GREEN BAY – Mason Crosby, at age 37, is much a different kicker than the 22-year-old All-American the Packers drafted in the sixth round out of Colorado in 2007.
The more years Crosby adds to his resume, the smarter he gets about his training, understanding more doesn’t always mean better when it comes to offseason preparation.
A detailed nutrition plan and thoughtful approach to weightlifting have allowed Green Bay’s all-time leading scorer to stand the test of time by a wide margin. His 241 consecutive regular-season games played represents the longest active streak in the NFL by nearly six full seasons.
Only one Packers player (Brett Favre) has played more games (255) than Crosby. Only one NFL kicker (Morten Anderson) has played in more consecutive games (248).
This year, the 6-foot-1, 207-pound kicker looks to become just the fourth player in Green Bay history to play 16 seasons – joining teammate Aaron Rodgers, Favre, Bart Starr and the great Ray Nitschke.
Crosby hasn’t gotten here by accident. There’s been a lot of time, thought and inquiries invested into his process.
“I’ve talked to guys like Matt Bryant and Adam Vinatieri,” Crosby said. “Just off-the-cuff conversations, asking how they do it. It’s just being very disciplined on your wellness and the nutrition side of things and, obviously, with the weight room stuff. Don’t lax on trying to stay in shape and keep pushing it with these guys.”
Vinatieri and Bryant were two shining examples of longevity. Bryant played 18 years before hanging up the cleats in 2019, while Vinatieri’s Hall of Fame run lasted 24 seasons. He retired last year as the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points.
Crosby is in a league of his own in terms of durability. Only one active kicker (Baltimore’s Justin Tucker) is even within 100 games of Crosby’s consecutive games played streak.
Crosby has endured all the highs and lows that come with being an NFL kicker to put himself in that rarefied air. He responded from a tumultuous…
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