| Sylvester Croom | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Title | Head Coach | |
| College | Mississippi State | |
| Sport | Football | |
| Team record | 8-5 (4-4) | |
| Born | September 25, 1954 | |
| Place of birth |  Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
|
| Career highlights | ||
| Overall | 17-30 (8-24) | |
| Coaching stats | ||
| College Football DataWarehouse | ||
| Awards | ||
| 2007 SEC Coach of the Year | ||
| Playing career | ||
| 1972-74 1975 |
Alabama New Orleans Saints (NFL) |
|
| Position | Center | |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||
| 2004-present 2001-2003 1997-2000 1992-1996 1991 1987-1990 1984-1986 1982-1983 1977-1981 1976 |
Mississippi State University - Head Coach Green Bay Packers - Running Backs Coach Detroit Lions - Offensive Coordinator San Diego Chargers - Running Backs Coach Indianapolis Colts - Running Backs Coach Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Running Backs Coach University of Alabama - Inside Linebackers Coach University of Alabama - Outisde Linebackers Coach University of Alabama - Inside Linebackers Coach University of Alabama - Centers Coach - Graduate Assistant Coach |
|
Sylvester Croom, Jr. For the coaching strategy game see NFL Head Coach. A head coach is a professional who is responsible for the overall actions of This is a list of American institutions of Higher education in the United States and abroad sorted by region Mississippi State University is a Land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi, United States, in the town of Starkville and American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Tuscaloosa is a city in west central Alabama in the southern United States. The Southeastern Conference (SEC is a College Athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which operates in the southeastern The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Center ( C) is a position in American football and Canadian football ( spelled centre in Canadian English) For the coaching strategy game see NFL Head Coach. A head coach is a professional who is responsible for the overall actions of The Mississippi State Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Mississippi State University. The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay Wisconsin. The Detroit Lions are an American football team based in Detroit Michigan. The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis Indiana. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa Florida. (born September 25, 1954) is the football head coach at Mississippi State University. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, Colleges and military academies For the coaching strategy game see NFL Head Coach. A head coach is a professional who is responsible for the overall actions of Mississippi State University is a Land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi, United States, in the town of Starkville and He is the first African American head football coach in the Southeastern Conference. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The Southeastern Conference (SEC is a College Athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which operates in the southeastern His father, Sylvester Croom, Sr., was himself an All-American football player at Alabama A&M, later the team chaplain at the University of Alabama, and has been recognized posthumously by that school as one of the state's 40 pioneers of civil rights. The Reverend Sylvester Croom Sr ( June 26, 1926 &ndash January 2, 2000) served for years after integration as chaplain for University An All-American "team" is an honorary Sports team composed of outstanding Amateur players those considered the best players of a specific season for Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as Alabama A&M University or AAMU, is an accredited public historically black university, [1]
Contents |
Playing career
Croom, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, starred at Tuscaloosa High School as a linebacker and tight end. Tuscaloosa is a city in west central Alabama in the southern United States. This article relates to Sports. For the Vietnam War bombing raids see Operation Linebacker and Operation Linebacker II. The tight end ( TE) is a position in American football on the Offensive team. He then played those same positions before settling in at center for Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama, where in 1974 he was a senior captain, earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, and like his father years earlier earned Kodak All-American honors. Center ( C) is a position in American football and Canadian football ( spelled centre in Canadian English) Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Eastman Kodak Company ( is an American multinational Public company which produces imaging and photographic materials and equipment An All-American "team" is an honorary Sports team composed of outstanding Amateur players those considered the best players of a specific season for During his playing career there, Alabama garnered three SEC championships from 1972 to 1974 and a national title in 1973. The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference 's football season champion Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.
He played one season in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints before returning to the University of Alabama to begin his coaching career. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana.
Coaching career
Before coaching at Mississippi State, Croom was an assistant at Alabama for 11 seasons, one as a graduate assistant coach and ten more variably as inside and outside linebackers coach. This article relates to Sports. For the Vietnam War bombing raids see Operation Linebacker and Operation Linebacker II. During this eleven-year period on the Alabama staff Croom participated in ten bowl games, two national championships in 1978 and 1979, and he coached four eventual NFL first-round draft picks, including Cornelius Bennett and Derrick Thomas. In the United States, a bowl game is traditionally a post-season College football game however the term "bowl" has become synonymous with a major American Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The NFL Draft is an annual Sports draft in which NFL teams select newly-eligible players for their rosters Cornelius O'Landa Bennett (born August 25, 1965 in Birmingham, Alabama) is a former American football Linebacker who played Derrick Vincent Thomas ( January 1 1967 &ndash February 8 2000) was an NFL Linebacker who played his entire professional
He then spent 17 years in the professional ranks as running backs coach at Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, San Diego, and Green Bay. A running back ( RB) is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa Florida. The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis Indiana. The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay Wisconsin. Before going to Green Bay he served as offensive coordinator for Detroit from 1997-2000, and during his tenure in San Diego was on the Chargers' staff for Super Bowl XXIX. The Detroit Lions are an American football team based in Detroit Michigan. Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Florida (now part of the Suburb
He was a finalist for the head coach position at the Alabama in 2003, but the job ultimately went to Mike Shula. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Mike Shula (born June 3, 1965, in) is an American football quarterback coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, an NFL team In March 2004, Alabama's Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence Award, given annually for 16 years to outstanding players, was changed to the Bart Starr Commitment to Excellence Award, reportedly at Shula's request. Bryan Bartlett Starr (born January 9, 1934 in Montgomery Alabama) is a former professional American football player and coach The award has since been changed back and has Croom's name attached. Shula originally changed the award because he did not want an award named for a rival coach. After complaints by alumni and fans,[1] the award was changed back to its original name.
After the 2007 season, which was his first with a winning record and a post-season bowl bid, Croom garnered Coach of the Year awards from three organizations. On December 4, 2007, Croom was named coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association for region two. The American Football Coaches Association is an association of football coaches on all levels and is responsible for the Coaches Poll that determines the national champion each The AFCA has five regional coaches of the year and announces a national coach of the year each January. [2] That same year, on December 5, Croom was named SEC Coach of the Year twice, once as voted by the other SEC coaches and once as voted by The Associated Press. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio It was the first time a Mississippi State coach received the AP honor since Charley Shira in 1970 and the first time a Mississippi State coach received the coaches award since Wade Walker in 1957. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Wade Walker is a former Mississippi State Bulldogs American football coach Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) [3]
Record
Responses to Croom's record have varied. Publicly he has enjoyed the support of Mississippi State's athletic director Larry Templeton and other administrators with oversight of the football program. Athletic director (commonly "athletics director" is a position at many American Colleges and universities, as well as in larger High schools In an October 2006 interview with website al. October events and holidays Children's Book Week ( England) - First Week of October National Day ( China People's Republic Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. com, Templeton said of Croom that he "is the most positive thing that has happened in our athletic department since I took this job 20 years ago" and of the poor record that when Croom was initially hired (8-21 when that interview was conducted), "I felt sure we were hiring the right man at the right time. I'm standing here to tell you again that Sylvester Croom is the right man for the job, and I'm more convinced now than ever. "[2] MSU's President Gen. Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong has also publicly supported Croom. [3] He was able to build on that confidence in Spring 2007 by signing that year's scout. com #27 nationally ranked recruiting class. [4]
Education
Croom earned a Bachelor of Science degree in history with a minor in biology from the University of Alabama in 1975 at the age of twenty and while a graduate student and coach there earned a master's degree in educational administration in 1977
First African-American head football coach in the SEC
Responses
Croom has consistently downplayed the personal significance of his status as the first African-American to be the head coach of an SEC football team. A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles See also Postgraduate Training in Education Postgraduate education (synonymous in North America with graduate education, and sometimes described Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays A characteristic response has been that while he is proud of his African-American heritage, the most important part for him is "the head coach part" and the ability to pursue a dream he has held for all of his adult life,[5] stating notably at a press conference upon his acceptance of the position "I am the first African-American coach in the SEC, but there ain't but one color that matters here, and that color is maroon. "[6] Elsewhere, in an interview shortly before his first season as a head coach, when asked if as the first African-American coach in the SEC he considered himself "a trailblazer," Croom responded "I'm just a guy trying to do the best job he can. It just happens that the timing of my hiring puts me in that position. I don't see myself that way. If other people perceive that, so be it. I'm just trying to do the best I can here. "[7]
However, the initial response to his hiring was lauded by many as a moment of relative cultural significance. An article published in USA Today on the day that Croom was hired listed a few responses from members of the political, cultural, and athletic communities. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. In it Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP, noting that the hire was in Mississippi, a state often regarded as having one of the poorest civil rights records, said that "For Mississippi State to place the fortunes of its team in black hands is more than welcome, however long it has taken. Horace Julian Bonds (born January 14 1940) is an American leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations " In the same article Bennie Thompson, the lone black member of Mississippi's U. For the football player of the same name see Bennie Thompson (American football. S. congressional delegation, said that the hiring "speaks well of Mississippi State. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Mississippi State alumni and friends are more concerned about winning than the color of the coach. There's still a lot of work to be done by other schools. "[8]
On February 12, 2007 in observance of Black History Month President George W. Bush, at a gathering of African-American leaders and dignitaries where Croom was present, recognized the efforts and achievements of NFL football coaches Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, both acquaintances of Croom and a friend in Dungy's case. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy (born October 6, 1955) is a former professional American football player and the current Head coach of the Lovie Lee Smith (born in Gladewater Texas) is the Head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. The President went on to state that he was "proud to be [there] with another football coach who deserves a lot of credit, Sylvester Croom, who is the head football coach from Mississippi State University. His achievement is the first African American coach in the Southeastern Football League -- Southeastern Conference. He was picked because he's a strong leader and a fine man. And I thank you for blazing trails. " [9]
In February 2008 Croom was featured in a half-hour segment of "Say it Loud," ESPN's documentary celebration of Black History Month. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. In it are featured interviews with Croom along with coaches and players, among others. Relevant to the topic he speaks generally in this documentary on his decision to accept Mississippi State's offer for the head coaching position and on his race and the history of race relations in the region being major contributing factors.
Position at Alabama
Croom's own position on African-American coaches in college football has not always been so apolitical, however. In an interview with Black Athlete Sports Network in July, 2003, after losing out to Mike Shula in the head coach vacancy for the University of Alabama Croom speculated that race was more of a factor in that hiring process than University of Alabama athletic director Mal Moore let on and that he lost the job because of it. Events in July The traditional period known as "fence month" (the closed season for deer in England ended July 9 (date varied Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Mal Moore (born December 19, 1939 in Dozier Alabama) is the current Athletic director for the University of Alabama. "I have a real problem there," he said. "A lot of those [SEC] schools, guys are good enough to play for them, good enough to be assistant coaches and not good enough to be in the positions of decision making and the positions of high financial reward. And they're qualified. " In that same interview with Black Athlete Sports Croom acknowledged that he "had great support from the former players and the fans there and even some people within the administration," but that "Somewhere in the final process, somebody made another decision. " His initial impression of the interview with Alabama was that it was fair and was so positive that he considered himself to be the lead candidate afterwards, which was why he was so surprised when the offer was given to Shula, a coach with over ten fewer years of coaching experience. Afterwards the Rev. Jesse Jackson got involved, calling for an investigation into the hiring practices at Alabama and all SEC schools. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Croom's response to Jackson's intervention was that "Rev. Jackson did his job. Because quite often, inside the business you can't draw attention to things. He is a voice for a great mass, for a lot of people who don't have a voice. " On the question of Croom's timing in his response to this issue being given only after Jackson's call for investigation, he continued by saying that "in this particular case, I felt I could speak for myself. I chose not to say anything at that particular time because there was just too much emotion. "[10]
Legacy of segregation
Elsewhere Croom has treated his status as the first African-American head football coach in the SEC with the complexity he sees befitting the situation of a person so deeply connected to the American South. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive In a 2004 interview with The Washington Post Croom said of his situation in Mississippi that "There's much more at stake here than football. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The fact that I'm African American, that I'm the State football coach -- well, I think it will have a positive impact on race relations in the state of Mississippi, and how the rest of the country views Mississippi. The place has changed a great deal. I don't know how many people outside here understand that. But they're about to find out. "[11] A 2003 article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recalls his experiences of integration as a middle-schooler in Tuscaloosa, the near-lynching of his father years before in a case of mistaken identity, and segregated restrooms, an institution which he said “bothered me [then], and it still does to this day. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning Broadsheet printed in Milwaukee Wisconsin, USA ” In that article and elsewhere like the article in the Washington Post Croom and his family have communicated a cultural and historical connection to the South and an insistence that genuine progress has been made in race relations there. His younger brother Kelvin Croom, a pastor and assistant principal of Paul Bryant High School in Tuscaloosa, said in the Journal Sentinel interview of their experiences in the segregated South that "We chose not to be intimidated. We chose to be motivated and hoped that one day we would make a difference. And we have made a difference, because the crosses have been taken down and the ropes have been put away. " [12]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State Bulldogs (SEC) (2004 — present) | |||||||||
| 2004 | Mississippi State | 3–8 | 2-6 | 6th (West) | |||||
| 2005 | Mississippi State | 3–8 | 1-7 | T-5th (West) | |||||
| 2006 | Mississippi State | 3–9 | 1-7 | 6th (West) | |||||
| 2007 | Mississippi State | 8–5 | 4–4 | T-3rd (West) | W Liberty | ||||
| Mississippi State: | 17–30 | 8–24 | |||||||
| Total: | 17–30 | ||||||||
| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title | |||||||||
| †Indicates BCS bowl game. Historic coaching hire Mississippi State made history on December 1 2003 when it hired Sylvester Croom as its head football coach The Southeastern Conference (SEC is a College Athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which operates in the southeastern The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series (BCS The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision football season, or the College football season began on August 31 The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision football season, or the College football season began on August The 2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2007 college football season. The 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season was played on December 29, 2007 at the Liberty #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season. The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I-A College football and Division I | |||||||||
| Preceded by Jackie Sherrill |
Mississippi State University Head Football Coach 2004–present |
Succeeded by Current |
References
- Sylvester Croom - Head Football Coach. Jackie Sherrill (born November 28, 1943, in Duncan Oklahoma) is a former College football Head coach. Mississippi State University is a Land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi, United States, in the town of Starkville and "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Retrieved on 2005-12-14. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people
- Bama's decision to erase Croom stinks.
- Croom walking pioneer's path at Mississippi State.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Croom, Sylvester |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Croom, Sly |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American football coach |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 25, 1954 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States of America |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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