Willis Crenshaw
| No. 33 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | July 16, 1941 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | October 20, 2025 (aged 84) | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Soldan (St. Louis) | ||||||||||||
| College | Kansas State (1959-1963) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1963: 9th round, 114th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| AFL draft | 1963: 26th round, 204th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Willis Clarence Crenshaw Jr.[1] (July 16, 1941 – October 20, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1970. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats.[2]
High school and college career
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 16, 1941,[2] Crenshaw played for Soldan High School and Kansas State University, where he started out at wide receiver and was a star player;[3][4] played in the 1963 College All Star Football Game.[5] In high school, his main sport was pole vaulting, with a personal best of 13 feet 2 inches (4.01 m); he started out with a double scholarship at Kansas State, where he recalled being one of approximately 50 Black students, before focusing on football after weight training.[5]
Professional career
St Louis Cardinals
Crenshaw was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round in 1963 NFL draft.[6] In 1968, he led the team in rushing with 813 yds and touchdowns (7).[3]
Denver Broncos
In 1970, he was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a third-round draft pick; he played one season,[5][7][8] although he was listed for the 1971 season.[9]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1964 | STL | 14 | 3 | 60 | 297 | 5.0 | 49 | 1 | 8 | 58 | 7.3 | 19 | 0 |
| 1965 | STL | 14 | 10 | 127 | 437 | 3.4 | 27 | 0 | 23 | 232 | 10.1 | 78 | 1 |
| 1966 | STL | 14 | 7 | 94 | 360 | 3.8 | 33 | 0 | 15 | 46 | 3.1 | 19 | 0 |
| 1967 | STL | 14 | 1 | 44 | 149 | 3.4 | 23 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 5.0 | 12 | 0 |
| 1968 | STL | 14 | 14 | 203 | 813 | 4.0 | 66 | 6 | 23 | 232 | 10.1 | 42 | 1 |
| 1969 | STL | 14 | 5 | 55 | 172 | 3.1 | 26 | 3 | 11 | 94 | 8.5 | 31 | 0 |
| 1970 | DEN | 12 | 12 | 69 | 200 | 2.9 | 25 | 5 | 18 | 105 | 5.8 | 35 | 1 |
| 96 | 52 | 652 | 2,428 | 3.7 | 66 | 15 | 104 | 797 | 7.7 | 78 | 3 | ||
Later life and death
Crenshaw later worked selling life insurance, for Monsanto, and as a financial planner.[5] He died on October 20, 2025, at the age of 84.[1]
References
- 1 2 "Willis Clarence Crenshaw Jr". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- 1 2 "Willis Crenshaw" at Pro Football Reference.com.
- 1 2 "The Top 100 St. Louis Football Cardinals (90-81): 88. Willis Crenshaw (RB)", The Big Red Zone, August 14, 2019.
- ↑ "Willis Crenshaw", College Football at Sports Reference.com.
- 1 2 3 4 "Crenshaw Defies Odds to Reach NFL", Kansas State University Athletics, September 3, 2013.
- ↑ "1963 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Brian Shrout, "Do The Broncos Shuffle: Draft Related Trades During Denver's First Two Decades", Mile High Report, April 18, 2011.
- ↑ CaptainKirk, "Denver Broncos Greats... By The Numbers: #33", Mile High Report, April 21, 2011.
- ↑ 1971 Denver Broncos media guide, p. 16.
External links
- Willis Crenshaw at John Troan's Pro Players database, updated April 21, 2018.