Crosby's College Coach Shares First Impression of Raiders Star

Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby was once a skinny college kid looking to prove himself.

Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Maxx Crosby (92) sacks Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts (4) during the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. Georgia Southern leads Eastern Michigan 17-7 at halftime. Jc Camellia 07 / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser

Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby was not always the tattooed Pro Bowler we know him as today. 

He was once a skinny kid from Lapeer, Mich., who moved to Texas and ended up back in the mitten state, playing at Eastern Michigan University. 

Crosby recently had the Eagles’ stadium named after him. Now, every player who comes through Eastern Michigan will get to play on Crosby Field. 

Crosby’s college coach, Chris Creighton, could not tell Crosby was going to be a special player from his days on the Eagles’ scout team. He knew Crosby was good but didn’t know he would reach the heights he has in his NFL career.

Creighton discussed this when he recently joined Crosby on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Rush."

“No one can block him,” Creighton said about watching Crosby during scout team practices. 

Creighton elaborated that Crosby was a good player but that he had no idea how good he would be.

“You never know how someone is going to -- who they are and how they’re going to pan out. Even at the very end, I was like, ‘Yeah, no one can block him,’ but I still probably didn’t have the experience to know.”

Crosby doesn’t blame Creighton for not knowing. He said being placed on the scout team was the most pivotal year of his career.

“I didn’t know either; that’s the thing people didn’t understand,” he said. “I came in, and that’s why I talk about that plaque that I got that year for Scout Team Player of the Year. It’s in my office, front and center as the most important year of my career. When I was in high school, I was a linebacker, and I was a linebacker in middle school. My whole life. My first time playing D-End was my senior year of high school.”

Crosby credits his coaches for being patient with him.

“I had no idea what I was doing,” Crosby continued. “I was just a big body figuring it out, and then when I came here, I had the opportunity, even though, in my head, I was like, ‘I shouldn’t be red-shirting, I want to play,’ and coach [Jimmy] Williams was like, ‘No, you’re going to scout team,’ and that year was the most important year of my career because I got to figure out how to play D-End without any restriction.”

Click here to watch the full podcast episode with Creighton and Crosby.

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