Position: Defensive End
Height: 6'5" Weight: 299 lbs
College: Clemson
Drafted: Undrafted Free Agent
Former Clemson defensive end Corey Crawford is looking to find a home in the NFL after going undrafted in 2015. Here are five things to know about him:
#1. Corey Crawford hails from Columbus, Georgia and played his high school football at both Hargrave Military Academy (Virginia) and George Washington Carver High School (Georgia). At G.W. Carver as a junior, he had 72 tackles and seven sacks. His senior year saw an increase in stats and the accolades came with it. He had 87 tackles, 16 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and two returns for touchdowns.
Here's a list of the accolades he received:
- Played in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C. after his senior season at G.W. Carver High School
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution Defensive Player-of-the-Year
- Columbus Ledger Defensive Player-of-the-Year
- First-team AAA all-state by Georgia Sportswriters Association
- First-team all-region selection
- All-Southeast Region member by PrepStars
As a four star strong side defensive end in the 2010 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite, he ranked as the No. 3 best player nationally, No. 1 strong side defensive end and the No. 3 best player in Georgia. He received offers from: Clemson, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma State and South Carolina. He chose to play his college football at Clemson. Check out highlights from his junior season at G.W. Carver:
#3. Crawford lost his mother to stage three breast cancer in 2012. Her cancer had been in remission for a year before it came back and took her life. Alesia Davis was 43. Crawford was a guy who didn't display his emotions openly. A year later, like all people who deal with the loss of a loved one, he was still very emotional:
"There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about her," Crawford said. "Every now and again, I catch myself crying, because it hasn’t really set yet that she’s gone."
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney's wife Kathleen is a breast cancer survivor and she reflected on who Corey is and what Corey's mom meant to him:
"He doesn’t always say a whole lot, but he’s very focused, a great leader on and off the field." He just has my heart. He’s a very sweet boy, and I can relate to what his family’s going through."She was such a sweet spirit, and was so proud of Corey."
#4. Corey Crawford didn't get his name called in this year's draft but the Redskins picked him up as an undrafted free agent. He had been waiting a long time for his shot to play in the NFL:
"It's a moment that I've been waiting for for a long time," he told Ledger-Enquirer. "The emotions are going to be there and it will be in remembrance of my mother, knowing this is something she would have been very proud to have been a part of. It's going to mean a lot if I get that call and I'm able to say that I'm living out my dream."
#5. With training camp a few weeks away and preseason not far off, Corey Crawford will have to let his play on the field do the talking for him to earn a spot on the active roster.
Bottom Line: I think Crawford could be a solid back up defensive end in the Redskins 3-4 scheme. I like his chances.