Crawford on cusp of NFL dream
Defensive end to work out with Lions today
The view from on top of the world looked pretty good to Windsor’s Tyrone Crawford until the cold steel of a knife blade sliced into his flesh, threatening to tear apart his dreams of an NFL career, not to mention his life.
Crawford was a rising star on the football field for Bakersfield Junior College in California with a big time NCAA Division I scholarship to Boise State waiting in the wings.
Then one night in 2009, he went to a house party and suddenly found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A fight broke out and Crawford was stabbed in the ensuing melee.
While his injuries were not serious enough to require surgery, the cuts ran much deeper emotionally. “I hate that it happened,” the 22-year-old Crawford said.
“I let a lot of people down. It brings the school and the program down and made me look like a negative person.
“It scared me into working hard. That experience changed a lot about me. It helped me get to where I am now.”
That would be on the cusp of being drafted by an NFL team April 26-28. The six-foot-four, 280-pound defensive end with the Boise State Broncos is projected as a third-round pick.
He has worked out and interviewed with 14 teams at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis in February.
Today, he’ll meet with the Detroit Lions for the second time this year.
“It definitely stalled my young exciting life,” he said of that fateful night.
“For me and my family this is the kind of dream that wasn’t likely to happen. And now that it is, it’s huge. It’s another step in our life and it opens more doors.”
After a heart-to-heart with Bakersfield coach Jeff Chudy, Crawford decided to pour every ounce of energy into football.
“He could have quit and come home and no one would have blamed him,” said Jason Georges, his junior basketball coach at Catholic Central and his Grade 12 English teacher.
“He was out there for a reason and he had a choice to make. He either quits and allows the world to destroy him or he steps up and becomes a man. What happened to him was traumatic and a lot of us were really worried about him. He’s a very proud young man and he was very unhappy about the entire incident.
“I knew he wasn’t the kind of person who was in that situation because of his foolishness. I’m proud of the path he chose. After that incident, he became more focused and he would not allow other people to dictate his destiny.”
Georges would frequently text Crawford to make sure he was OK.
“My biggest concern was that he was so far away from home,” Georges said. “It was good for him to keep a link to people who don’t have any ulterior motives. Football is an opportunity but it isn’t a lifetime. The big point was education.”
Crawford and his younger brother Tarrence, now a running back at Simon Fraser University, were raised by their mother, Tara. She was the one who steered them into sports at a young age.
A man-child by the time he was a senior at Catholic Central, Crawford dominated the game at any number of positions, including quarterback, wide-out and running back.
His athletic versatility bounced over to basketball, where his punishing interior defence led the Comets to an OFSAA gold medal. His formidable combination of size and strength earned several other OFSAA golds as a shot putter.
“We knew about him coming out of high school,” Boise State defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said.
“We knew how strong and explosive he was as a player and he exceeded expectations when he finally got here.”
Kwiatkowski has described Crawford as a better person than a football player and he thinks he’s quite a player.
Crawford was a first team conference all-star after his senior season at Boise State.
“He’s got a huge upside,” he said. “He’s got a lot of potential to go with a great work ethic and maturity.
“He’s good enough to go in the top four rounds (of the draft).”
Crawford is working out in Michigan at his agent’s place but he’ll come home to share draft day with family and friends.
“My mom has done so much for me. She deserves the best,” he said.
“And I’m happy I get to share this experience with my brother.”
Whatever happens with football, Crawford always has a big fan in life with Georges.
“He’s about hard work, perseverance and determination,” Georges said.
“Those are the things about Tyrone that are most important.” mcaton@windsorstar.com
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