When there was only one professional football panel show that everyone watched, NFL fans saw Irv Cross in a groundbreaking role.
When Division III Macalester College was looking for new leadership into the new century, the administration turned to Irv Cross for that measured guidance.
When major gift-giving charities in Minnesota needed help, there was Irv Cross once again.
Irv Cross, the Indiana native and star at Northwestern who was an all-pro defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams but never moved from Minnesota after coming here in 1999, died Sunday near his home in Roseville.
He was 81 years old.
Following his playing career, Cross became the first Black sports analyst on national television when he was part of "The NFL Today" on CBS.
Alongside Brett Musberger, Phyllis George, and Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, tnhe show was must-watch sports television leading into Sunday afternoons of professional football.
Cross was with "The NFL Today" from its inception in 1975 through 1989, while also working basketball and other events for CBS.
Following a two-year stint as athletic director of Idaho State, Cross became AD at Macalester from 1999 to 2005.
When he stepped down from the job at Macalester, school administrators praised Cross for upholding the balance of athletics and academics.
He followed that by serving as CEO of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Minnesota.
Cross also was an analyst for KMSP-TV's Vikings coverage and worked for the Twins Community Fund.