2026 TCU Countdown to Kickoff: 38 Days Until Horned Frog Football

TCU football is moving closer to its 2026 season opener against North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 29. As the Countdown to Kickoff continues, we'll highlight a former Horned Frog whose jersey number coincided with the number of days remaining until the opener. At No. 38 is former TCU fullback/linebacker Tommy Joe Crutcher!

Crutcher played both ways for the Horned Frogs and lettered from 1961-63. On offense, he carried the ball 362 times for 1,583 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 19 catches for 232 yards over 30 games played. In 1961, Crutcher played a part in TCU's upset of No. 1 Texas, a 6-0 win for the Horned Frogs. He was named an All-Southwest Conference player and an All-American after his 1963 season.

In 1964, the Green Bay Packers selected Crutcher in the third round of the NFL Draft. He helped the Packers win three straight NFL titles, two of which were Super Bowls. He was traded to the New York Giants and started there for two years before being traded again, this time to the Los Angeles Rams. He retired from the NFL in 1972. In 1995, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram selected Crutcher to its all-time TCU team as a linebacker.

Crutcher, a member of the 1981 TCU Athletic Hall of Fame class and the 2017 Texas High School Football Hall of Fame class, passed away at 60 years old in 2002. Crutcher played high school football at McKinney, where he ran for 1,070 yards in 13 games and led the Lions to the 1958 Class 3A semifinals. He earned Class 3A All-State and All-American honors after rushing for 850 yards during the 1959 season.

Crutcher played in 108 NFL games and made 33 starts. He made three interceptions and one sack in his career.