Tiny Croft

Milburn Russell "Tiny" Croft (November 7, 1920 – January 22, 1977) was an American professional football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers from 1942 to 1947. He played college football at Ripon College and the University of Alabama. Croft was selected by the Washington Redskins in the 20th round of the 1942 NFL draft. He won the 1944 NFL Championship with the Packers.

Early life and education Croft was born on November 7, 1920 in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from Steinmetz High School. Croft then began attending Ripon College. Despite his size, Croft was known to be gentle on the football field. Trying to stop this, the Ripon coaches set up a boxing match with a semi-professional boxer who punched Croft in the nose, angering him. This experience was seen as a turning point in his athletic career as he became more aggressive. Croft went on to become a three-year starter as a lineman for the Ripon Red Hawks, earning first-team All-Midwest Conference in three consecutive years. He played placekicker for the team. He also played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was the heaviest rookie in the NFL, until Ed Neal was signed by the Green Bay Packers. Croft was acquired by the Packers during his first training camp before he had a chance to play a league game for Washington. He won the 1944 NFL Championship with the Packers. Croft would go on to play for the Packers until 1947. He married Myra Ann Wasserburger, a fellow Ripon graduate and an English teacher in 1943. He was a district manager for American Motors.