Joe Cribbs
Encyclopedia
Joe Stanier Cribbs is a retired National Football League
and United States Football League
football
running back
. He played collegiately
at Auburn University
along with future NFL backs William Andrews
and James Brooks
. He began his professional career in 1980 with the Buffalo Bills
.
After being drafted in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft
, Cribbs went on to start all 16 games of his rookie
year with Buffalo, finishing with 1185 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. His performance earned him consensus UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year
honors and a spot in the Pro Bowl
, the only rookie chosen as a starter
that year. In five seasons with the team, split around a detour with the USFL, Cribbs had 13 100-yard games and ran for 1,000 yards in a season three times.
In the spring of 1984, Cribbs left the Bills in a contract dispute and signed on as a member of the Birmingham Stallions
of the United States Football League (USFL).
Today, Cribbs is living in Alabama. For the past six years, he has run Joe Cribbs Associates, an advisory company. "I do a lot of work with some current NFL players, helping them with investments and different things. Just basically helping them understand the game and get prepared for life after the game. Some I may assist with disability insurance or help get an annuity. Just various degrees of work. It just depends on the guy."
Cribbs was to serve as the President of Team Alabama of the AAFL
, which suspended operations shortly before playing its first games. Almost immediately, Cribbs was named commissioner of the United National Gridiron League
, which also has yet to play a game, though its preparatory operations continue (unlike the AAFL).
Joe Cribbs is the uncle of Cleveland Browns player Joshua Cribbs
.
1978 was the breakout year. Cribbs rushed for 1205 yards and 253 attempts, scoring 16 touchdowns, and averaging well over hundred yards a game. He was a threat out of the backfield as well, catching right passes. He was also used on gadget plays as well. Cribbs passed the ball four times, completeing three passes for 74 yards.
In 1979, Cribbs final season at Auburn, Cribbs had 200 rushing attempts for 1120 yards, and scoring fourteen touchdowns rushing
However, the Bills challenged the contract, citing that they had first right of refusal. The clause had been in Cribbs original contract with the Buffalo Bills. This was placed in the contract in order to protect Buffalo in case there was no collective bargining agreement and to prevent another NFL team from signing Cribbs. However, there was no mention of any team from the USFL signing Cribbs, and the USFL was not formed when Cribbs signed his contract with Buffalo.
The trial was held in Buffalo, and one of the people testifing for the Bills was head coach Kay Stephenson, who stated that Joe Cribbs was unreplaceable in the Bills line up. Buffalo Judge John Elvin heard the case. While the trial was going on, Cribbs continued to work out with the Stallions. When the verdict came down, Judge Elvin ruled in favor of the Cribbs, allowing him to play for the Birmingham Stallions.
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 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...
football
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. He played collegiately
College 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 Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
along with future NFL backs William Andrews
William Andrews (American football player)
William Andrews is a former NFL football running back. He played collegiately at Auburn University along with future NFL backs James Brooks and Joe Cribbs....
and James Brooks
James Brooks (American football player)
James Brooks is a retired NFL football running back.-High school and college career:His young career started with success in elementary school. He led the Warner Robins High School Demons to a State championship and a National Championship ranking in 1976...
. He began his professional career in 1980 with 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...
.
After being drafted in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 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 April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, Cribbs went on to start all 16 games of his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
year with Buffalo, finishing with 1185 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. His performance earned him consensus UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year
UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year
From 1955 to 1996, the United Press International gave two annual Rookie of the Year awards in American football. One was given to the rookie of the year in the old National Football League , most of whose teams in 1970 became the National Football Conference of the new NFL...
honors and a spot in the 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...
, the only rookie chosen as a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
that year. In five seasons with the team, split around a detour with the USFL, Cribbs had 13 100-yard games and ran for 1,000 yards in a season three times.
In the spring of 1984, Cribbs left the Bills in a contract dispute and signed on as a member of the Birmingham Stallions
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field...
of the United States Football League (USFL).
Today, Cribbs is living in Alabama. For the past six years, he has run Joe Cribbs Associates, an advisory company. "I do a lot of work with some current NFL players, helping them with investments and different things. Just basically helping them understand the game and get prepared for life after the game. Some I may assist with disability insurance or help get an annuity. Just various degrees of work. It just depends on the guy."
Cribbs was to serve as the President of Team Alabama of the AAFL
All American Football League
The All American Football League was a proposed professional American football league. The league, which was to combine a professional pay structure with the requirement that all players be college graduates, had originally been scheduled to start in the spring of 2007, but later postponed its...
, which suspended operations shortly before playing its first games. Almost immediately, Cribbs was named commissioner of the United National Gridiron League
United National Gridiron League
The United National Gridiron League was a proposed minor professional football league. The league was formed in August 2007 and was originally called the United National Football League.The league's inaugural draft took place January 8–9, 2009...
, which also has yet to play a game, though its preparatory operations continue (unlike the AAFL).
Joe Cribbs is the uncle of Cleveland Browns player Joshua Cribbs
Joshua Cribbs
Joshua "Josh" Cribbs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He played collegiately for Kent State University. He holds the NFL record with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns...
.
College career
Joe Cribbs played college football at Auburn. He played his first college football game in 1976, and when the season was over, he had 171 yards on 43 rushing attempts. He got more playing time in 1977, with 872 yards on 161 rushing attempts. He scored four touchdowns as a rusher. He also caugfht six passes for 51 yards.1978 was the breakout year. Cribbs rushed for 1205 yards and 253 attempts, scoring 16 touchdowns, and averaging well over hundred yards a game. He was a threat out of the backfield as well, catching right passes. He was also used on gadget plays as well. Cribbs passed the ball four times, completeing three passes for 74 yards.
In 1979, Cribbs final season at Auburn, Cribbs had 200 rushing attempts for 1120 yards, and scoring fourteen touchdowns rushing
Lawsuit against the Buffalo Bills
The NFL played a strike shortened season in 1982, and Cribbs rushed for over 1,000 yards. However, Cribbs was not exactly happy in Buffalo, mainly he was not happy in playing in the infamous cold weather games in Buffalo. With one year left on his contract with the Bills, Cribbs signed a contract with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL. In the summer of 1983, Cribbs officially inked a contract with Birmingham worth $3.5 million dollars.However, the Bills challenged the contract, citing that they had first right of refusal. The clause had been in Cribbs original contract with the Buffalo Bills. This was placed in the contract in order to protect Buffalo in case there was no collective bargining agreement and to prevent another NFL team from signing Cribbs. However, there was no mention of any team from the USFL signing Cribbs, and the USFL was not formed when Cribbs signed his contract with Buffalo.
The trial was held in Buffalo, and one of the people testifing for the Bills was head coach Kay Stephenson, who stated that Joe Cribbs was unreplaceable in the Bills line up. Buffalo Judge John Elvin heard the case. While the trial was going on, Cribbs continued to work out with the Stallions. When the verdict came down, Judge Elvin ruled in favor of the Cribbs, allowing him to play for the Birmingham Stallions.