Longtime cornerback and host Irv Cross died on Sunday near his home in Minnesota, the Philadelphia Eagles announced.
He was 81 years old.
The eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of Irv Cross.
– Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 1, 2021
Cross spent nine seasons in the 1961-69 league, first with the Eagles, after they caught him in the seventh round of the 1961 draft. Cross played his first five seasons in the NFL with the Eagles before a brief three-year stint with the Los Angeles Rams, starting in 1996. He then returned to Philadelphia for a final season before retiring in 1969.
Cross accumulated 22 interceptions in total and recovered 11 fumbles throughout his career, and won nominations in the Pro Bowl in 1964 and 1965.
Cross joined CBS Sports in 1971 as an NFL analyst and joined the pre-game program “The NFL Today” with Brent Musburger, Phyllis George and Jimmy Snyder just four years later. Cross was the first anchor of a Black sports program, another historic debut for the program – since George was the first woman to do so too.
“I was close to all kinds of people, all walks of life. I don’t know if I could give you a person who was cooler than Irv Cross,” said Musburger, through the Eagles. “He was a constant gentleman.”
Cross was on the show before the game for 14 years and on CBS for 23. He was nominated for the Hall of Fame as the 2009 Pete Rozelle Prize winner.
Cross later worked as a sports director at Idaho State and Macalester College, and worked as an executive director for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and Love Inc.
He leaves his wife, Liz, and their four children.
More from Yahoo Sports: