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EL PASO, Texas — Sun Bowl trips have become a Cross family tradition.
Former Alabama tight end Howard Cross ended his sophomore and senior seasons with Sun Bowl victories over Washington (1986) and Army (1988). Now his son, second-team All-America defensive tackle Howard Cross III, gets to punctuate this Notre Dame football season with Friday’s Sun Bowl meeting against 19th-ranked Oregon State.
It’s just the third all-time meeting between the two programs and Notre Dame’s second-ever trip to a bowl that dates to 1935.
“This is the starting point for a very great year,” Cross said before practice on Tuesday afternoon. “I was talking to my dad. It’s like if you want to go into the (2024) season being that guy, this is it. This is where you prove to everybody that you can compete with the best.”
The elder Cross, a sixth-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, went on to play 13 seasons with the New York Giants, splitting a pair of Super Bowl appearances. A blocking-first tight end, Cross finished his college career with 41 catches for 459 yards and four touchdowns.
Jack Kiser: Set to return for Year No. 6 with Notre Dame football, ‘Uncle Jack’ Kiser stays forever young
His son recently announced he would return for a sixth season at Notre Dame, joining multiyear starters Jack Kiser (linebacker) and Rylie Mills (defensive tackle) in what defensive coordinator Al Golden called “an early Christmas present.”
“I still have a lot left in the tank here,” Cross said. “Talking to our coaches, I feel like I can really benefit from one more year. And the other side of that, NFL does stand for ‘Not for Long,’ right? I want to get my master’s done and make sure I get everything I can get done at Notre Dame because it’s a great university.”
Cross plans to complete his Mendoza College of Business work with a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-picture-bigger-plans-howard-004558438.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2023-12-27 00:45:58
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