đ The Jayhawker Podcast | Nolan Cromwell
Episode 32: Nolan Cromwell | August 20, 2020
For a guy who was born and raised in a small town with fewer than 300 people, Nolan Cromwell sure has lived large.
The Ransom, KS native has enjoyed a football life thatâs taken him all the way to NFL stardom in Los Angeles as a player and eventually, to a Super Bowl title with Green Bay as a coach. But how did his time as Jayhawk influence it all? And how did one of the most coveted Sunflower State recruits of his time wind up wearing the Crimson and Blue?
A standout on the track and the football field, most schools saw Cromwell as a 2-sport recruit, and despite interest from all over, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Nebraska emerged as his final four. In the end, it was the personality of Don Fambrough that won the Jayhawks their two-sport star.
âWhen it all came down to it, Coach (Don) Fambrough was the guy that won me over,â explained Cromwell. âFam was just a down-home, good country boy and thatâs kind of what I needed and wanted.â
Cromwell initially started his Kansas career as a defensive back, and as freshman helped KU earn a trip to the Liberty Bowl. After two successful seasons at safety though, a head coaching change to Bud Moore led to a position switch for Cromwell.
In the spring prior to Cromwellâs junior season, Moore moved Cromwell to quarterback to use his elite athleticism to key KUâs new wishbone offense. The change put Cromwell on a path to becoming the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year and earned him the moniker, âThe Ransom Rambler.â
Cromwellâs first breakthrough came versus Oregon State in his first start. Cromwell would torch the Beavers defense for 294 rushing yards â setting a new NCAA rushing record for quarterbacks. Ironically, Oregon Stateâs defensive coordinator that day was Ken Blue â Cromwellâs position coach his freshman season at Kansas â and though he knew Cromwellâs talents well, OSU had no answer for The Rambler.
âI think they were really keyed in on Billy Canfield and Laverne Smith, so it opened up a TON of lanes for me,â recalled Cromwell. âIt didnât take a lot of athleticism to run in the holes that I was running in that day.â
With a the national QB rushing record in tow, the buzz was building about the new quarterback guiding KUâs offense. A 41-7 win a week later at Wisconsin fueled the hype even more and earned Cromwell some serious praise from NFL Hall of Famer Elroy âCrazy Legsâ Hirsch, who was the Badgers AD at the time. Hirsch told KU announcer Tom Hedrick that Cromwell was unlike any talent heâd ever seen.
âAfter that Badger football game, one of the greatest players ever to play in the NFL, Elroy Hirsch told me: âThat kid is the best option quarterback Iâve seen. Iâve seen all the kids at Oklahoma and others that I like, but that kid is the best Iâve ever seen run the option.â Now thatâs a great compliment,â relayed Hedrick.
Word continued to spread of Cromwellâs rising star status in the Big 8 as KU got set to visit an Oklahoma football team that had not lost in 28 games. The stage was set for a historic upset and Cromwell and his Jayhawk teammates delivered.
âThat was an incredible day down in Oklahoma,â described Cromwell. âI think our team felt that we could play with anybody. We had that feeling with us at that point. We werenât intimidated by them. Our defense had a tremendous game that day.â
The Jayhawk defense was awesome, indeed, forcing eight consecutive Sooner turnovers, including all seven 2nd-half possessions. That coupled with another strong performance by Cromwell, led the Jayhawks to a landmark upset.
The Jayhawks would go on to finish 7-5 that season including a loss to Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl. Along the way, Cromwell racked up 1,124 rushing yards and was named the leagueâs top offensive player. KUâs transition to the wishbone with Cromwell at QB was a smashing success.
Though his senior season would be cut short due to injury, Cromwell left his mark on the Kansas program and was just getting started with his football life. Cromwell would go on to become a Pro Bowl safety with the Los Angeles Rams, and eventually be named to the NFLâs All-Decade Team for the 1980s.
From there, heâd find success as a coach, winning Super Bowl XXXI while serving as the special teams coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
We chronicle all aspects of Cromwellâs illustrious football career and his rise from small town Kansas kid to Super Bowl Champion on this weekâs installment of The Jayhawker.