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With his franchise record-breaking performance for the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Maxx Crosby has cemented himself as one of the team’s most exciting young players. Despite being a fourth-round pick, Crosby has earned his spot as a starter and is the most recent AFC Defensive Player of the Week. After Sunday’s performance, he got a shoutout from Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and funk legend Bootsy Collins.
Collins is one of many famous Raiders fans and he’s quickly taken a shining to Crosby. He relayed another message to the rookie on Wednesday.
“I’mma keep Fighting like I’m losing,” was the message that Collins tweeted at Crosby.
Crosby has also become known as a musician himself, so he’ll probably take those words to heart. There’s no doubt that the rookie is going to keep pushing. In training camp, Jon Gruden said that Crosby was going to lead the league in effort. Anybody can give maximum effort, but fortunately for the fourth-round pick, he’s also got the talent.
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The Condor or Madd Maxx?
Before be he started to blow up on the stat sheet, Brian Baldinger of NFL Network was singing the praise of Maxx Crosby. He recognized his game-breaking potential. Not only does the analysis highlight his pass-rushing ability, but Baldinger also points out some of his impressive run defense. While the rookie already goes by the nickname “Madd Maxx,” Baldinger is trying to get “The Condor” to catch on.
“The Condor” is a reference to Crosby’s large stature. There’s no doubt that the rookie’s large size has been a great asset to him, but “Madd Maxx” has a better ring to it.
Baldinger Compares Crosby to Raider Legend
There are few Raider legends more revered than Ted Hendricks. The Hall of Famer was part of all three Raiders Super Bowl championships and is responsible for one of the most iconic images in NFL history. In his analysis of Crosby, Baldinger called the rookie the modern-day “mad stork,” which was Hendricks’ nickname.
In terms of size, Crosby isn’t quite as tall as the 6’7 Hendricks. Also, the Hall of Famer played linebacker while Crosby is a defensive end. It seems more likely that the rookie is the modern-day Greg Townsend. Just like Crosby, Townsend was drafted in the fourth round but got off to a hot start. He had 10.5 sacks in his rookie season and it’s looking like Crosby could reach those numbers, as well.
Townsend was a sack artist throughout his entire career and is easily the team’s all-time leader. Only twice during his first nine years with the team did Townsend finish with less than double-digit sacks. If Crosby can match that production, it’s safe to say that the Raiders would be happy with him. Oakland has been desperate for pass-rush help since they traded Khalil Mack and if Crosby is more than a one-hit-wonder, they may have just found Mack’s replacement. The rookie certainly has all the tools to be the next Greg Townsend.
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