Cris Crissy
Encyclopedia
William Robert Crissy, Jr. (born February 3, 1959 in Penn Yan
, New York
) is a former American football
cornerback
in the National Football League
for the Washington Redskins
. He played college football
at Princeton University
and was drafted
in the 12th round of the 1981 NFL Draft
by the New England Patriots
Crissy played football for Penn Yan Academy, the public high school in the small town of Penn Yan (population 5,500) in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State where he grew up. In his senior year (1976), he was named a first team All-American, and the New York State Small School Player of the Year. His high school team was undefeated that year, and won the class B state championship. Anthony "Tony" Collins, the former All-Pro New England Patriot, was a high school classmate and teammate (Collins was also drafted by the Patriots in 1981).
At Princeton, Crissy was named first team All-Ivy in 1978 and second team All-Ivy in 1979 as a Running Back, and first team All-Ivy as a Wide Receiver in 1980. In 1980, he had set the school record for most receptions and most receiving yards by the team's eighth game. He also lettered in Track from 1978 to 1981.
Crissy was released by the Patriots in the 1981 preseason, and signed later that season by the Washington Redskins. He was also a member of their 1982 Super Bowl championship team, although he was on injured reserve all season due to a fractured cheekbone. His college teammate, Bob Holly, was also a reserve quarterback on that team.
Penn Yan, New York
Penn Yan is a village in Yates County, New York, USA. The population was 5,219 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Yates County and lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the 12th round of the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
Crissy played football for Penn Yan Academy, the public high school in the small town of Penn Yan (population 5,500) in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State where he grew up. In his senior year (1976), he was named a first team All-American, and the New York State Small School Player of the Year. His high school team was undefeated that year, and won the class B state championship. Anthony "Tony" Collins, the former All-Pro New England Patriot, was a high school classmate and teammate (Collins was also drafted by the Patriots in 1981).
At Princeton, Crissy was named first team All-Ivy in 1978 and second team All-Ivy in 1979 as a Running Back, and first team All-Ivy as a Wide Receiver in 1980. In 1980, he had set the school record for most receptions and most receiving yards by the team's eighth game. He also lettered in Track from 1978 to 1981.
Crissy was released by the Patriots in the 1981 preseason, and signed later that season by the Washington Redskins. He was also a member of their 1982 Super Bowl championship team, although he was on injured reserve all season due to a fractured cheekbone. His college teammate, Bob Holly, was also a reserve quarterback on that team.