No college football television broadcaster knows Navy football better than Randy Cross. The veteran announcer has served as color commentator on the CBS Sports broadcasts of Navy home games since 2009.
Cross was on the call as Navy compiled winning records in eight of nine seasons from 2009 through 2017. He also watched the Midshipmen go 3-10 in 2018.
Cross watched the Mids endure three straight losing seasons that led to the dismissal of coach Ken Niumatalolo. He has now seen Brian Newberry rebuild the program.
Cross played 13 seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers during the glory years for the franchise. He was a starting offensive lineman on three Super Bowl championship teams, playing alongside such all-time greats as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Charles Haley and Ronnie Lott among others.
Cross, who was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was a first team All-American at UCLA and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Earlier this week, Cross talked to the Capital Gazette about a wide range of topics surrounding Navy football.
Editor’s note, some questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
There is a lot of buzz about Navy football right now with a lot of national publications and pundits picking the program as a contender for the American Conference championship. Do you think the hype is justified?
I think it’s warranted. You look at not only what they did last season, but what they have done with the program over the last couple years. One thing Brian Newberry made a real commitment to was strength and conditioning. Navy has always been dedicated in that area, but I think they have doubled down. It’s beginning to be one of the non-differences between Navy and some of its bigger opponents. There is usually a pretty good size disparity, but that’s becoming less and less than an issue.
A major reason for so much excitement is that Navy returns all of its starters at the skill positions. Do you feel returning so much production spells success?
I think it’s a great start. I wouldn’t say it’s a guarantee for success anymore than starting two sophomore offensive tackles is a recipe for disaster. You’ve got to be excited if you’re a Navy fan to see Blake Horvath, Alex Tecza and Eli Heidenreich out there doing what they do. If this does turn into a true dual-threat offense, you’re going to need more contributions from the wide receivers and tight ends. In my opinion, the threat to the middle of the field has been the slotbacks. I think if you layered in a real tight end threat that would make a major difference.
You talk about teams not seeing the triple-option very often, well you almost never see Wing-T offense in college football these days. How much of a difference did that make last season and do you think the element of surprise will continue this season?
I think you can study Drew Cronic’s offense till the cows come home and still not be completely prepared. You’ll be left wondering what else he has. I think it’s a lot of “what the heck is next?” that keeps a lot of defensive coordinators up at night. Drew is very, very creative. You are going to see Navy do things that you have not even thought of yet, especially if the passing game becomes a real threat.
Defense has been a strength of Navy football ever since Brian Newberry took over as coordinator in 2019. Why do you think Navy’s defense has been so consistently good going on seven years now?
I think the increased emphasis on strength and conditioning is part of it because in order to play that style of defense you better be in really good shape. You’re getting out of position on a regular basis and have to be able to get back into your spot. I just think the timing and creativity is what makes that defense so dangerous. As an offensive coordinator, you just don’t know where all those pieces are going to be on each play.
How do you see the rest of the American Conference shaping up. Tulane seems to be the consensus choice as the favorite.
I think the American is very strong across the board. You have a lot of talented programs. Army is going to be tough. Memphis is always in the mix. I wouldn’t discount USF or UTSA. It’s going to be a very competitive conference.
I have already heard of multiple schools within the American that have 50 to 60 new players on the roster. One thing Army and Navy both have going for them is player development, retention and older players that have been in the system. Do you see that as an advantage for the two service academies?
I can see that for sure. Culture matters, and I don’t care what anyone tries to say. Culture is not built during preseason camp. Culture does not come about in a few months. Culture is a head coach and a staff that hammers that into people’s heads. Having a team full of, basically, mercenaries, is kind of dangerous. We’ve seen several schools out there try it wholesale for a few years. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. If you’re starting from scratch with 50 new guys, you’ve got to hope by the middle of the season that they’re really tuned in to what you want.
Because so many Football Championship Subdivision schools are recruiting almost exclusively through the transfer portal and taking fewer high school players, Navy has now been able to land a much higher level of recruit than in years past. The Navy coaches have said they are landing prospects that would never previously have considered a service academy.
I think that is spot on. I’ve been saying that for a while. That’s the drawback of this new era of college football. Two groups of people get left out of this new system. One, the guys that are getting replaced by incoming transfers. Two, the high school seniors. Those high school prospects are falling through the cracks more and more.
Have a news tip? Contact Bill Wagner at bwagner@capgaznews.com, 443-534-0102 and x.com/@BWagner_CapGaz.
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