Crawford ready for challenge of wearing number 93 at Clemson

Crawford said his speed might be his greatest asset – he runs a 4.7 second 40-yard dash.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Apr 06 17:30:28 GMT-04:00 2011

CLEMSON – Freshman defensive end Corey Crawford Corey Crawford
Defensive Line
6-5, 275
Chatham, VA
View Full Profile understands that wearing No. 93 at Clemson, and playing the position that he plays, brings a certain expectation with it.

The number was worn previously by Clemson All-Americans Da’Quan Bowers and Gaines Adams, and Crawford said he didn’t choose the number to make a statement but because it was the one he wore in high school.

“In high school, that’s the number I had,” Crawford said Wednesday. “The coaches thought I looked good in that number so I took it. I know there are some great players that had it, so it makes me want to play harder and even better than what they did. I guess I will stand out because I am the new number 93 in town. I guess I will leave that up to ya’ll to see my playing ability.”

And he was immediately made aware of what that number means when he arrived in Clemson after a season at Hargrave Military Academy.

“Some of the coaches have told me that they don’t give that number to just anyone, and that I have a lot to live up to.”

The 6-4, 270-pounder arrived in Clemson in January, and he said that spring practice has gone better than expected because of his teammates.

“So far, it’s going pretty good,” he said. “If it weren’t for some of teammates- Andre Branch Andre Branch
Defensive End
6-5, 260
Richmond, VA
View Full Profile , Malliciah Goodman Malliciah Goodman
Defensive End
6-4, 265
Florence, SC
View Full Profile , and Kourtnei Brown Kourtnei Brown
Defensive End
6-5-, 250
Charlotte, NC
View Full Profile - showing me around, it wouldn’t have gone as good as it has. I give a lot of credit to my upperclassmen.”

Crawford had to attend Hargrave not because he didn’t qualify at Clemson – he just didn’t qualify in time. However, he said the season spent at Hargrave wound up being beneficial.

“I graduated in 2010. I didn’t quite make in my test scores so I had to go to prep school at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia,” he said. “Two weeks after school started here I got qualified but it was too late, so I had to stick it out at Hargrave. I didn’t like that environment at first, but it helped me a lot going to a military school. When I got here, it made the transition a bit easier than the freshmen that came in earlier.

“I’m really not a military person and I don’t know anyone in the military so I didn’t know what to expect. It just kind of hit me all of at once. It taught me more technique wise than what I learned in high school. The competition at prep school wasn’t more complicated than it was at high school, but technique wise it made it a bit easier.”

Crawford said his speed might be his greatest asset – he runs a 4.7 second 40-yard dash – but he also realizes now that there is more to the college game than just speed.

“I think you have to have a lot of speed and you have to be very versatile,” he said. “You have to know the linebacker position and the defensive end position. I think it’s more of you being versatile and a lot more athletic.”

He made his first real splash in a Clemson uniform this past Saturday when he scooped up a fumble and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, and he said it was the highlight of his spring.

“It was a fumbled snap and I got on the ball,” he said. “When I was running- I didn’t see it then- but I saw it on film that one of my teammates, Martin Jenkins Martin Jenkins
Defensive Back
5-10, 170
Roswell, GA
View Full Profile , run from a long way to block one of the receivers. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have scored. It was tiring. It was the longest 87 yards that I’ve ever run in my life, but it felt good and I felt like I accomplished something.”