One of the newest members of the Towson University Athletic Hall of Fame, Dan Crowley has returned to his alma mater in the role of Director of Development, Team Support. He joined the program in mid-February of 2011 to lead all sport-specific fundraising initiatives along with a new letterwinners organization.
A four-year starter for the Tiger football team, Dan played for the Tigers from 1991 to 1994. He graduated with virtually every school passing record. In his career, he completed 617 of 1,169 passes, setting records in both categories. He also set school records with 81 touchdown passes and 8,900 passing yards. He also established a school record with 8,803 yards of total offense.
A starter in 35 of 40 career games, the Bowie, Md. native had a 22-13 record as a starter as he led the Tigers through a dramatic turnaround. During his freshman year, the Tigers were 1-10. They improved to 5-5 in his sophomore season. In his final two years, Dan guided the Tigers to consecutive 8-2 records as the Tigers were nationally-ranked at the NCAA Division I-AA level for the first time.
An All-State performer at DeMatha High School, Dan became the Tigers' starting quarterback midway through his freshman season. He threw for 1,783 yards and 16 touchdowns and guided the Tigers to their only win of the year, a late-season victory over Howard.
During his sophomore year, Dan led the Tigers to a 5-5 record, a mark that included dramatic wins over Indiana (Pa.) and Northeastern. At IUP, Dan directed a stunning comeback that saw the Tigers overcome a 33-13 deficit with 5:34 remaining in the fourth quarter to pull out a 35-33 victory. The following week, he threw a dramatic ten-yard touchdown pass to Mark Orlando on the final play of the game as Towson edged Northeastern, 32-30. As a sophomore, Dan passed for 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns.
As a junior, Dan passed for 1,882 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions in 217 attempts. The Tigers, who ended the season as the 24th-ranked team in NCAA Division I-AA, nearly qualified for the I-AA playoffs after impressive wins over Connecticut and Delaware. Towson finished the season with an 8-2 record and Dan was named as the Tigers' Offensive Player of the Year.
Dan enjoyed his finest season as a senior in 1994. One of the co-captains, he earned honorable mention All-American honors for the second time after passing for a school record 2,913 yards while throwing a record 28 touchdown passes. In a win over Charleston Southern, he set a school record by throwing five touchdown passes in one game.
The winner of the Doc Minnegan Award as the Tigers' Most Valuable Player in 1994, Dan was the 7th-rated passer in NCAA Division I-AA. He was also named as Towson's Male Athlete of the Year.
Signed as a free agent by the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League, Dan was a member of the only American team to win the Grey Cup when he helped the Stallions defeated Calgary for the 1995 title.
Dan enjoyed a productive eight-year career in the CFL while playing for four different teams, including the Stallions, the Montreal Alouettes, the Edmonton Eskimos and the Ottawa Rough Riders. He also played for the Bergamo Lions in the Italian Football Federation for two years. He led the Lions to consecutive championships in 1998 and 1999 and was the championship game MVP twice.
A 2001 graduate of Towson who earned his B.S. degree in Kinesiology, Dan was very active in community service work during his years in the CFL. He made regular trips to hospitals to visit young cancer patients. In addition, he participated in the CFL's reading program which involved regular trips to elementary schools.
