Sylvester Croom is a veteran of 20 years as an NFL coach and was named the Jaguars running backs coach on January 20, 2012. Croom has 36 years of coaching experience including five seasons as the head coach at Mississippi State.
Sylvester Croom is a veteran of 20 years as an NFL coach and was named the Jaguars running backs coach on January 20, 2012. Croom has 36 years of coaching experience including five seasons as the head coach at Mississippi State.
Croom previously served as running backs coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11. Under Croom’s guidance, Rams running back Steven Jackson registered the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL over those three seasons with 3,802. Jackson earned Pro Bowl honors in 2009 and 2010 and finished in the top 10 among NFL rushers in all three seasons under Croom, including second in 2009 with 1,416 rushing yards.
Prior to joining the Rams staff, Croom was head coach at Mississippi State from 2004-08. Croom became the first African-American head football coach in SEC history when he took over a program that had suffered three straight losing seasons and was under NCAA probation. He helped lead the Bulldogs to an 8-5 record in 2007, including a victory in the Liberty Bowl. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2007 by the Associated Press, the first time a Mississippi State coach received the AP honor since 1970.
Croom spent three seasons (2001-03) as running backs coach for the Green Bay Packers. Under Croom’s tutelage, Ahman Green was voted to three consecutive Pro Bowls and recorded three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Croom was offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 1997-2000. In his first season, Croom’s offense ranked second in the NFL and Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders led the NFL in rushing and became only the third player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing. Wide receivers Herman Moore and Johnnie Morton each had 1,000-yard receiving seasons and Moore’s 104 receptions led the NFL. The Lions became the first team in NFL history to have teammates lead the league in rushing and receiving in the same season.
The 57-year-old Croom also spent time as running backs coach for the San Diego Chargers (1992-96), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987-90) and Indianapolis Colts (1991). During his tenure with the Chargers, the club won two AFC West titles and made the playoffs three times. Running back Natrone Means set a team rushing record with 1,350 yards in 1994.
After playing the 1975 season with the New Orleans Saints, Croom returned to his alma mater, the University of Alabama, as a graduate assistant coach in 1976. He spent the next 10 seasons as an assistant coaching inside linebackers (1977-81, 1984-86) and outside linebackers (1982-83) for the Crimson Tide. In his 11 seasons with the Crimson Tide, the school played in 10 bowl games, two national championship games, and he coached four NFL first-round draft choices in E.J. Junior (1981), Mike Pitts (1983), Cornelius Bennett (1987) and Derrick Thomas (1989).
A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Croom was a three-year letterman at Alabama where he played under legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Croom joined the Crimson Tide in 1971, the year after Wilbur Jackson and John Mitchell integrated the football team. Croom started at center for the 1973 national championship team and played a major role in the Crimson Tide posting a 22-2 record in his final two seasons. During his playing career, the Crimson Tide won three SEC championships (1972-74). He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Alabama with a minor in biology and a master’s degree in educational administration. The “Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence Award” is given annually to an Alabama player at the end of spring practice.
Croom and his wife, Jeri, have one daughter, Jennifer.
COACHING BACKGROUND: Alabama 1976-86, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1987-90, Indianapolis Colts 1991, San Diego Chargers 1992-96, Detroit Lions 1997-2000, Green Bay Packers 2001-03, Mississippi State (head coach) 2004-08, St. Louis Rams 2009-11, Jacksonville Jaguars 2012.
