Becoming a Cadet: Thomas Cribbs’ journey to Norwich

Gloucester has always been a football town, and Thomas Cribbs was born into it. Starting football at the age of 6 for his local pee-wee team, the Vikings, Cribbs found his passion from a young age.

As a child, Cribbs saw struggles in the classroom when it came to concentration and behavior, but sports became an outlet. On the field, Cribbs could really let loose and let everything out. “I wasn’t always the most mature, respectful kid,” Cribbs said, “but going through the football aspect of my life, it taught me to be a better overall person.”

At Gloucester High School, Cribbs made an instant impact for the Fishermen. As a Freshman, Cribbs would serve as a star contributor in scout team reps and special teams play, while lighting it up on JV on Saturdays. 

Sophomore year, Cribbs would get his first chance to ascend to true varsity play after Senior Kayden Souza would fall to injury. Cribbs stepped up with a club on his hand, covering a broken wrist, and became a firecracker for the defense, using his signature energy to uplift the team through a series of injuries to starters. Cribbs would also make the difficult move to offensive line on the other side of the ball. After playing his entire career as a fullback up to that point, the move to guard was difficult. 

As an upperclassman, Cribbs would take on a major leadership role. He would become a two-year captain, being voted in by his peers as a junior alongside Jaylen Severino, Camryn Rodolosi, and Joseph Allen. As a true, two-way starter on varsity, Cribbs would prove his value as the anchor of the defense and a star contributor on offense after moving back to fullback. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Cribbs was a true workhorse running back, creating a dynamic duo with Joseph Allen. Cribbs totaled 261 carries for 1340 yards in his career, tacking on 12 touchdowns. While not his primary talent, Cribbs also served as a reliable checkdown option, having 57 receiving yards on 7 catches.

While defensive stats are not readily available, Cribbs was a force to play against as a middle linebacker. Opposing wide receivers cautiously crossed the middle of the field, fearing a drilling hit from Cribbs. As a run defender, he would carry over this tenacity, becoming a consistent field general in command of the defense, shutting down inside runs and never letting up when pursuing ball-carriers from the backside. 

“Cribbs is what I envision as the prototypical Gloucester Fisherman,” new Gloucester football head coach, Brian Anderson, said “Undersized, tough, physical [kid] who plays with extreme heart.”

As a captain of the Fishermen, Cribbs would have to lead both on and off the field, something he took very seriously.

Coaches Michael Lattof and Craig Bren would hold rigorous athletic training sessions for Gloucester athletes in the early mornings of Summer, a tradition of Fishermen athletics for decades. Most of these workouts would be in rough conditions, running primarily at Good Harbor Beach, in both water and sand, rain or shine. These workouts were more than just physically demanding: They were a test of one’s ability to push through adversity and uplift your teammates, and Cribbs was a shining example of this.

No matter how tired he was, Cribbs was always a vocal leader of his teammates, pushing them to exceed their own physical limits and get better every day, often verbally challenging his coaches to push them harder and work more. 

“Thomas’ ultimate competitor is himself, constantly striving for improvement.” Coach Lattof said, “[he] thrives on fatigue, driving his relentless pursuit of excellence.”