Crosby, Waller Shared Special Time With Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and former tight end Darren Waller bonded through a special journey.

Dec 18, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) scores on a 25-yard touchdown reception against the New England Patriots in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Patriots 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and former Raiders tight end Darren Waller share a special bond through personal struggles they both have overcome: addiction. 

Crosby struggled with alcohol abuse, entering rehab in 2020. Crosby has been sober for nearly four years. Waller struggled with substance abuse, even overdosing at one point in his life. Waller has been sober for almost seven years. 

Waller recently retired from the NFL. He spent five seasons of his career with the Silver and Black, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2020. 

Waller joined the Raiders a year before Crosby. While Crosby was recovering from his addiction, he said it helped to have Waller on the team, someone who knew what he was going through. 

Waller opened up about sharing that journey with Crosby on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Rush" with Maxx Crosby. 

“It’s one of those things where I wouldn’t even have to talk to Maxx,” Waller said. “I could just see the way that Maxx is moving or the energy that he brings in the weight room, or in any situation or setting, I could be like, ‘Okay, yeah,’ knowing that he thinks the way that I think and we can relate on a lot of things. He could be having a tough day; he could be having some tough things going on at home, but he’s still bringing that level of energy to the building and to guys around. I could feed off that.”

Waller said that although they did not discuss their shared journey at first, Waller said Crosby’s decision to get sober was admirable. 

“I’m sure that there were maybe days where he probably felt the way that I just described and could maybe look at me and be like, ‘I can rise to another level,’ and that’s all Maxx ever did. We didn’t talk about it at the beginning. I got to the team in 2019, and Maxx made a decision to get sober; he did that on his own. So, that just goes to show you that if that example is there and that person is there, I could look at Maxx and say, ‘Alright, that’s the standard for work ethic. Let me make sure I’m matching that.’”

Waller and Crosby share an amazing journey of overcoming their struggles with addiction to go on to have excellent careers, which should be viewed as inspirations for many.

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

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