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Alan Cross Walks Onto Buccaneers’ 53 Man Roster

By Alan Schechter

Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Alan Cross (45) runs with the ball as Washington Redskins linebacker Houston Bates (96) tackles during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Washington Redskins defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Alan Cross (45) runs with the ball as Washington Redskins linebacker Houston Bates (96) tackles during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Washington Redskins defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alan Cross goes from a barely noticed, undrafted free agent, to 53 man roster member of the Buccaneers.  It’s not the first time he was a walk on.

Alan Cross did not arrive in Tampa with a great deal of expectations.  Teams bring in undrafted free agents after the draft all the time, and the Buccaneers are no different.  But they don’t always work out.  For every Damon Harrison, there are many others that don’t make the team.  The NFL is a tough business, and there are only so many available jobs.

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But that didn’t stop Cross from coming in and putting in a good showing.  The numbers were modest, with only three catches for 27 yards, but the coaching staff found something that they liked.  He was a solid performer at Memphis, with 90 receptions and 14 touchdowns over his four years.  Paxton Lynch clearly liked him in the red zone.  The coaches liked him well enough to include him on the 2016 53-man roster.

Congratulations to Cross on making the team.  It’s not easy to come to camp without being drafted, make your way through the field and make the team.  It’s similar to being a walk on in college, and finding your way to stick.  When thinking about it from that point of view, Cross was in familiar territory:

"“I walked on at Memphis as a long snapper and [former Memphis Head Coach] Coach [Justin] Fuente [asked], ‘Hey, do you want to play tight end?’ And I was like, ‘sure,’ just trying to earn a scholarship and just be the best I could and just try to earn a spot on the team and get the guys to like me and earn their respect. And that’s what I did at Memphis, I caught a lot of balls there, me and [former Memphis quarterback] Paxton [Lynch] played together, had some good years. I got the call from Tampa to do the free agent thing and I was like, ‘All right, this is basically like you’re starting all over at Memphis again,’ so I just had the same approach, just come in here, just try to do the best I can and just hope for the rest.”"

He showed the Bucs’ staff a tireless work ethic, and that is why he made the team.  In a league of prima donnas, hard workers must be held close whenever possible.

How did he handle the transition from college to the NFL?  Embraced his new teammates, and they embraced him:

"“Oh yeah, this is like the greatest group of guys I’ve ever been around in my life, from a team aspect so far. [Quarterback] Jameis [Winston] gave me a ride to the hotel the other day and I was like, ‘This guy is giving me a ride to the hotel?’ But it’s just guys like that and ‘VJax’ [wide receiver Vincent Jackson], [defensive tackle] Gerald [McCoy], all these guys are great leaders on and off the field and they’re great teammates, regardless if you’re a free agent with no money or a millionaire with a big house. It’s just a great feeling, to be honest with you.”"

When you can be part of a great locker room, it makes a big difference.

Next: Potential Post-Camp Concerns

We wish Cross the best of luck in his rookie year and hopefully beyond.

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