View source for Mike Croel

{{Short description|American football player (born 1969)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Mike Croel
| number      = 88, 51, 90
| position    = [[Linebacker]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1969|6|6}}
| birth_place = [[Detroit, Michigan]], U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 3
| weight_lb   = 241
| high_school = [[Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School|Lincoln-Sudbury (MA)]]
| college     = [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]]
| draftyear   = 1991
| draftround  = 1
| draftpick   = 4
| pastteams   =
* [[Denver Broncos]] ({{NFL Year|1991|1994}})
* [[New York Giants]] ({{NFL Year|1995}})
* [[Baltimore Ravens]] ({{NFL Year|1996}})
* [[Atlanta Falcons]] ({{NFL Year|1997}})*
* [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]] ({{NFLE Year|1998}})
* [[Seattle Seahawks]] ({{NFL Year|1998}})
* [[Los Angeles Xtreme]] (2001)
| highlights  =
* [[NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year]] (1991)
* [[PFWA All-Rookie Team]] ([[PFWA All-Rookie Team#1991|1991]])
* Second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1990 College Football All-America Team|1990]])
* First-team All-[[Big Eight Conference|Big Eight]] ([[1990 All-Big Eight Conference football team|1990]])
* Second-team All-Big Eight ([[1989 All-Big Eight Conference football team|1989]])
| statlabel1  = Total [[Tackle (football move)#Gridiron football|tackle]]s
| statvalue1  = 448
| statlabel2  = [[Quarterback sack|Sack]]s
| statvalue2  = 24.0
| statlabel3  = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue3  = 2
| statlabel4  = [[Touchdown]]s
| statvalue4  = 1
| pfr         = CroeMi20 
}}

'''Michael Croel''' (born June 6, 1969) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[linebacker]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) and [[XFL (2001)|XFL]].

==Career==
In a seven-year NFL career, he played for the [[Denver Broncos]], [[New York Giants]], [[Baltimore Ravens]] and [[Seattle Seahawks]] of the NFL and the [[Los Angeles Xtreme]] of the XFL. Croel attended [[Los Altos High School (Los Altos, California)]] and  [[Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School]], he played [[college football]] at the [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln]]. In 2003, he was inducted in their Football Hall of fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/mike-croel/12548|title=Mike Croel - 1990 - Football|website=[[University of Nebraska–Lincoln]]}}</ref>

Croel was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the [[1991 NFL draft]] with the fourth overall pick.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1991/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1991, he was chosen as the [[NFL Rookie of the Year Award|NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year]] and the UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 Awards Voting |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/awards_1991.htm |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In that same rookie year, Croel recorded ten sacks, his single-season high. In 101 career games, Croel scored one touchdown, recorded 24 sacks, two interceptions and 38 yards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mike Croel Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CroeMi20.htm |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{1991 NFL Draft}}
{{BroncosFirstPick}}
{{Broncos1991DraftPicks}}
{{AP Defensive Rookies of the Year}}
{{1996 Baltimore Ravens}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croel, Mike}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football linebackers]]
[[Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players]]
[[Category:NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos players]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]
[[Category:Baltimore Ravens players]]
[[Category:Seattle Seahawks players]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]


{{linebacker-1960s-stub}}