Where Are They Now? Isiah Robertson

Isiah Robertson grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana with fanciful dreams of being a great football player. Throughout his childhood and teenage years, he exhibited immense athletic aptitude. During his high school he excelled especially in football, earned a scholarship to Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was during his collegiate football career that people began to take notice of the extraordinary talent Robertson exuded. He received multitudes of honors, including being named in both Sporting News and Time magazine’s All-American Teams, as well as being named on the AP and UPI College All-American Teams. Robertson, a linebacker, holds the longest interception record (102 yards) and had 11 interceptions in 3 years. He concluded his college career by receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing from Southern.

In 1971, Isiah was chosen as a first round draft pick for the Los Angeles Rams as an outside linebacker, in which he was the 10th player chosen overall. During his rookie year at the Rams, Robertson achieved the title of All-Pro, was named the Wheaties Rookie of the Year, the Rams Rookie of the Year, and the National Football Conference Rookie of the Year. Robertson started in 163 consecutive games, recovered 14 fumbles, made 13 playoff starts, 24 interceptions for 349 yards (avg. of 14.5 yards) and 4 touchdowns.

Robertson sustained a 12-year career that accredited him no less that a big play maker and an outstanding pass defender. Robertson appeared in 6 All-Pro games having been selected to 6 All-Pro teams. All of that, not to mention being the 5 time Linebacker of the Year.

In July of 1979, Robertson was traded to the Buffalo Bills. In 4 years, Isiah helped Coach Chuck Knox restore Buffalo from one of the worst teams in the NFL to a playoff contender. Robertson was directly involved with Special Olympics for 10 years, coached Little League baseball for 10 years, coached 8 years in the Junior All-American football, and held football camps for underprivileged children in Southern California for 6 years.

Robertson retired from the NFL in 1983. Subsequently, he opened a cellular telephone system franchise in California. As a successful business man, Robertson, among California’s wealthy and elite, became entrapped in California’s wealthy social drug scene. Robertson’s drug use escalated and spun miserably out of control.

Eventually, in the grips of full-blown drug addiction, Robertson lost his 14 homes, his family, his business, and almost his life. Through the loss of those things which he counted so precious, Robertson came to realize his own inadequacy in stopping drugs on his own and faced the fact – he was an addict.

After 3 years of hard work and rehabilitation, being delivered and restored from the pit of perilous chemical dependency, Robertson started the House of Isaiah, a long-term residential recovery program for men. Initially the House of Isaiah started as a shelter, and over the past 17 years it has become a flourishing recovery program offering a clean sober environment, spiritual growth and recovery education, and a second chance to many young men on the verge of having their lives totally consumed by chemical dependency.

For over 17 years Isiah Robertson has been proclaiming freedom from the chains of addiction through the power of spiritual transformation and learning how to live again. He has lectured all over the United States and Canada to thousands with his dynamic platform message: Run To Win!

Where Are They Now?

Vince Ferragamo

Vince Ferragamo started his collegiate career at the University of California, Berkeley in 1972, but transferred to the powerhouse Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1974. Starting out at Cal, Vince became one of only three quarterbacks from Cal and the only quarterback from Nebraska to start in a Super Bowl. At Nebraska he was coached by the legendary Tom Osborne and led the team to the Fiesta Bowl in 1975 and the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl in 1976.
 

Vince was an All American and established himself as one of Nebraska’s premier quarterbacks when he set the Husker record for most touchdown passes in a season-22. Although he came to the Huskers 7th on the depth chart he soon became a starter and led the Huskers to a 10-2 overall season and tied Oklahoma for the Big Eight Title. He achieved academic honors as an Academic All American and All Big Eight Academic. He was also a National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarship Award winner. He was one of 6 Huskers drafted in 1977.
 

Vince went to the Los Angeles Rams joining football greats Jack Youngblood and Jackie Slater. In 1979 Vince took over the starting job and led the team to SuperBowl XIV. In a game that is still talked about as one the top SuperBowl clashes, the Cinderella Rams went toe to toe with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers prevailed, but the Rams gave a great performance with Vince at the helm. Before leaving the Rams, Vince set many individual and team records including: Most Passes attempted in a season-404 in 1980, Most Passes completed in a season-274 in 1983, Most Touchdown Passes in a Season-30 in 1980 and he passed for 509 yards, completing 30 of 46 passes against the Chicago Bears in 1982.
 

Although Vince spent time with the Montreal Alouettes, Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers, his greatest years were with the Los Angeles Rams. He retired from the NFL in 1986 and began a career in Real Estate.
 

Vince now makes his home in Anaheim California where he owns and operates Touchdown Real Estate and End Zone Mortgage Companies. He remains active in football by doing color commentary for NFL preseason games and local high schools. He runs a football academy, tutoring young quarterbacks throughout the year and has hosted week long youth football camps.
 

He is a leader in the community, hosting charitable events including a celebrity golf tournament that generates funds for children’s charities. The Vince Ferragamo Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic is in its 23rd year and has benefited the Special Olympics, Speech and Language Development Center, Ronald McDonald House and many others.

Where Are They Now? Nolan Cromwell Is Where He Belongs

Nolan Cromwell accepted the assistant coaching job in charge of wide receivers with the St. Louis Rams in 2010.

Cromwell, 55, had served on Mike Sherman's staff at A&M for the last two seasons. He helped direct the growth of the A&M offense that ranked among the top 30 teams nationally in rushing, passing, scoring and total offense. Only Boise State was similarly ranked among those four statistical categories among FBS teams in 2009.

But Cromwell's real influence in the offense was lessened because Sherman had most of the play-calling responsibilities.

"I appreciate the passion, energy and work ethic Nolan Cromwell brought to us over these last two years," Sherman said. "You can also add patience, since it is not easy being an offensive coordinator under an offensive head coach."

Cromwell replaces Charlie Baggett, who left St. Louis after one season to be assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at Tennessee.

Cromwell also becomes the second A&M coordinator to resign since the end of the Aggies' 6-7 2009 season. Veteran defensive coordinator Joe Kines resigned after the Aggies' loss to Georgia in the Independence Bowl and has been replaced by former Air Force Academy defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter.

Cromwell has worked 17 seasons as an NFL assistant before joining Sherman's staff at A&M. He played with the Rams in Los Angeles and started his coaching career as a special teams assistant in 1991. He later was special teams coordinator for Green Bay from 1992-97, a wide receivers coach with the Packers in 1998 and spent nine seasons as the wide receivers coach with Seattle before coming to A&M.

"I am excited to be back with the Rams' family," Cromwell said. "I appreciate [St. Louis] Coach [Steve] Spagnuolo for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to working with the receivers on our roster and the coaching staff.This is truly a unique experience getting this opportunity with the organization I care for very deeply."

Cromwell was a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1977 after his college career in Kansas, where he was a defensive back who switched to quarterback. He played his entire 11-year NFL career with the Rams, earning Pro Bowl honors four times and finishing as the team's career leader in interception return yardage with 671 yards on 37 interceptions.