Alex Kroll Alexander Stanley Kroll ( born November 23 , 1937 in Leechburg , Pennsylvania ) was an American collegiate and Professional Football player and a now - retired major advertising agency executive . Early life . Kroll ' s father worked as a laborer in one of the many steel mills that dotted the landscape of Leechburg and other Alle - Kiski Valley communities at that time . Kroll remembers the support system he had growing up with a large extended family that included “ an aunt and uncle on almost every block . ” He adds , “ I was never sure if I were rich or poor . We didn ’ t have a car or a lot of other amenities , but it didn ’ t seem relevant because I had these wonderful supporters . ” Driven to succeed in athletics , Alex put himself on a rigorous physical training program . He was captain of the football team his senior year . His talent on the field won him a number of football scholarships , but he turned them down . Ranked second in his class academically , Alex chose to attend Yale on an academic scholarship . He played on Yale ’ s varsity football team , but a physical argument with a young associate professor got Kroll expelled during his sophomore year . He enlisted in the Army , serving two years in the military police . Kroll finished his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University . While there , he captained the football team and played center on the school ’ s first undefeated football team , making all seven All - American teams in 1961 and becoming a Henry Rutgers Scholar along the way . Kroll was a 1962 player for the American Football League ' s New York Titans ( later the Jets ) , playing center and offensive tackle . In the off - season he worked as an advertising trainee with Young & Rubicam ( Y & R ) . Life After Football . Alex Kroll spent his entire business career in advertising with Young & Rubicam , where he rose from cub copywriter in 1963 to CEO in 1985 , retiring as Chairman and CEO at the end of 1994 . Kroll rose rapidly through the ranks in just his first seven years , becoming Executive Vice - President and Creative Director at the agency in 1970 at the age of 33 . During his 10 years as CEO , Y & R ’ s worldwide billings increased 2½ times , to $ 8 billion , and its offices more than doubled , to 331 . Under his leadership , Y & R opened the first advertising agencies in Russia and China and built the largest agency network in Central and Eastern Europe . Bravo grew into America ’ s largest Hispanic agency . And , Y & R acquired Landor , the world ’ s leading identity and design company . Kroll served as Chairman both for the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Advertising Council , the organization which produces most of the important public service advertising in the U . S . Under his leadership in 1997 , the Council developed and launched a dramatic new strategy which focuses more than a billion dollars worth of donated media each year , for ten years , on the plight and problems of American children . Retirement . Kroll stepped down from Young and Rubicam in 1994 , but still kept busy after his retirement , serving as a senior adviser to the Bill Bradley Presidential Exploratory Committee in 1998 , which was formed by former U . S . Senate Democrat Bill Bradley of New Jersey . The committee ' s intent was to explore a presidential candidacy with the Federal Election Commission . He developed the Play It Smart program . A program which gives an academic coach to football teams and encourages them to set academic goals . Kroll was featured in the 2009 Showtime program Full Color Football . Awards . He is a recipient of the prestigious Horatio Alger Award , the NCAA Silver Medal for Excellence , the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award and the American Jewish Committee ’ s National Human Relations Award . Kroll is also a member of both the National College Football Hall of Fame and the Advertising Hall of Fame .