Bucs tight end Alan Cross retires from playing to pursue coaching

Bucs tight end Alan Cross is retiring from professional football at the age of 25 in order to pursue a coaching career.

Cross will join the staff at his alma mater, the University of Memphis, as a graduate assistant, according to a report by the Daily Memphian.

He spent three seasons with the Bucs as a backup tight end and was primarily utilized as a blocker and on special teams. He had 13 career receptions in those three years, including two for nine yards on five targets in 2018.

Cross saw an increased role after starting tight end O.J. Howard suffered a season-ending injury, but his season also ended prematurely following a Week 15 shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve.

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis, Cross spent his first two years in the organization shuttling between the practice squad and active roster before spending the entire 2018 season on the active roster for the first time in his career.

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.