DT Howard Cross III
DT HOWARD CROSS III, 6-1, 265; MONTVALE (N.J.) ST. JOSEPH REGIONAL
Rivals ranking: Four stars, No. 27 SDE.
247Sports ranking: Four stars, No. 29 SDE, No. 381 overall.
Notable numbers: 76 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble as a senior.
Birthday: July 31, 2001.
First scholarship offer: Maryland.
Moment I knew I wanted to be Irish: "When I went there (in April). I had heard all these things. I just sat down, looked at the whole place and thought, 'Man, this is a great place.'"
One word to describe Brian Kelly: Great.
The one thing I won’t miss about the recruiting process: "The stress of trying to get my homework done while coaches are trying to talk to you. And just making sure you are talking to every coach. Every single day, I missed talking to at least one coach. It messed everything up."
Best player I’ve played against: N.C. State OL Joshua Fedd-Jackson.
The last thing you watched on Netflix: "American Horror Story."
Most embarrassing song on my playlist: "I listen to a lot of country music. I'm not sure if that counts." He says he listens to Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line.
Dream job (other than the NFL): "Probably being a CEO of a company."
NFL player comparison: Rams DT Aaron Donald. "He's short, fast off the ball and has everything I've got a little bit."
Expectations for my freshman season: "Nothing big, obviously. It's college, which is a different monster. Getting some playing time would be pretty cool. I wouldn't mind getting stronger, but I also wouldn't mind playing."
Favorite football accomplishment: "Winning the state championship with my team against our rival our senior year."
Under Armour, Nike or Adidas: Under Armour.
What was the first position you played in football? Tight end and offensive guard.
What’s your best sport other than football? Track.
Sports idol: J.J. Watt.
Preferred social media: Snapchat.
Favorite musician/band: Kendrick Lamar.
Celebrity crush: Rihanna.
How many times have you watched Rudy? Once. "I watched it like last week, too."
Most used emoji:
How many pets do you have? None.
