2011 Football Roster
Alan Cross
- Position:
- DS
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 230
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Millington, Tenn.
- Prev School:
- Millington HS
At Memphis: Two-time all-conference honoree at tight end, including first team honors in 2014 and honorable mention honors in 2015 ... Appeared in 49 career games with 42 starts ... Served as one of the two team captains for all 13 games for Memphis as a senior ... Received the Zach Curlin Award as the Athletic Department's Top Male Student-Athlete in 2016 and the PAWSCARS' Peer Choice Award as voted on by other Memphis student-athletes ... Completed his career with 90 catches for 1,050 career yards, scoring 14 touchdowns, including three in his senior season ... The 14 touchdowns is the most in Memphis history for a tight end ... His 14 touchdowns ranks tied for seventh, one behind Isaac Bruce ...  Graduated in August of 2015 with a degree in chemistry and spent his senior season of eligibility working on his master's degree ... Member of the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in 2014 ... Named to the Tiger 3.0 list for the 2011 Fall, 2012 Spring, 2012 Fall, 2013 Fall, 2014 Spring and 2014 Fall semesters (six total semesters) ... First-team pick on the 2013 preseason All-American Athletic Conference team selected by Athlon Sports ... Selected to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2012 ... Received the 2011 Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year Award at the team's postseason Highland Hundred Awards Banquet ...Named to Athlon Sports’ Preseason American Athletic Conference first team ahead of the 2015 season … Also a preseason second-team all-conference pick by Phil Steele … Given annually to college football’s most outstanding tight end, included on the Mackey Award watch list for 2015.
2015 (Senior):Â Appeared in all 13 games for Memphis, serving as one of the team's two team captains for each game ... Caught 25 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns on the year, moving to a tie for seventh on the Memphis career list for touchdowns (14) .... The 14 career touchdowns is the most for a tight end in Memphis history ... Caught a season-high six passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in the upset of #12 Ole Miss ... Had a season-long catch of 38 yards in the game at Houston, scoring one touchdown in the road game ... Continued to play on special teams as a senior ... Recognized by the coaching staff as a Top Tiger after his senior season and was named one of two recipients of the True Tiger Award.
 2014 (Junior): Co-leader on American Athletic Conference championship team with four touchdown receptions, finishing the year with 28 catches for 373 yards … Accounted for two of the three-longest pass plays of the year for the Tigers … Played in all 13 games and performance during the 2014 season led to being named to the American Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team as selected by the league’s coaches …. Blocked for a Memphis offense which accounted for 5,552 total yards of offense (427.1 yards per game) … Memphis’ offense accounted for 5,000+ yards for the first time since 2008 and had the most total yards and best per game average since 2007 … The Tigers averaged 190.5 yards rushing (2,476 yards) and 236.6 yards passing (3,076 passing yards) during the season … Memphis produced 300+ yards of offense in every win including 400+ yards seven times and 500+ yards three times … Memphis’ offense accounted for 54 touchdowns, part of a school-record 58-touchdown season … Blocked for a team which shattered the school, season scoring record with 471 points which broke the old mark of 430 points (2004) … Blocked for an offense which ranked third nationally in the Red Zone, converting on 93 percent of its trips inside opponents’ 20-yard line (56-of-60.
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Began the year by catching four passes for 48 yards in the Tigers’ 63-0 shutout of Austin Peay … Caught a nine-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to establish a new career receiving record for tight ends … At the point in his career, had eight touchdown receptions passing Billy Kendall (1997-2000) for the all-time lead … Had two receptions for 57 yards, scoring on both catches for the Tigers in a 36-17 win over Middle Tennessee … Capped Memphis’ opening series with a seven-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Paxton Lynch … In the fourth quarter, caught a career-long, 50-yard pass for a touchdown and extend the Tigers’ lead to 29-10 … Two touchdown game marked second time to have multiple TD receptions in a game, the first coming against Southern Miss freshman year … Equaled a career high with four receptions for 38 yards against Houston … Only career rushing play came against SMU, scoring on a one-yard run that gave Memphis a 21-0, second-quarter lead … Also had two catches for 28 yards against the Mustangs as Memphis began a seven-game winning streak … Caught three passes for 35 yards including a long 18-yarder in which he leaped a defender … Against Temple, had two receptions for just four yards but plays were following by scoring plays in the defensive battle as the Tigers became bowl eligible for the first time since 2008 … Among two receptions for 21 yards against USF, had an 18-yard catch late in the first half to set up a Tiger touchdown which put Memphis out in front, 14-3 … In the Tigers’ Miami Beach Bowl victory, had three catches for a career-high receiving 69 yards … Had a 47-yard catch in the first quarter of the bowl game and caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter which put the Tigers out in front 38-28.
2013 (Sophomore):Â From tight end position, caught 14 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns during sophomore year ... Had at least one reception in eight games during the year, including the first four contests of the season ... Had touchdown receptions in back-to-back games against Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State ... His one-yard touchdown reception with 13:38 to play gave the Tigers a 15-14 lead at Middle Tennessee ... A six-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter of the Arkansas State game gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead en route to a 31-7 victory ... Had three receptions for 19 yards against A-State ... Caught a 26-yard pass to set up a scoring run on the Tigers' first drive of the UCF game ... Had a season high three receptions for 31 yards against Cincinnati ... A 16-yard reception in the Cincinnati game was part of a 70-yard scoring drive which cut a Bearcat lead to 21-14 in the third quarter ... Had a 25-yard catch in the Temple game.
2012 (Redshirt Freshman):Â Played in all 12 games, starting 10 as a redshirt freshman ... Led the Tigers in receiving touchdowns with five including three in the last two games of the season ... Ranked third on the team with 23 receptions for 301 receiving yards ... Will begin his sophomore season in 2013 with a streak of five straight, multiple-reception games ... Had two solo tackles as a member of Memphis' special teams units ... Started the Tigers' season opener against UT Martin and caught his first career pass in the game for a 36-yard pickup ... On the road at Arkansas State had three receptions for 31 yards, catching an 18-yard touchdown pass to culminate the Tigers' first drive of the game ... In Memphis' conference opener against Rice had three catches for 35 yards ... Scored the game-winning touchdown against Rice with an 11-yard reception late in the third quarter to account for the final score, 14-10 ... On Memphis' first scoring drive of the third quarter to cut Rice's lead to 10-7, had a 21-yard reception to advance the ball into the Red Zone (19-yard line) ... Caught two passes for 35 yards including a 24-yarder against SMU ... During the Tigers' three-game, conference win streak to end the season had eight receptions for 131 yards ... Caught two passes for 46 yards against Tulane ... Caught a 19-yard pass on fourth-and-one to extend an eventual touchdown drive in the fourth quarter against the Green Wave ... In the Battle for the Bones at UAB, caught three passes for 36 yards including a 25-yard touchdown reception to put the Tigers out in front 21-0 in the first quarter ... Finished the season with his first multiple-touchdown game, catching three passes for 49 yards and two scores against Southern Miss ... Had a one-yard touchdown reception against Southern Miss to put the Tigers up 14-3 in the second quarter and also hauled in a 38-yard scoring strike in the third quarter.
2011 (Freshman):Â Joined the Tigers in 2011 fall camp ... Did not see game action.
Millington High School:Â Earned four varsity letters as a linebacker, tight end and long snapper for Coach Chris Michael at Millington High School ... Received all-region honors on both offense and defense in his career ... Garnered All-District 14-3A recognition as a tight end in 2010 ... Earned First Citizens National Bank Player of the Week honors in 2009 after tallying four solo tackles, six assisted tackles and two sacks ... Selected to participate in the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game following his senior campaign ... Also competed on the Trojans' baseball and basketball teams.
Personal: Son of Brad Cross ... Born May 2, 1993 in Memphis, Tenn. ... Graduated in May, 2015, with a degree in Chemistry … Currently pursuing a Master’s in Sports Commerce.
