The man you saw walking around Conte Forum Friday night on two aluminum crutches? Well, that wasn't Tommy Cross. Instead, Cross, the defacto leader of Boston College's defensive corps, was seen walking unaided around the arena dressed in a three piece suit, with no indication of the injured knee that will keep him on the sideline for at least another week or two or three.

"There is really no pain in the knee at all," Cross explained when asked about his third knee injury in as many years. "It is a completely different injury than last year and that injury was completely different that the year before. And this time it is a completely different knee (the right one.)

"Last year they told me it would take 4-6 weeks and I was back three weeks later. I am hoping to beat that this year. But in the meantime it is tough to sit and watch your teammates play."

Cross, a second round draft choice of the Boston Bruins when he was a junior in prep school, wears an assistant captain's "A" on his uniform this year, one of the few juniors to ever be so honored by his BC teammates. He was injured in the second period of a win two weekends ago against Merrimack.

"I had gotten a pass from Joe Whitney and I crossed the red line," he recalled. "We were on a power play and I dumped the puck. And I kind of looked at what I had done and their defenseman, a big kid, got real low to give me a hip check and he hit me low and that was it. I went head over heels. I put myself in a position to get hit and I got hit. It is what it is.

"Now I just have to let the ligament heal and then strengthen it and make sure that it's ready to push off on."

But, Cross added, he was happy that he wasn't just being asked about the knee and he graciously agreed to answer a few questions from EagleAction.com.

I was probably four-years-old and I started in the back yard. My whole family was involved with hockey. My family is from upstate New York. My Dad played at Dartmouth and my uncles played at Providence and Holy Cross. My Dad coached the high school team in my hometown (Simsbury, Ct.) so I always went with him to practice. I played youth hockey in Simsbury. When it was cold I played hockey and when it was warm I played baseball. I didn't play on any of the travel teams or the select teams. I played for my town and that was it. Things developed from there. If you are good, the scouts will find you and you get invited to certain things. I played in some European tournaments with the USA team and then I went to Westminster for prep school after my sophomore year (when he was named Connecticut player-of-the-year.)

No, certainly not. I guess you could say I was a late bloomer, you know, a defenseman who just did his job. When I got to high school I started to fill out a little bit and when I got to Westminster I started to separate from the pack. And then I got here and there are so many good players.

I was recruited by BC, BU, Providence and Dartmouth. It wasn't a difficult decision. Boston College is where I always wanted to go.

I want to play in the National Hockey League and I want to win another national championship here. I want to be a better player each day. I love waking up each day looking to go to practice.

I played baseball. I'm still a big baseball fan, a big Red Sox fan. I was a pitcher and a shortstop. I wish I could be playing now. I could hit a curveball, especially a hanging curveball. And I play golf quite a bit. I like to think I'm a good golfer. I got down to a five handicap this summer. I keep my clubs under my bed and I'm always ready to go.

It was from my Dad. He has always been such a big influence on me growing up. He taught me to never complain. And being around coach York has done the same thing. He is so optimistic. He doesn't even think about the negative. He turns everything into a positive.

In life it has always been my Dad. In hockey it's Niklas Lindstrom (Detroit Red Wings defenseman). He controlled the game and I always wanted to do what he did back there. He was rock solid on defense, but he also had an influence offensively.

I was elected president of my senior class at Westminster. I was just in my second year at the school and it doesn't usually happen that a relative newcomer is put into such a leadership position.

It's easy this year. The seven other junior on the team (Cam and Tommy Atkinson, Paul Carey, Jimmy Hayes, Barry Almeida, Chris Venti and Edwin Shea)and I have an eight man suite. I can just sit in the common room and these guys are my best friends. We put something on the TV or play and Xbox game. It puts things in perspective. These guys are good to be around.

I would like to be remembered for my work ethic. And, you are remembered for what you did here. You remember the guys who won national championships. That's what we try to do here. I would also like to be remembered for what I contributed away from the rink, for the whole BC community.

I will be working in the NHL, either in a front office or coaching. Or I will be working at a large university, in the athletic department.

I am not a big music guy. I listen to whatever the other guys are listening to. My favorite move is , oh, probably "Miracle." On tv I like Sports Center because it is almost always on. When I can't sleep I get up and it's always there. My favorite actor is Matthew McConaughy.