Indiana Football: Harry Crider Doesn’t Mind Being the Center of Attention

A switch from guard to center was an easy transition for the junior from Columbus, Ind., because he’s been there before.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Considering everything that Harry Crider has been through in his life, making a switch from guard to center on Indiana’s offensive line really is no big deal.

It’s nothing. Nothing at all. Just slide right over and go do your job. That’s Harry Crider.

“Even when I’m at guard, I’m still thinking like a center all the time when he comes to reading defenses and getting my job done anyway,’’ Crider said. “I have that center background, so I’ve always thought that way.’’

Crider was forced to move from left guard to center after starting center Hunter Littlejohn went down with a lower leg injury in the Rutgers game. The transition was seemless Saturday night when he started against Maryland. Littlejohn warmed up Saturday at Maryland, but still didn’t feel right, so the decision was made to go with Crider.

All Indiana did was roll up 520 yards of offense with Crider and his linemates leading the way. The 34-28 victory — Indiana’s fifth in seven games — was the big cherry on top.

“Harry did a great job snapping the football,’’ Indiana coach Tom Allen said. “That's a dynamic that you forget about — until you get a bad snap. So he did a great job with the snaps. He's a good center, he really is. He's got a good base to him, he's strong, he's smart.

“He hasn’t had a lot of reps there, but I will say this, we were two full weeks into the camp and I just said, ‘OK, guys, it's time for us to shuffle the O-line and let's get Harry at center and let's get guys shuffled around a little bit, play some different spots, and we even played (left tackle) Coy (Cronk) at guard. We just tried to get guys different reps. We did it for several practices in a row and I think that really paid off for us this past game.’’

Couldn’t have done it without @MatthewBedfor14 @HarryCrider @SimonStepaniak @lilbigjohn68 @calebballsohard ‼️🖤 https://t.co/z873ZF8Vqw

— Mike Penix Jr. (@themikepenix) September 30, 2019

Crider was an all-state center in high school at Columbus East. He was one of the top centers in the country, and he was a huge get for Indiana. When they finally offered, he decommitted from Virginia and picked IU, his dream school growing up.

Crider is big — 6-foot-4 and 311 pounds — but he is also very athletic. He played multiple sports in high school despite being a Type 1 Diabetic and even played some wide receiver and tight end growing up. Always in need of linemen, he was moved to center and started to bulk up. Many coaches said he was the best high school center in Indiana in 2017.

Crider didn’t redshirt as a freshman at IU, which is rare for many offensive linemen who like to have that extra year to bulk up. But Crider played eight games at center and did well. As a sophomore, he switched to guard and started six games late in the season. He’s been a fixture there all year in 2019, too, but when Littlejohn went down, he gladly took over.

“I love playing center. I really do,’’ Crider said Monday. “As a center, you definitely feel a lot more involved, a lot more like a leader. You need to let everyone know what’s going on. I was comfortable doing that Saturday, and Coach (Darren) Hiller did a great job in preparing us. For me, as an O-lineman, I am always thinking like a center anyway. As a guard, that does help. I’m always thinking that way.’’

Crider said those summertime reps helped, even though the five-man combination of left tackle Matt Bedford, left guard Simon Stepaniak, Crider, Mackenzie Nworah and Caleb Jones “were never together,’’ Crider said.

But that just goes to prove the talent and versatility of this offensive line. Where you line up doesn't really matter. Saturday, basically, was a three-spot switch, with Crider going to center, Stepaniak flipping from right guard to left and Nworah getting his first start of the year at right guard.

“We’ve got versatile guys, and they’re happy wherever they go,’’ Crider said. “There’s not a lot of huge adjustments, just a lot of trust, knowing that they’re going to do what they are supposed to be doing and knowing that I have to do my job too, of course.’’

Playing center means making all the play-calls and adjustments on the line, and being a vocal leader. That’s different, but he handles it all just fine these past few weeks.

“I know I’m known around here as a quiet guy, so these past few weeks have been good confidence boosters for me,’’ Crider said. “I’ve been talking and communicating well with everyone.’’

Indiana left tackle Matt Bedford (76) and left guard Harry Crider (57) await the snap against Michigan higan State defensive end Kenny Willekes (48).  Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana’s offensive line has been exceptional despite the absense of Littlejohn and left tackle Coy Cronk, who was lost for the season in the Connecticut game on Sept. 21 That’s two fifth-year seniors down, but the Hoosiers haven’t missed a beat. With Bedford, a true freshman, playing well at left tackle, this unit is riding high right now as it heads off to Nebraska for a huge game on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s night and day. I can’t even imagine what he was feeling when he first stepped in there,’’ Crider said of Bedford. “But he’s really confident now with where he’s at and we’re seeing great improvements every week. Coy has been helping him, and that’s huge. It is tough, but in the end, it does help our unit grow together and build that bond even more, because we’re all we’ve got, and that really helps our play on Saturdays.’’

It’s possible that Littlejohn may return this weekend, and if so, Crider will slide back to guard. He’s good with that — “I’ll always do whatever it takes to help our team win,’’ he said — but he’ll also prepare every day to play center, too, just in case.

That’s just who he is, and what he does.

And the Hoosiers are better for it.