2024 Interview with Super Bowl winner Randy Cross from the San Francisco 49ers

 

Name: Randy Cross

Pro Team SF 49ers

College Team: UCLA

High School Crespi Carmelite

First, thank you for giving me the time.

I will go back to when you played high school football. What is the fondest memory you have of those days?

I enjoyed playing defense and being able to dominate my side. In high school, I didn’t much care for playing offense.

What made you choose UCLA?

I grew up a fan.

Besides UCLA, what other schools recruited you?

USC, Nebraska, Alabama, Texas, and Notre Dame

What was the game you remember the most from your time at UCLA, and then the game that you wish you could forget?

Beating #1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Losing to USC my sophomore year

Who were some of the best players you played with and against in college?

Mark Harmon, John Sciarra, Wally Henry, Wendell Tyler, James McCallister, Kermit Johnson, Fulton Kuykendal, Jimmy Allen, Cliff Frazier, Manu Tuiasosopo, Jerry Robinson, Gary Jeter, Chuck Muncie, and Dave Pear

Growing up in Ohio long before cable, the USC/UCLA game was always on TV. What are your fondest memories from those games?

Obviously, the wins were the highlights, led by the 65+75 games.

You were the 42nd player taken in the draft (2nd round). What were your emotions like on that day, waiting to have your name called?

Apprehensive and excited

How nervous were you at the first practice being surrounded by guys like Jim Plunkett, Gene Washington, and all of the other veterans?

Pretty excited, actually. Then we went out to practice to face one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Gold Rush.

What was it like to start 10 games during that rookie year?

It was. An honor

When you made the move from center to guard, how tough was that, along with why the move was made?

Bill Walsh wanted to run an offense featuring pulling guards, and I could run. It was a compliment I intended on following through on.

1982 Super Bowl Champions: As a Cowboys lifetime fan, I still cringe every time I see "THE CATCH." What do you remember about that play?

How high Dwight jumped, and then the utter bedlam that followed.

What was the feeling heading into the Super Bowl? How confident were you and the team heading into that game?

It was truly just the next game and challenge.

Who was the better team that year? The Cowboys or the Bengals?

Probably the Cowboys

How hard was it to decide you were retiring for the NFL?

It was hard, but I had always told myself the last thing I’d do was just hold on to squeeze out 1-2 more years. Plus, it gave me the chance to go out on top.

Can you tell the fans what you have done since leaving the game?

I’ve been doing TV and radio since 1989, the first 20 years of the NFL, and since then, CFB.