F.G. CROFFORD - INDUCTEE #87
hall of fame fast fact:
Basketball was F.G. Crofford's claim to fame, but did you know he coached a football player who gained national recognition? Denton Fox, whom Crofford coached from the seventh-grade on in Claude, was an all-America defensive back at Texas Tech in 1969 and a third-round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys.
F.G. Crofford
F.G. Crofford served two years in the Army and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Purple Heart Cluster for his service.
Before the war, the Lelia Lake graduate attended Clarendon College; he finished his undergraduate work at West Texas State College in 1951.
Crofford started his coaching career with six-man football at Sunray, but soon moved into basketball. He made stops at Whiteface, Pettit, Claude, Friona, Gruver, and Spearman. Nine of his teams reached playoffs.
Crofford’s best success was at Claude; he guided the Claude girls basketball team to five state tournament appearances in a row, including his 1960 team that rang up a 40-3 record. His 1962 girls team won the Class B (now 1A) state title. His basketball teams compiled a 721-326 record. In 32 seasons, only one of his teams finished with a losing record.
Crofford retired as an avid golfer.
