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Dan Ross (American football)
Encyclopedia
Daniel R. Ross was a professional American football
tight end
who played for the Cincinnati Bengals
(1979
-1985
), the Seattle Seahawks
(1985
), and the Green Bay Packers
(1986
). He also played for the New Orleans/Portland Breakers
of the USFL
in 1984-1985.
at Northeastern University. As a senior, he was a first team selection on the College Football All-America Team
, and is widely considered to be the best football player ever to play for Northeastern University. Ross left as the school's all time leader in receptions
(153), receiving touchdowns (13) and receiving yards (2,343), and set the single season record for those categories as well (68 receptions for 988 yards and 7 touchdowns in his senior season). After his senior year, Northeastern retired jersey No. 84 in his honor.
. Ross' best season was in 1981
, when he recorded 71 receptions for 910 yards and 5 touchdowns, assisting the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI
. His 71 receptions were a single season franchise record, and would remain so until Carl Pickens
recorded 99 receptions in 1995.
Ross had an outstanding performance in the Super Bowl, recording a record 11 receptions for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. His receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns were all the most by a tight end in Super Bowl history. Unfortunately for Ross, his team lost the game 26-21, preventing him from being the likely winner of the Super Bowl MVP
award. In addition to his impressive Super Bowl performance, Ross was the Bengals leading receiver in both their playoff wins that year, recording 6 receptions for 71 yards in their 28-21 win over the Buffalo Bills
and 5 receptions for 69 yards in their AFC title win over the San Diego Chargers
, a game known as the Freezer Bowl
.
Ross went on to make his first and only Pro Bowl
selection in 1982
, recording 47 receptions for 508 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 9-game season shortened by a players strike. In 1984, Ross briefly left the NFL to play for the New Orleans Breakers and later the Portland Breakers
in the newly formed United States Football League
. He returned to play for the Bengals in 1985
, but finished the season with the Seattle Seahawks
. Ross joined the Packers for the following season, and then retired in 1987. In his 8 NFL seasons, Ross recorded 290 receptions for 3,419 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.
Ross later said that as a veteran of a small college not known for its football program, he was grateful for a chance to play in the big leagues. "Just getting drafted was a thrill. You don't expect it from the school I went to. At the time, you don't expect to play in the National Football League
, and especially somebody taking you with the 30th overall pick. It's like 'oh geez they must see something I don't'."
. In 2004, he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame
. He is the first Northeastern University player ever to be enshrined.
, shortly after returning from a jog. He died at the Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Massachusetts
.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who played for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
(1979
1979 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1979 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 12th year in professional football and its 10th with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:* * *...
-1985
1985 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1985 Cincinnati Bengals season was their 16th in the league.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:* * *...
), the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
(1985
1985 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1985 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 10th season with the National Football League.-1985 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *...
), and the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
(1986
1986 Green Bay Packers season
The 1986 Green Bay Packers season was their 66th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 4–12 record under coach Forrest Gregg, earning them 4th place finish in the NFC Central division.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:...
). He also played for the New Orleans/Portland Breakers
Portland Breakers
The Portland Breakers were a professional American Football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. Before moving to Portland, Oregon, the franchise was previously in Boston, Massachusetts as the Boston Breakers and New Orleans, Louisiana as the New Orleans...
of the USFL
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
in 1984-1985.
College football
Before his NFL career, Ross played footballCollege 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 Northeastern University. As a senior, he was a first team selection on the College Football All-America Team
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, and is widely considered to be the best football player ever to play for Northeastern University. Ross left as the school's all time leader in receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
(153), receiving touchdowns (13) and receiving yards (2,343), and set the single season record for those categories as well (68 receptions for 988 yards and 7 touchdowns in his senior season). After his senior year, Northeastern retired jersey No. 84 in his honor.
NFL career
After graduating college in 1979, he was selected by the Bengals with the 30th pick in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 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 May 3–4, 1979...
. Ross' best season was in 1981
1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 14th year in professional football and its 12th with the National Football League.The Bengals unveiled new uniforms with tiger-striped helmets, jerseys and pants. They had at least a share of the AFC Central lead the entire season and, on Dec...
, when he recorded 71 receptions for 910 yards and 5 touchdowns, assisting the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
. His 71 receptions were a single season franchise record, and would remain so until Carl Pickens
Carl Pickens
Carl McNally Pickens is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL who played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans....
recorded 99 receptions in 1995.
Ross had an outstanding performance in the Super Bowl, recording a record 11 receptions for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. His receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns were all the most by a tight end in Super Bowl history. Unfortunately for Ross, his team lost the game 26-21, preventing him from being the likely winner of the Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
award. In addition to his impressive Super Bowl performance, Ross was the Bengals leading receiver in both their playoff wins that year, recording 6 receptions for 71 yards in their 28-21 win over the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 5 receptions for 69 yards in their AFC title win over the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, a game known as the Freezer Bowl
Freezer Bowl
In NFL lore, the Freezer Bowl was the 1981 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was played in the coldest temperature in NFL history in terms of wind chill...
.
Ross went on to make his first and only Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection in 1982
1983 Pro Bowl
The 1983 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 6, 1983 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was NFC 20, AFC 19. Dan Fouts of the San Diego Chargers and John Jefferson of the Green Bay Packers were the game's MVPs. A late touchdown pass from Danny White of the Dallas Cowboys to...
, recording 47 receptions for 508 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 9-game season shortened by a players strike. In 1984, Ross briefly left the NFL to play for the New Orleans Breakers and later the Portland Breakers
Portland Breakers
The Portland Breakers were a professional American Football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. Before moving to Portland, Oregon, the franchise was previously in Boston, Massachusetts as the Boston Breakers and New Orleans, Louisiana as the New Orleans...
in the newly formed United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
. He returned to play for the Bengals in 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
, but finished the season with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. Ross joined the Packers for the following season, and then retired in 1987. In his 8 NFL seasons, Ross recorded 290 receptions for 3,419 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.
Ross later said that as a veteran of a small college not known for its football program, he was grateful for a chance to play in the big leagues. "Just getting drafted was a thrill. You don't expect it from the school I went to. At the time, you don't expect to play 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...
, and especially somebody taking you with the 30th overall pick. It's like 'oh geez they must see something I don't'."
Subsequent career
Ross later became president and co-owner of WPWB, an independent TV station in Riviera Beach, FloridaRiviera Beach, Florida
Riviera Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, U.S.A. which was incorporated September 29, 1922. Because of where its eastern boundary lies, it is also the easternmost municipality in the South Florida metropolitan area. The population was 29,884 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the...
. In 2004, he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. He is the first Northeastern University player ever to be enshrined.
Death
Ross died on May 16, 2006, after collapsing at his home in Atkinson, New HampshireAtkinson, New Hampshire
Atkinson is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,751 at the 2010 census.- History :Atkinson has a rich history, dating back to the American Revolution...
, shortly after returning from a jog. He died at the Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
.
Trivia
Ross's record 11 receptions in a Super Bowl is now shared by three other players:- Jerry RiceJerry RiceJerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
(Super Bowl XXIIISuper Bowl XXIIISuper Bowl XXIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1989 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1988 regular season. This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held... - Wes WelkerWes Welker-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
(Super Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
) - Deion BranchDeion BranchAnthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
(Super Bowl XXXIXSuper Bowl XXXIXSuper Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
)