A star quarterback and defensive back in high school football and a standout on the basketball court as well in Salamanca, New York (Crist ranks second overall in Salamanca High School basketball scoring with 1,004 points, behind only Jack O'Rourke),[1] Crist received an athletic scholarship to Penn State University.
Crist's reputation as a defensive back was nevertheless still high enough even after not playing college football that the Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent upon graduating in 1972.
Crist spent over four years on paid leave, facing undisclosed accusations, beginning November 2009; he was exonerated February 2014.
[3] Prior to returning to Salamanca, Crist had also dabbled in assistant coaching with Cattaraugus Central School from 1983 to 1985, and with the Alfred Saxons football team from 1985 to 1991.
[3][4] He was one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.