By Amanda Foust
Retired NFL player Doug Crusan continues to actively tackle life off the field.
Life brought him to Fishers after all the accomplishments of his football career, but as Crusan said, “Football is a lead that opened up everything else.”
Through the game, Crusan has been able to relate his experiences and open doors to important conversations.
“Football is a condensed version of life,” he said. “Much is done in a short amount of time. Decisions have to be made and lessons are learned.”
Born in Pennsylvania in 1946, he began his football journey before it brought him to Indiana for the first time in 1964. He played for Indiana University prior to being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1968. Playing at left tackle for the Dolphins’ offensive line, Crusan played on the 1972 team — the only group in NFL history to win the Super Bowl with an undefeated 17-0 season. He played in three consecutive Super Bowls — VI, VII and VIII — with the Dolphins winning Super Bowl VII to cap their perfect season and again in Super Bowl VIII.
“The perfect season was, in a word, perfect,” he said.
While Crusan has been a part of many honorable events and initiatives — such as meeting President Barack Obama in 2013 with his 1972 teammates, as well as his involvement in The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, which has raised millions of dollars to combat spinal cord injuries — he’s most eager to discuss his influence locally.
Now back in Indiana, Crusan has been happily living in Fishers for 13 years.
“We have watched Fishers grow into a flourishing city,” he said.
Crusan prides himself on being involved in the community, as he values giving back through sharing everything he’s learned on and off the field.
“I speak of football, but, through football you can really share life stories, struggles and successes that you go through,” Crusan said.
Crusan uses his influence to serve those around him through speaking engagements at schools, numerous youth sports organizations and his church.
“My dad has always given back to the community since before I can remember,” his daughter, Kelly Crusan-Painter, said. “He has taught me to give back, and my whole professional career has been revolved around that.”
Today, Crusan’s involvement in Carmel’s Entry Point Church has become one of his top focuses and method for giving back. Football and faith are both important to the former NFL player. He found his faith alongside his wife Diane in 2003, when she said, “We ought to give it a try.”
“Since my retirement, this church has become my business, and my job is to help others find their way to it,” Crusan said.
Entry Point was formed two years ago as an interfaith church offering creativity and innovation in music, film and prayer. It meets in Midwest Academy and centers around loving others, forming connections and sharing stories.
“We are open and accepting to all,” Crusan said, “We meet people where they are in their spiritual journey with no dogma and no guilt.”
His church focuses on relationships similarly to how football focuses on teamwork. In football, there are times where players fall from getting blocked or tackled, but they get back up again. This team effort transfers over into all aspects of life.
“It’s important not to get hung up on the moment. You have to get off the ground and get back together quickly,” he said, “Our team at Entry Point only functions well when everyone is performing their assignments — much like a football team.”
Crusan plans to continue serving around Fishers in the community, and above all he holds tight to segueing from football to his faith.
“Faith to me is the opposite of doubt. It is a belief in something where there is no real tangible proof,” he said, “It consists of trust, confidence, relying on something greater than ourselves and, to me, that is God.”
Doug Crusan Career Highlights
• Second-Team All-American at Indiana University in 1967, when he helped lead Hoosiers to a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth
• IU team captain in 1967, the only season in which he played defensive tackle — totaling 76 tackles, including three tackles for loss, two passes broken up and three fumble recoveries
• Selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 27th pick in the first round of the 1968 NFL and AFL draft
• Played in 82 games at offensive tackle for the Dolphins from 1968 to 1974, including Super Bowls VI, VII and VIII
• Won Super Bowl VII — capping NFL’s only perfect season — and Super Bowl VIII
