Dan Cross Biography
Born in Chicago, Illinois but raised in his hometown Carbondale Illinois the game of basketball has truly been a humbling experience for Dan Cross. At age 33, the pages of his own life are more colorful than anything found on a magazine stand. As one chapter of his life closes he has learned to embrace change in a different sort. He has focused on interests other than basketball and has now prepared himself for the 2nd half of life. He has experienced every emotion an athlete could face in his career such as success, disappointment, happiness, uncertainty, anxiety, depression, and now he feels a sense of relief.
Through his own adversities Dan formed a non profit organization called Athlete Connections. His vision is to help in the transition of the student athlete from the playing field to the workforce and connect him or her to potential employers and other networking possibilities.
Through the research and experiences of so many current and former athletes, Dan and his staff feel obligated to provide this service. There comes a point in every student athlete’s life that he or she will wonder “Now what?” Dan’s mission is to make the “Now what?” phase as rewarding and successful as the athletic phase.
He has been blessed to see the world, experience different cultures, and live in countries that probably would not be afforded to him had it not been for basketball. He has learned through the years how to appreciate his own culture and the beliefs and rights of others which Americans sometimes take for granted.
His journey began in August of 1991, when he embarked on what would be a memorable career at the University of Florida. He was able to experience the highs and lows of college basketball and can certainly attest to the fact that hard work pays off. His junior season was unforgettable and he was fortunate enough to experience one of the great highs of college basketball, the Final Four. Dan was on the first team in school history ever to advance to the Final Four. With this
accomplishment, came many individual awards including 1st team All SEC, All American honors, nomination for the John Wooden Player of the Year Award, and many more. Dan is thankful to be part of a transition that has now become a Florida Gator basketball tradition.
Since college, he has gone on to make several transitions in his life that bring him great joy. Every year he runs successful fundamental basketball campswww.allfundamentals.com in his hometown of Carbondale Illinois, Gainesville Florida and Orlando Fl.
Dan is also blessed to have been able to experience life as a professional athlete. After unsuccessful tryouts with NBA teams he went on to play in the U.S. minor leagues including the CBA, ABA, and USBL still pursuing a dream to one day play in the NBA. He also continued to play in countries such as Greece, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Cyprus, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and most recently Israel. He
received his degree in May of 2000 in Telecommunications from the University of Florida.
In April, 2006 Dan was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame. In 2007, Dan was awarded the Regions Bank Business salute which honors former student athletes from the South Eastern Conference who go on to run successful businesses. In 2008 he was recognized as Orlando Business Journals top 40 business men under 40. Dan was also honored with the SEC Basketball Legends award during SEC Tournament in Atlanta, Georgia in 2008.
For Dan, Athlete Connections brings him full circle. He wants every student athlete to realize success in whatever field they choose after their playing days are over. The best way to guarantee that success is to diligently prepare for that eventuality with determination and support from an organization like Athlete Connections.