A few weeks ago, the UNA football nation’s excitement level reached an all-time high when Bobby Wallace was tabbed to return as head coach of the Lions. That excitement continued to build when Wallace named former Lions’ quarterback Cody Gross as his new offensive coordinator.

Cody Gross is one of the most recognizable names in UNA football history. And there’s certainly no doubt he’s one of the Lions’ all-time favorite players. And rightly so. During his career, he set records that may never be broken. Gross was recruited out of Lauderdale County high school as an option quarterback.

When Gross’ fouryear career at UNA was completed, his statistics had raised the bar to an unparalleled level. He was 41-2 as a starter from 1992-95, including a 12-1 record as a starter in the NCAA playoffs. He set school records at the time for career rushing touchdowns and touchdowns scored with 40, career touchdowns responsible for with 65 and career total offense with 5,614 yards.

Gross led the Lions to three consecutive Division II National Championships in 1993- 94-95, and three straight GSC titles. He was chosen All-Gulf South Conference and GSC Offensive Player of The Year in 1995. Gross was named to the 50th Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98, the Gulf South Conference “Team of The Quarter Century” and the GSC Team of the 1990s.

I remember Gross for many spectacular plays during his career. Two stand out: In one playoff game against Carson- Newman, he ran the option, kept the ball around the corner, cut back all the way across the field, made several different fancy cuts avoiding tacklers and ran down the Carson- Newman sideline all the way to the end zone. It was no doubt the longest play, time wise, I’ve ever broadcast.

It was a classic run. The other showed the skill and leadership of the left-handed quarterback. In the first National Championship game in 1993 against IUP, the score was tied 34-34 with less than a minute to play. Instead of running out the clock and playing for overtime, Gross, in his daring and swashbuckling style, completed a pass to the two-yard line, then ran over the winning touchdown with 10 seconds to play, giving the Lions their first national title.

His career is the stuff Hollywood is made of. Gross is a member of the Lauderdale County Sports Hall of Fame, the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame and the Division II Football Hall of Fame. Cody Gross was a coaches’ dream—a coach on the field. And, for one, I’m glad he’s back.

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