Alex Kroll obit

Hall of Famer Alex Kroll Passes Away

Kroll earned consensus All-America honors in 1961 before a meteoric business career.

 

He was not on the list.

Alex Kroll, a 1997 College Football Hall of Fame inductee who starred at Rutgers from 1960-61 while also earning academic accolades as an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, passed away Dec. 17 in Charlotte, Vermont. He was 87.

Kroll also served two stints as a member of the Board of Directors, first in the 1960s and then again in the 2000s.

"Alex Kroll distinguished himself even among Hall of Famers, not only excelling at the highest levels on the football field but later in life as one of our nation's top business leaders," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "His business acumen and passion for protecting the game for future generations led him to NFF Board of Directors where he made a significant impact in helping launch numerous initiatives. We are extremely grateful for his contributions over the years, and we are deeply saddened to learn of his passing."

In 1997, Kroll became the 42nd man named to the College Football Hall of Fame after playing at more than one school. He played at Yale in 1956 and Rutgers in 1960-61. In between those seasons, he served in the U.S. Army as a member of the military police.

Alex Kroll had a banner year in 1961. He was named an consensus First Team All-America center by the Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers Association. With Kroll as captain in 1961, the Scarlet Knights went 9-0, the school's first undefeated season, landing the team a No. 15 final ranking in the Associated Press Poll. Known as a "coach on the field," he was credited with making the quarterback sneak an offensive weapon as Rutgers scored seven touchdowns on that play in 1961 with Kroll clearing the way into the endzone for the signal-caller. Overall, 1,968 of the team's 2,612 yards of total offense came on the ground.

During his two seasons in Piscataway, Kroll twice earned First Team All-ECAC honors, helping the team achieve a 17-1 record. Adding an 8-1 record for the 1956 Yale team, he played on teams with an overall 25-2 record.

Kroll was equally as impressive in the classroom, where he held an "A" average, and he was a member of national honor society Phi Beta Kappa. A Henry Rutgers Scholar, Kroll conducted research, and he wrote a thesis on the application of Einstein's space-time continuum to the modern American novel, graduating with a degree in English literature.

Drafted in the second round, Kroll played one year as a pro with the New York Titans of the American Football League, working in the offseason as a researcher at Young and Rubicam, one of the world's largest marketing and communications firms. Kroll quickly moved his way up in the company as a copywriter, becoming worldwide creative director in 1970, CEO in 1985 and chairman in 1986. He also served two terms as the head of the Ad Council.

He finally retired after a long, successful career in 1994. In 1997 Kroll, a member of the National Football Foundation Board of Directors, returned to his love of football by helping create the "Play it Smart" program, using football to improve academic performance and community service among high school players.

Kroll has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award, NCAA Silver Medal for Excellence, American Jewish Committee's National Human Relations Award and the Horatio Alger Award for outstanding Americans who exemplify dedication, purpose and perseverance in their personal and professional lives. In addition to the College Football Hall of Fame, he has been inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame and the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame.

Born on Nov. 23, 1937, Kroll attended Leechburg High School in Pennsylvania before heading to Yale. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, his daughter Alicia, his two sons, Alex and Michael, as well as his grandchildren, Zane, Stella, and Cooper.