied NFL career of zero games played, the Rams' Eric Crouch is finally leaving the sport...

QB-turned-receiver decides to end his career

I get the feeling we'll soon hear that Crouch is heading either to Canada or the NFL Europe where he'll try QB again. I can't believe he's retiring from the NFL merely because changing positions is too difficult for him; it sounds like it could be a case of missing the bright light that comes with being a team leader.

~Adam

Wasted Heisman Trophy - wasted draft pick for the Rams.

At least Ryan Leaf actually PLAYED in the NFL before "retiring."

Cyd, I think it is questionable if Ryan Leaf ever played...he was usually just out on the field.

I think it is Chicken**** that Crouch is retiring. There has to be more behind this story than is being told.

[ September 12, 2002: Message edited by: Aubie in Bham ]

I'm with you Aubie, I think there is more to this than meets the eye. Why would such a talented football player retire? could it be a more serious medical problem? could it be he is about to come out? could he have a gambling problem and was forced to retire so he wouldn't hurt his team? Something is amiss, and no-one is talking.

I read on ESPN.com..that he was going back to Omaha and think about what he was going to do...Maybe hes just tired of doing what everyone wanted him to do and finally just be himself...whether he is straight or gay...sometimes you have to that...he broke all kinds of records in college and figured that he couldnt do that in the NFL...just bow out and lead a normal life...Look at Barry Sanders...

Just inane. Mike Martz needs a good slap--back to REALITY! He was the main force behind the drafting of Crouch, who obviously wasn't equipped to be a WR. If he plays again, he'll be a QB. Canada and Arena football are probably beckoning him right about now.

i don't mean to be a d*ck, but crouch isn't gay--i agree w/ the other poster--he's probably tired--maybe there are other possibilities for him--maybe the team was so crappy to him--giving hell because he won the heisman and wasn't first string--on the other hand, maybe he's telling the truth--but he'll always be one of the hottest college quarterbacks in my mind

Would a team other than the Rams have given Crouch the opportunity to play QB? Probably.

Would he have excelled as a NFL QB? That's an interesting question, which will remain a mystery unless he un-retires.

My guess is that he was used to the option offense. Perhaps his Heisman was attributable to the fact that being QB in that type offense was his forte. I wonder if his retirement is due to an inability adapt to the NFL (I doubt he could fail at every position; surely his athleticism would be enough to get him some spot),
OR...the other possibility.
Perhaps he couldn't deal with not being the man in charge.

Whatever the reasons, I still hate the dreadful Option Offense!

This story's just waiting to written, isn't it? Too many "fill in the blanks." For someone as obviously talented and proven (in college) as Crouch, surely he's not finished with football.

. . . and another waste of space with Cyd's anti-Husker drivel.

Care to explain to me who was more deserving of the Heisman last year? Probably Mr. Times Square himself, right? You seemed to think everything Nebraska received last year Oregon deserved more . . .

he won and deserved the Heisman Trophy last year and i really thought he had a bright future with the rams. I wish him all the best no matter what he decides to do. Always seems like a very classy guy. Best of Luck to Eric in whatever path he chooses to take

[quote]Originally posted by NorCalHusker:
. . . and another waste of space with Cyd's anti-Husker drivel.

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Hey, for some of us, you can NEVER have too much anti-Husker drivel.

As far Crouch DESERVING the Heisman ... just look at list of Heisman winners over the last couple of decades -- and here's a link to one right here -- the list includes more undeserving, more "what the hell were they thinking?" winners, than men who were obviously deserving.
Charlie Ward! 1993
Gino Torretta! 1992
Andre Ware!!! 1989
There's a lot more of them than Barry Sanders (1988) or Eddie George (1995) calibre winners.

And what of Mr. Crouch. CFL bound! Look for him to lead the Roughriders ... or maybe the Rough Riders ... to the Grey Cup by 2010. He's not going to be singing in musical dinner theatre in Omaha, that's for sure.

Crouch's only hope not to be a Heisman failure? Be the next Doug Flutie (Heisman '84).

[quote]Hey, for some of us, you can NEVER have too much anti-Husker drivel

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That's for sure.

Any further insight in to why he quit? "Not making the transition to receiver" seems a bit, well, weak.

Bwahahahaha. Yeah, with that list of Heisman winners, Crouch most certainly deserved it.

Last year, I did a comparison of the top 5 quarterback Heisman candidates - total yards, passing yards, touchdowns, passing touchdowns, etc.... Crouch ranked 4th or 5th in EVERY category. He was an average (at best) college player and, no doubt, was just taking up a spot on the Rams' roster.

Okay now I'm confused.

Is the Heisman given for achievement in college football or to the best offensive NFL prospect?

Overall, I applaud Crouch for actually standing up and pulling emergency stop cord on the "Eric Crouch Superstar" train.

With agents, managers, family, friends, coaches, trainers and of course everyone in Nebraska (once a Husker always a Husker!) he's surely at the least letting down people and at the most, taking away their immediate livelyhood. It had to be a very tough decision and because of it's seemingly extreme impact, I would think there is a story of a man not in control of his destiny who decides to finally take a stand.

It would be interesting to know at what point he would have like to have told someone he didn't want to play football anymore...

Maddog

Maddog - you said everything I wanted to say! When the story broke, I knew there would be rejoicing and recrimination as a Husker hero seems to have fallen. But I sure didn't expect the bile coming from Cyd the way it did! I am disgusted what you said Cyd! And I would tell you so face-to-face if I was coming to your so-far-seems-lame Outsports Convention. I'll be in California August 2003 for the World Mens Gymnastics Championships, with no desire to meet you Cyd.

Jockworship, get a grip. Seriously.

Your post is EXACTLY why there's an antipathy towards Husker fans. It never ceases to amaze me how some Husker (and Notre Dame) fans seem to equate criticism of their team with a personal insult.

What did Cyd write that was "disgusting"? Apart from the laughable hysteria of using such a word to describe an opinion, Cyd stated 2 things that a lot of people outside of the state of Nebraska were saying all last year:

1) That Crouch didn't deserve the Heisman. Cyd certainly wasn't alone in that opinion and if you go by stats alone (not always a reliable indicator, true), as Cyd indicated, he wasn't even a contender.

2) A wasted pick by the Rams. IT WAS! The overhyped and overrated pretty boy QUIT! Oh, wait. Sorry. I forgot. He's a former Husker, so he's immune to criticism.

[quote]I'll be in California August 2003 for the World Mens Gymnastics Championships, with no desire to meet you Cyd

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Wow, I'm sure Cyd is just bawling his eyes out at the thought that he might not *sniff* get to meet you, Jockworship *sniff*

Your loss. Cyd is a really nice guy.

EDITED TO ADD: *Tee hee* *Snicker* Penn State 40-7 *Giggle* *HAHAHAHAHAHA*

[ September 14, 2002: Message edited by: Jim Allen ]

For the record I just want it known that my comment was in response to the thread and that specific point on the subject in general. I felt honestly Crouch's Heisman was more of a lifetime achievement honor than the best of the best in 2001.

Taking nothing from Crouch, but trust me, I was definitely more of a Carr fan last year. Please reference Heisman Elimidate Post 12/8/01

And I've only met Cyd once but I'm usually a good judge of character and character is something Cyd has in spades. You might miss meeting a great guy with nice eyes if you decide to bail.

In this age of email, IM's and newsgroups, it's very easy to interpret the text in a very personal way instead of the author's original intent. If you can get that angry over a posted comment maybe do a chip check. And overlook the Paterno ones, they're probably fresh.

Maddog

I'm with most of you guys. There has to be more to the story. Seems he is either being a big baby in more than a few ways or he's being a real man of character and decided to live for his own destiny. I'm sure we will find out in time. But I'm not going to wait. I'm getting kind of hungry so I think I'll go start breakfast.

Nobody wanted him as a quarterback in the NFL, he couldn't cut it as a wide receiver or special teams player, and he quit.

What else can I say?

[ September 15, 2002: Message edited by: Cyd at Outsports ]

I'd like to know more about this than has been reported. I don't know why anyone would've thought Crouch would be able to become a receiver to begin with, especially the Rams. And if Crouch wanted to stay at QB (I think the Doug Flutie comparison is pretty good--he'd have to go to the CFL for awhile and then maybe return to the NFL) why did he sign a contract to begin with?

[quote]Originally posted by Jim Allen:
EDITED TO ADD: *Tee hee* *Snicker* Penn State 40-7 *Giggle* *HAHAHAHAHAHA*

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Jim Allen, you ROCK!

I've always liked Eric Crouch as a person and sense that if he quit he had a pretty good reason. I never saw him as much of a pro prospect. He wasn't the best college QB a year ago, but it's not his fault he won the Heisman. Was he supposed to turn it down?

JEEZ fellas give the man some slack. No need to kick a good man while he is down. Obviously none of us know all that is going on here and really no need to bash him. He gave us some exciting times as a player in college and I thank him for it. I am sorry things did not work out for him in the NFL. The term "quit" really denotes alot of negativity with me so lets not raz the guy, but thank him for the fun we had watching him in college. (BTW I am not even a husker fan)

OK at the risk of renewing this thread and again revealing my quick blast at Cyd, I have cooled and want to reply.
I did not like or appreciate Cyd's outburst that the Heisman Trophy was wasted on Eric Crouch. This is a NON-issue, and one that Cyd beat to death last year at Heisman time. It's not like any of us had a vote in it and it just childish to rant again about the Heisman. And I replied in a similary childish way.
I wanted to meet Cyd before, years ago when Outsports was fresh, and I invited him to visit and report on the College World Series here in Omaha, whereupon he told me that he doesn't - whoa!- even like baseball. So Cyd has had a strike against him for a while already!
I don't understand the need to kick somebody when they are down already - I mean Eric Crouch isn't Martha Stewart after all! LOL
I am not a blinded-by-the-red Nebraska fan. I live in Nebraska and when I first moved back here six years ago, I loved to see the Huskers humbled just because Huskermania is so pervasive here.
I still like to see the Huskers get humbled (although Penn State was a bit much!) I have a degree from the University of Miami and spent 10 years in Miami Beach, so I am a big Canes fan as well.
I just didn't, and don't, see the need to bust Eric's nuts about his Heisman. I have to wonder, if Eric were to come-out as gay, if Cyd would change his tune.
And maybe Cyd is a nice guy, always seemed so before, except for his not liking baseball, but I still don't like meeting people
who take such glee in kicking people when they are down.

[quote]I wanted to meet Cyd before, years ago when Outsports was fresh, and I invited him to visit and report on the College World Series here in Omaha, whereupon he told me that he doesn't - whoa!- even like baseball. So Cyd has had a strike against him for a while already!

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Strike 2: He voted for Bush.

Oh, calm down!

Yeah, both Jim & Cyd don't like baseball (the site really started out as Our Love of the NFL) but they still cover it when it's merited.

Jockworship, sorry I had you pinned as a Husker-Lover. I guess 6 years since you moved back there isn't really long enough for the Pod People conversion to fully take place.

Yeah, here they are:

Sorry for not checking back sooner. As has been pointed out by numerous posters here, the Heisman is not given out for the college football player with the most pro potential. It's given out for the best college player. If you want to measure it by pro-potential, go for it. We can give out the "Silver Cyd" at the Home Depot ESPN Post-Season awards show and Cyd can slap the winner on the ass as he's leaving the stage.

I'm sorry if my previous post was too anti-Cyd for some of you. He lost most (if not all) credibility with me last year when, during one of his Top 25 commentaries, railed against Nebraska's lofty ranking, claiming they played the weakest Div. I schedule in the country (in fact, there were at LEAST 10 other teams in the Top 25 alone that had played much easier schedules). He of course had no statistics whatsoever to back his claim up, other than some no-nothing fan's slapped together website (hmmm...wonder if they cite to Outsports?).

To his credit, when confronted with the facts, he posted a half-hearted "retraction." But his post here -- like his post last year -- had nothing to back it up other than his blinding hatred of Nebraska's success.

Oh, and just curious Cyd -- when you were doing that comparison of the Top 4 or 5 QB's last year, where did Crouch rank in rushing yards and rushing TD's?

ESPN.com's Page 2 has a list of the ten Heisman winners who were the biggest flops as pros.

1. Andre Ware (University of Houston, 1989)
In his junior season at Houston, Ware set major college records by throwing for 4,699 yards and 46 TDs, leading the Cougars to a 9-2 record. He declared for the NFL draft, forgoing his senior year, confident that he had impressed NFL scouts. After one pre-draft workout, a scout declared, "Gentlemen, we are looking at the next great quarterback in the National Football League."

'Twasn't to be. The Lions picked Ware in the first round of the 1990 draft, and gave him a $1 million signing bonus. But Ware rarely got off the bench in his four NFL seasons with Detroit and Minnesota. Ware's career totals: 83 completions in 161 attempts for 1,112 yards and five touchdowns. When Ware signed with the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders in 1995, his former coach at Houston, Jack Pardee, said, "Andre is going to be great in this league." Wrong. Ware's short, three-team CFL career ended in 1997, when he had the honor of watching from the bench as Doug Flutie led the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup victory.

2. Rashaan Salaam (Colorado, 1994)

Rashaan Salaam's NFL career disintegrated after a good rookie year with the Bears.
Salaam had one of the best seasons ever for a college running back as a junior in 1994, rushing for 2,055 yards, becoming just the fourth major college player to top 2,000 yards. That year, the Buffaloes went 11-1, including a 41-24 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, a game in which Salaam scored three touchdowns. The Bears used the 21st pick in the 1995 draft on Salaam, and his rookie season was excellent -- he ran for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns. Then, hampered by what he later said was a marijuana addiction, Salaam ran for less than 500 yards in 1996 and played only three games in 1997 before breaking his leg and tearing an ankle ligament. Salaam was notorious for fumbling -- in 31 games for the Bears, he turned over the ball 14 times. He tried to come back a few times, first with the Raiders, then with the Browns. In 2001, he proved himself one of the best runners in the XFL, piling up 528 yards for the Memphis Maniax, the fourth-highest total in the league's short history.

3. Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996)
Wuerffel capped a 10,000-plus-yard throwing career at Florida in his senior year, when he threw for 3,625 yards and 39 TDs while leading the Gators to a national championship. Now, he's reunited with his former Florida coach, Steve Spurrier, who dealt for Wuerffel shortly after he took over as Redskins head coach.

Wuerffel had been selected in the fourth round of the 1997 draft by the Saints; in three seasons with New Orleans, he played in only 18 games, tossing 126 completions in 258 passes for 1,404 yards. The Saints cut him after the 2000 season, and the 'Skins got him earlier this year from the Texans in exchange for backup defensive tackle Jerry DeLoach. But Wuerffel has yet to start for the Redskins, thanks, in part, to a disastrous display in the 'Skins final exhibition game, against the Patriots, when he fumbled three times. "They popped him, and he usually fumbled," said Spurrier. "I asked him, 'Why are you fumbling all the time?' And he said, 'I don't know.'" Spurrier added, "Right now, he's not our best one to go play, in my opinion."

4. Eric Crouch (Nebraska, 2001)

Eric Crouch called it quits before playing an NFL game.
In his senior year as a Cornhusker, Crouch led Nebraska to an 11-2 record, completing 105 of 189 passes for 1,510 yards and seven touchdowns. Even more impressive were his rushing stats -- 203 carries for 1,115 yards and 18 TDs. He was picked in the third round by the Rams, 95th overall in the 2002 draft. The Rams planned to convert Crouch into a wide receiver, but he retired on Sept. 11 without having played a down in the NFL. Crouch had been beset with hamstring, ankle, thigh, and shoulder injuries, which slowed him up enough, according to his agent, that he didn't feel he could play at full speed.

Jay Zigmunt, Rams president of football operations, was blindsided. "It's pretty shocking," he said. "We're as surprised by this as anyone. All I can say is it's a first for me. Eric was nicked up a bit, but Mike (Martz) felt he was progressing. It certainly surprised all of us."

5. Pat Sullivan (Auburn, 1971)
Sullivan was a great college QB. He led the NCAA in total offense in 1970, and in his 30 games as a Tiger starter he threw for 6,284 yards, including 53 TDs, and ran for 18 scores. After he won the 1971 Heisman, the Falcons selected him in the second round. He played only four seasons as a backup quarterback for Atlanta, completing just 42 percent of his 220 career passes, while throwing only five touchdowns against 16 interceptions. His career QB rating: 36.5.

6. Gino Torretta (University of Miami, 1992)
NFL teams weren't exactly hot on the QB in the 1993 draft -- he slid through the first six rounds before the Vikings finally picked him up in the seventh. He played in one game for the Vikings in 1993, then resurfaced three years later where he had the pro game of his life, completing 5 of 16 passes for 41 yards and one TD. He also ran twice for 12 yards. That was Torretta's NFL career. But there are other stats, as well. He was waived no less than eight times by five teams, including a Billy Martinesque four times by the 49ers. Still, in late 1997, Torretta remained optimistic. After putting in a one-week stint for the Colts, he told SI he'd keep trying. "I have no timetable. I still have the skills. It's just a matter of getting the right opportunity and taking advantage of it. I'm going to keep doing it until teams say I can't do it anymore."

7. Gary Beban (UCLA, 1967)
Beban had a good season in 1967, throwing for 1,359 yards and eight touchdowns, as UCLA finished 7-2-1. He was drafted in the second round of the 1968 draft by the Rams, who dealt him to the Redskins. In Washington, he played only five games in '68 and '69, throwing one pass (incomplete), running five times for 18 yards, and catching one pass for 12 yards. Finishing second in the 1967 Heisman voting: Southern California's O.J. Simpson. Finishing fourth: Dolphins future great Larry Csonka.

8. Terry Baker (Oregon State, 1962)
Baker deserved to win the Heisman in 1962, when he was also named SI's "Sportsman of the Year." At QB, Baker led the Beavers to a 9-2 record his senior year, finishing his college career with 3,476 yards and 23 TD passes. The Rams drafted Baker in the first round, but in his first NFL season, he played little at his old position, completing 11 of 19 passes for 140 yards. Then the Rams tried to turn him into a running back, an experiment that failed, as he rushed 49 times for only 164 yards in 1964 and 1965 combined. By 1966, Baker was out of the NFL.

9. John Huarte (Notre Dame, 1964)
Huarte's Notre Dame career consisted, really, of one good season. As a sophomore and junior, he rode the bench, and didn't become starting QB until Ara Parseghian became head coach in 1964. The Irish were only 2-7 in 1963, but in 1964, with Huarte running the offense, Notre Dame went 9-1. Huarte threw the ball 205 times for 2,062 yards, averaging 10-plus yards per attempt. The Jets picked Huarte in the second round of the AFL draft (they picked Joe Namath, who finished 11th in the Heisman voting, in the first round) but quickly waived him goodbye without much fanfare. Huarte did play parts of seven NFL seasons, but spent most of his time on taxi squads.

Among the players who finished behind Huarte in the Heisman voting: Dick Butkus (third) and Gale Sayers (12th).

10. Joe Bellino (Navy, 1960)
In college, Bellino could have been the poster boy for The All-Around Player. In 1960, the Navy halfback ran for 834 yards, caught 15 passes for 264 yards and three TDs, threw two touchdown passes, averaged 47.1 yards as a punter, and returned kicks and punts. He scored 18 TDs, leading Navy to a 9-1 record. The Patriots didn't risk much when they picked him in the 1961 AFL draft. They waited until the 19th round, knowing that he had to serve four years in the military before he could play pro football. He finally took the playing field in Boston in 1965, and began an incredibly unremarkable three-year AFL career, rushing 30 times for 64 yards, and scoring one touchdown.

Also receiving votes:

Ty Detmer (BYU, 1990)
Mike Rozier (Nebraska, 1983)
Desmond Howard (Michigan, 1991)
Charlie Ward (Florida State, 1993)
Archie Griffin (Ohio State, 1974 and 1975)

Guess who wants back into the NFL? But....only as a quarterback....

Crouch says odds are 50-50 for his return

I'd say unless Kurt Warner will never play again, Eric may wish to try the CFL.

[quote]Originally posted by Joe in Philly:
Guess who wants back into the NFL? But....only as a quarterback....

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What a flake .. he's certainly not gonna be seen as a leader on the field after all this!

[quote]Originally posted by George_vikingfan:
ESPN.com's ten Heisman winners who were the biggest flops as pros.

3. Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996)

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Well Danny gets to start (rumor has it) this Sunday for the Foreskins ... stay tuned ... maybe he'll make it off this list! (I'm not holding my breath...)

The ESPN article cited above doesn't talk about Eric's signing bonus $. I believe the figure is at $395,000. The Daily Nebraskan (University paper) said today that Eric will be returning that money to the Rams. He seems quite content with his decision to leave the team. And now I read that Warner has broken his finger! Hey, the Rams are 0-4 - put Erotic E back in the position he loves! Hmmm that started making me think about the position I want to see Eric in!

Of all of the positions Eric could be in right now, I wouldn't want him in Nebraska having nothing to do with...me...much less football!

I have the St. Louis QB in our Fantasy Bowl, but thankfully I picked the Patriots/Tom-back-up-to-Trent-is-God-Green as the backup. If Eric were still playing, I might have to reconsider who deserves my attention more: Tom, or Eric.

At this point, until Eric takes me off his do-not-disturb list, and is willing to have his picture taken in public with me like Tom did--I'll have to stick with a more proven post-rookie QB!