Channing Crowder
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Channing Crowder | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | December 2, 1983 (age 23) |
| Place of birth |  State College, Pennsylvania |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Position(s) | Outside Linebacker |
| College | Florida |
| NFL Draft | 2005 / Round 3 / Pick 70 |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2005–present | Miami Dolphins |
Randolph Channing Crowder, Jr. (born December 2, 1983 in State College, Pennsylvania) is an American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Florida.
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[edit] High school career
Crowder was a highly-regarded linebacker for North Springs High School in Sandy Springs, Georgia who garnered prep All-America recognition. He was named to SuperPrep's All-America Team and that publication ranked him among the nation's top 30 linebackers. He collected All-America honors from PrepStar and that publication ranked him among the Southeast's top 10 linebackers. He garnered All-America honors from Rivals.com and that group ranked him among the nation's top 15 outside linebackers. As a senior, he recorded 114 tackles in 2001 with 7.5 sacks sacks while also rushing for over 800 yards. He was named one of the top four linebackers in the state of Georgia by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and named to the AJC's Super 11. He was team MVP in 2001.
[edit] College career
[edit] 2003
Crowder was an original member of Florida's 2002 signing class, but delayed his enrollment until January of 2003 due to knee rehabilitation. He joined the Gators team and practiced with the squad prior to the 2003 Outback Bowl.
As a freshman in 2003, Crowder played in 11 games with nine starts. Those nine starts were the most by a freshman linebacker in school history. He would end up leading the nation in tackles by a freshman during the season. He ranked first among linebackers, first among Florida's true freshmen and tied for ninth on the team with 816 plays despite missing two games. He became the first true freshman of 2003 to start for the Gators and was the first true freshman linebacker to start since Travis Harris started four games in 2000. Crowder underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on October 1 prior to the Mississippi game, and missed the game against the Rebels. He returned against eventual national champion LSU 10 days after surgery to lead the linebacking unit with seven tackles.
On the year, Crowder led the linebackers with 106 tackles (avg. 9.6 per game) - the second-highest total on the team. He also had five tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and a forced fumble. He led the defense with 12 tackles and one pass deflection against Arkansas, and led the defense against Vanderbilt with a then career-high 15 tackles. Crowder caused Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen to throw a game-turning interception, that set up a touchdown and give Florida the win.
Accolades on the year included:
- The Sporting News SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year
- The Sporting News All-Freshman team
- Rivals.com All-America Team
- The Scripps/FWAA All-America Team
- Second-Team All-SEC selection, voted on by the coaches
- Collegefootballnews.com Freshman of the Year
- SEC-All Freshman Team (Coaches)
- Knoxville News-Sentinel's All-Freshman Team
[edit] 2004
Prior to the 2004 season, Crowder earned the team's Defensive Best Effort award in spring drills. Following the season, when he finished third on team with 73 tackles, earned the team's Outsiding Linebacker Award and was co-recipient of the team's Defensive Captain Award. Crowder was the Gators' leader in tackles six games, and was third on squad with 8.5 tackles for loss. He intercepted his first career pass against Arkansas when he picked off a Matt Jones pass and returned if 22 yards in a 45-30 win. Crowder recorded a career-high two quarterback sacks against JaMarcus Russell of LSU. He notched an SEC and career-best 18 tackles and forced the second fumble of his career against Mississippi State. On the year, he started seven of nine games before a mid-foot sprain in the first quarter of the Georgia game and missed almost all of the next three contest. He recovered his third career fumble and notched three tackles in the Peach Bowl versus Miami.
Following the season, Crowder was named one of ESPN's All-American Linebackers, a First-Team All-SEC Defensive selection (Coaches), and a Second-Team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press.
[edit] Professional career
[edit] 2005
Crowder was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round (70th overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft. The pick used to select him was previously acquired from the Chicago Bears in the Marty Booker-Adewale Ogunleye trade from the year before. Then-head coach Nick Saban was familiar with Crowder, having coaches in the SEC at LSU before coming to Miami.
Crowder signed a four-year contract with the team in July and went on to start 13 of the 16 games in which he played during his rookie season. He opened 11 games at the weakside spot and two in the middle. The Dolphins opened with either five or six defensive backs in the only three games he did not start. Along with running back Ronnie Brown and cornerback Travis Daniels, 2005 marked the first time since 1996 that three or more Dolphin rookies opened at least ten games. Crowder ranked second on the team with 90 tackles, the highest total by a Dolphins rookie since Zach Thomas tallied 164 in 1996. It also was the fifth-highest total among NFL rookies in 2005. Crowder added two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed on the year. He replaced an injured Zach Thomas (shoulder/ankle) at middle linebacker for games during the season. During the year, he posted a season-high 10 tackles on two occasions. Crowder collected seven tackles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 16 and also recovered an Earnest Graham fumble that led to a Ronnie Brown eight-yard TD run on the next play from scrimmage. Crowder prevented a potential touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons when he forced the ball loose from fullback Justin Griffith with the Falcons at the Dolphins’ 8, and was recovered by Travis Daniels. Crowder also recovered a J.P. Losman fumble against the Buffalo Bills on December 4.
[edit] 2006
Crowder was once again a reliable starter in 2006 and continued to progress as a player. He finished second on the Dolphins with 104 tackles (behind only Zach Thomas) and had one sack for nine yards in losses this season. It was Crowder's the first 100-tackle season of his career. He had four games of double-figure tackles, and tied or led the team in tackles three times and finished second on the team in tackles six times during the season. He started all 16 games during the regular season, though he suffered a hip injury on November 19 against the Minnesota Vikings that forced him from that contest permanently.
[edit] Trivia
- Is the son of former NFL defensive lineman Randy Crowder, who was a sixth-round pick by the Dolphins in 1974. The Crowders are the third father-son pair in Dolphins history, joining the Barbers (LB Rudy, 1968; FB Kantroy, 1999) and the Grieses (QB Bob, 1967-70; QB Brian, 2003).
- While at the University of Florida, he wrestled alligators and wild boars.
