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| Mart Crowley (American football) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mart Crowley |
| Birth date | 1949 |
| Birth place | San Antonio, Texas |
| Position | Defensive back |
| College | University of Texas at El Paso |
| Drafted | 1972 NFL Draft |
| Pastteams | Dallas Cowboys; San Antonio Wings; BC Lions |
Mart Crowley (American football) was an American professional defensive back who played in the National Football League, World Football League, and Canadian Football League during the 1970s. Known for his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys and his college career at University of Texas at El Paso, Crowley competed in an era that included players from Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Oakland Raiders. His career intersected with coaches and figures such as Tom Landry, Don Coryell, and Bud Grant.
Mart Crowley was born in San Antonio, Texas, and attended Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas), where he played football under coaches who scouted talent for programs like University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. As a standout in high school competition against teams from Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Crowley gained regional recognition that attracted offers from Southern Methodist University, Baylor University, and Texas Christian University. His performance in state championship play drew attention from scouts associated with the National Football League and the emerging World Football League.
Crowley played collegiate football at University of Texas at El Paso, where he was part of the program coached by Bobby Dobbs and later contested games against rivals such as New Mexico State University, Arizona State University, and University of Wyoming. At UTEP he developed under defensive coordinators who implemented schemes similar to those used by Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Nebraska Cornhuskers during the same era. He earned conference recognition in the Western Athletic Conference and drew draft interest from franchises including the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers.
Crowley entered professional football during the early 1970s and was associated with the Dallas Cowboys organization, where he was evaluated by head coach Tom Landry and special teams coordinators familiar with personnel from Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams. He later played for the San Antonio Wings of the World Football League, competing against teams like the Birmingham Vulcans and Florida Blazers. Crowley's career also included a stint in the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions, where he faced opponents from Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Eskimos. His transitions between the NFL, WFL, and CFL reflected broader player movement patterns involving athletes such as Joe Namath, Roman Gabriel, and O. J. Simpson.
A defensive back noted for his versatility, Crowley combined cover skills reminiscent of contemporaries like Mel Renfro and Lester Hayes with tackling technique associated with players from Pittsburgh Steelers defensive traditions. Scouts compared his agility to athletes developed at University of Southern California and University of Florida, and his special teams contribution echoed the roles of return specialists from University of Alabama and Ohio State University. Statistical records from league archives show Crowley registered interceptions, pass deflections, and special teams tackles across seasons in NFL preseason play, WFL regular season competition, and CFL appearances, matching trends seen among defensive backs who transitioned between American and Canadian playstyles.
Off the field, Crowley maintained ties to San Antonio and supported local programs affiliated with University of Texas at San Antonio and youth initiatives coordinated with organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America and regional athletic commissions. His career is cited in retrospectives about cross-border player movement involving leagues such as the World Football League and the Canadian Football League, and historians have referenced his experience alongside figures like Warren Moon and CFL Hall of Fame inductees when examining American players in Canada. Crowley's legacy informs studies of 1970s professional football transitions between franchises like the Dallas Cowboys, leagues such as the World Football League, and the broader landscape that included the NFL Players Association and televised broadcasts on networks like CBS Sports.
Category:1949 births Category:American football defensive backs Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:BC Lions players Category:University of Texas at El Paso alumni