Irv Cross was a football player and sportscaster who became the first Black sports analyst on national television and co-hosted “The NFL Today.”Cross played college football for the Northwestern University Wildcats before being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1961 NFL Draft.
He played for the Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection before retiring from his playing career in 1969.
In 1971, Cross began working as a commentator and analyst for CBS Sports, becoming the first Black sportscaster working before a national audience.
When “The NFL Today” debuted in 1975, he became one of its co-hosts, remaining with the show until 1989 as the first Black person to co-anchor a major sports program.
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