Troy Craft (1987) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Troy Craft

Induction:
1987

Troy Craft was an outstanding two-way end for Southern Miss during his brilliant career that lasted from 1964 through the 1966 seasons. He had great talents and skills that allowed him to make contributions to the team’s success on both offense and defense, but it was his great leadership skills that enabled him to be such a key factor in the team’s success during his tenure.
   When people look back at the career of Troy Craft they look back at a special type of player. He wasn’t the type of player that could overwhelm you with his physical talents, although his were plentiful. But he instead was the type of player that would overwhelm you with a combination of his physical talents and his intelligence, his knowledge of the game.
   Talk with the coaches that he played under during his career and they will tell you about a guy who was almost like a coach on the field, who seemed to know by instinct what it was the coaches wanted to do in certain situations. Because of that skill he was able to communicate that to his teammates and was a big reason why the teams he played on were so successful.
   Craft came to Southern Miss from Biloxi, Mississippi and began his career seeing action primarily on offense and the special teams.
   In 1964 Craft began his career by making four pass receptions for 67 yards (16.8 average) and showed many times that he could not only make the big catch, but also that he had no fear about going across the middle and making a catch with the defense bearing down on him. His blocking from that end position was also exceptional and had a hand in leading the team to a 6-3 record.
   As a sophomore in 1965 he would continue to see action on offense and with the special teams, but his performance moved him into the starting lineup. He finished third on the team in receiving that season with six catches for 102 yards (17.0 average) and his blocking again was one of the reasons that the Southern Miss running attack was so successful. That 1965 team would finish the year with a 7-2 record.
   Craft was switched to defensive end for his senior year in 1966 and teamed with Tommy Roussel to give Southern Miss as good a duo at that position as just about anyone in the country. He would spearhead that year a Southern Miss defense that would rank No. 1 in the country in total defense by allowing only 163.7 yards a game. That team also allowed only 10.3 points a game, good for 16th in the country. The steady pressure of Craft on the opponent’s passer forced the other teams to complete only 88 of 226 passes that year.
   Craft helped lead that 1966 team to a 6-4 record and the three teams he played on recorded a 19-9 record.
   He enthusiasm for the game, his talents and intelligence and the way he lead the team on and off the field earned Craft a spot in the Southern Miss Sports Hall of Fame.