20 years after winning the Southland Conference football championship, Northwestern State University is honoring member of the 1997 team, including Rhett Crosby, who is also an alumnus of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.

Crosby and his teammates were introduced on the field at NSU’s Homecoming on October 21, 2017, recognizing their 6-1 conference championship-winning record and a season that ended with a first-round playoff loss at Eastern Washington.

Their final home game of the 1997 season provided one of the finest hours in the school’s sports annals, said NSU Sports Information Director and fellow Beta Omicron Chapter alumnus Doug Ireland. The Demons whipped nationally-ranked rival Stephen F. Austin State University 38-24.

A mob of NSU fans tore down the goalpost at Turpin Stadium following the final home game of the 1997 season. (Photo courtesy: NSU Sports Information)

“After a crowd over 10,000 roared its approval, a throng estimated at 2,000 swarmed the field, yanking down the south goalposts for the first time in Turpin Stadium history,” Ireland wrote in a news release. “The crossbar was eventually paraded out of the stadium by students, who carried it downtown and across Cane River to a popular nightspot.”

Crosby played at tackle for the Demons under legendary Head Coach Sam Goodwin. After helping the team win another championship the following year, he graduated from NSU in 1999 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Rhett Crosby (pictured in tan-colored coat) rides in the NSU Homecoming parade with his 1997 Southland football champion teammates.

Today, Crosby lives in Phoenix and is a sales executive with First Health Network, one of the nation’s largest PPO networks. He has also been featured in films and commercials as an actor, producer, writer, and voice talent.

Participating in the Homecoming reunion was an especially memorable experience for Crosby’s wife and children, as it was their first time visiting the NSU campus.

“I had such a great time reconnecting with my former coaches, teachers, faculty, fellow students and players,” he said. “It was fun being interviewed, riding in the parade, meeting the current players. What an exciting event!”