Age: 24
3rd
season in pro football & with Browns
College: Kent
State
Height: 6’1” Weight: 192
Prelude:
Cribbs played
quarterback in college and twice both rushed and passed for over a thousand
yards in a season. He went undrafted in 2005 and signed as a free agent with
the Browns. Converted to wide receiver, Cribbs primarily returned kickoffs as a
rookie, averaging 24.3 yards on 45 returns and scoring one touchdown. He averaged
24.5 yards and scored another TD in ’06, also catching 10 passes on offense.
What he lacked in exceptional speed he made up for in sound running instincts.
Having returned just seven punts in his first two years, Cribbs added that
responsibility in 2007.
2007 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 59 [4, tied with Chris Carr & Glenn Holt]
Yards – 1809
[1]
Most yards,
game – 245 (on 7 ret.) at Baltimore 11/18
Average per
return – 30.7 [1]
TDs – 2 [3,
tied with Devin Hester]
Longest
return – 100 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 30 [12, tied with Adam Jennings, Ryne Robinson
& Jacoby Jones]
Yards – 405 [4]
Most yards,
game – 135 (on 4 ret.) vs. San Francisco 12/30
Average per
return – 13.5 [4]
TDs – 1 [2,
tied with 12 others]
Longest
return – 76 yards
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 3
Yards – 37
Average gain
– 12.3
TDs – 0
Rushing
Attempts – 9
Yards – 61
Average gain
– 6.8
TDs – 0
All-purpose
yards – 2312 [1]
Scoring
TDs – 3
Points – 18
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: Sporting News
2nd
team All-NFL: AP
Pro Bowl
Browns went 10-6
to finish second in the AFC North.
Aftermath:
Cribbs
followed up in 2008 by averaging 25.2 yards on 44 kickoff returns with one TD
and 8.1 yards returning 28 punts, and also led the club in tackles on special
teams. In ’09, he received first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors after
averaging 27.5 yards on 56 kickoff returns, three of which he returned for
touchdowns, and 11.9 yards on 38 punt returns that also included a TD. While
used more at wide receiver, the results were less impressive, although he ran
the ball 55 times for 381 yards (6.9 avg.) and a score. In 2010, for the first
time in his career Cribbs failed to return a kick for a touchdown and had a
down year overall but had a stronger season in 2011 that included a punt return
TD as well as his best pass receiving season, with 41 catches for 518 yards
(12.6 avg.) and four touchdowns. He averaged 27.4 yards on kickoff returns and
12.0 running back punts in 2012 and received Pro Bowl recognition but was
released by the Browns in the offseason and signed with Oakland. The Raiders
cut him during the 2013 preseason and he caught on with the New York Jets, but
his season was cut short by a shoulder injury. He appeared in six games with
the Colts in 2014. Overall, Cribbs returned 426 kickoffs for a 26.1-yard
average and NFL career-high eight touchdowns (along with Leon Washington) and
222 punts for an average of 10.7 yards and three TDs. 387 of his kickoff
returns, for a 25.9-yard average, and 195 punt returns, for an 11.0 average,
came with the Browns, as did all of his touchdowns on returns. Cribbs also
caught 110 passes for 1175 yards and seven TDs and rushed for 808 yards. He
received consensus first-team All-NFL honors once and was named to the Pro Bowl
three times.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
