Hall of Fame
John Crose (’75) played football and baseball at Nebraska Wesleyan for three years after transferring to NWU. He was a key part of the baseball team's 1974 NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance, the first-ever NCAA tournament team in program history. Crose played first base on the baseball diamond and was a cornerback on the gridiron.
Along with being a member of the historic baseball team, Crose was also a vital piece for some of the football program's best defensive units. The 1973 defense gave up just 169.9 total yards per game, which still ranks first in program history. The defense that year also ranked third in school history for rushing defense (86.3 yards per game) and passing defense (83.6 yards per game). Crose played on a defensive secondary that allowed 68.8 passing yards per game in 1974, which still is the top mark in NWU history. Additionally, the 1974 secondary was sixth nationally in passing yards per game.
Individually in football, Crose led the state colleges in interceptions with five in 1974. Crose was named first-team All-Conference defensive back and first-team All-State College by th Lincoln Journal Star that season. In baseball, Crose was one of the best fielders for the Plainsmen, ending his career with a .973 fielding percentage and never had a single-season fielding percentage lower than .970. When Crose graduated, he left ranked on multiple season and career top-10 charts.
