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Over the years, the NFL has put a lot of effort into appealing to fan bases outside of the United States. One country they’ve targeted as been the United Kingdom. There aren’t many English football players in the NFL and now there will be one less. Defensive end Jack Crawford was one of the years after getting drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Since then, he has played with the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals. After spending 10 seasons in the NFL, Crawford has decided to hang up the cleats and announce his retirement.
“After 10 seasons in the NFL, I know my time has come to step away from the game and close the chapter of my life in the League,” Crawford wrote in a statement on his Twitter account.. “At 16 years old, I left my family and friends in the UK and moved to the US. I couldn’t have imagined the journey that lay ahead of me, it feels like it flew by and I’m grateful for every minute.”
Crawford made sure to send a message to all of the teams that he played with throughout his career.
“I want to thank all of the organizations that took a chance on me and all of the fans that supported me,” Crawford continued. “I will never take for granted the memories of going to battle with my friends and teammates.”
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Crawford Was Part of Reggie McKenzie’s 1st Draft
The Raiders were undergoing some major transitions the year Crawford was drafted. The team had just hired Reggie McKenzie to serve as the first general manager in the post-Al Davis era. Crawford was one of the first picks that McKenzie ever made when he was with the team.
Fifth-round picks don’t always have the longest careers but Crawford was able to put together a lengthy one. Over his 109 games, he notched 18.0 sacks and 165 tackles. He missed all of last season with an injury so it makes sense for him to retire now at the age of 33.
Maxx Crosby Named Among Top Players Under 25
Crawford is part of the Raiders’ past but now the team is focused on the future and it is bright. Another defensive end the team found later in the draft was Maxx Crosby who broke out last season and made his Pro Bowl and All-Pro team. Pro Football Focus ranked the top players in the NFL under 25 and Crosby landed at 12:
The Raiders’ third-year pass-rusher took a leap into elite status this past season. In 2021, his 91.7 pass-rush grade ranked second only to Myles Garrett. Crosby also leads the league in total pressures (200) over the past three seasons, playoffs included, for players under the age of 25.
Crosby recorded 67.3 and 58.2 pass-rush grades in his previous two seasons, so the jump to an elite mark in 2021 was quite the statement. Now, he’ll have Chandler Jones lining up with him along the Raiders’ defensive line. With that, expect more one-on-one opportunities for Crosby to continue his top pass-rush play.
Some could argue he belongs even higher on the list but it’s still not bad for a player who was a fourth-round pick just three years ago.
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