While most draft analysts did not expect Crawford to be drafted, mainly because of his age and rather pedestrian on-field production at a MAC school, there was no debating that everyone was rooting for Crawford to at least get a chance in an NFL camp to take one more step towards his dream.

The New York Giants gave Crawford that chance, signing him as an undrafted free agent yesterday.

The purpose of this post is two-fold: 1) provide you with some background on the most compelling and poignant personal story of the 2010 NFL draft; and 2) issue a wholehearted message of good luck to Crawford from all of us here at MSF and I’m sure you too.

Brandon Crawford’s story is at the heart of what we all love about sports, and it is the kind of story that deserves more recognition than it gets.

If you are unfamiliar with story of Brandon Crawford, here are the quick details, then a video produced by Ball State University that allows you to meet Crawford and learn more about his unlikely path to the Giants’ rookie camp.

• After graduating high school in 1996, Crawford worked in an automotive factory for a few years before he enlisted in the Marines in 1999.
• Crawford spent four years in the Marine Corps before being honorably discharged.
• He then enrolled at Ball State but had to return home to help his Mom and family.
• Finally, Crawford returned to Ball State University in 2006 and joined the football team.
• Crawford played all four years for Ball State, appearing in a total of 49 games and amassing 37.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks during his career.

While few expected an NFL team to spend one of its precious draft picks on a 33-year old without special physical traits, many did expect a team to at least take a flyer on Crawford as an undrafted free agent.

Immediately after the draft, NFL teams scramble to scoop up the best remaining players to bring into their rookie camps. A guy with the character and work ethic of Crawford was almost assured of getting a spot somewhere.  He did, as mentioned above, although his agent had to do some calling around to convince teams that Crawford deserved a shot.

The New York Giants took a chance on Crawford and allowed a hard-working man who has proven his integrity and commitment to pursue his NFL dream for at least one more step. If Crawford can make it out of the rookie camp he could get a chance at being invited to training camp, where he would then have the opportunity to make the Giants’ 53-man roster or be placed on their practice squad.

Here is what Michael David Smith at Pro Football Talk had to say about Brandon Crawford’s chances of making the Giants, which are undeniably long:

Every rookie who attends minicamp on a tryout basis is a long shot to make the team, and Crawford is a longer shot than most. But Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross likes the example that Crawford can be to younger players.

“I kind of thought this guy deserves a chance,” Ross said. “I wish everybody had that kind of perseverance and dedication and drive that he does. If we can get his story out and everybody follows his path, we’ll be a hell of a team.”

Crawford, as you might expect, has the perfect outlook on the situation: it’s an “opportunity.”

I look at it as a chance, an opportunity to prove people wrong,” Crawford yesterday told The Post. “There’s a lot of doubters out there, a lot of people say ‘There’s no way that can happen.’ I guess in America you shouldn’t dream, that’s what you should tell kids. Don’t be inspired, don’t push for what you want to do.

“Everybody’s path is different. Everybody doesn’t take the same road to get to where they want to go and to where they desire to go. If that was the case, I think life would be boring. My path is different, that’s how I’ve always approached it and how I will continue to approach it.”

If Brandon Crawford somehow makes it out of rookie camp, training camp, and onto the Giants’ roster, it would be the most unlikely development of the 2010 draft; more unlikely than Tim Tebow going in the first round and more unlikely than Jimmy Clausen falling to the second.

33-year old rookies just don’t happen in a league as fast, physical, and fiscally complex as the NFL, where each spot on a roster must be filled by someone who either contributes now or who has great potential to contribute in the future.

Brandon Crawford’s potential is limited by his age, and there is nothing he can do about that. His goal though is to show the Giants that, despite his age, he can be productive on the field right now.

Clearly the Giants like his character and the natural leadership he will bring to their locker room, where players young and old will certainly impressed by his perseverance and mental toughness. If Crawford can prove that he can be an adequate backup on the defensive line and contribute on special teams, he could find a spot on the roster. It is unlikely, but then again, a 33-year old even getting shot at an NFL rookie camp was unlikely too.

Brandon Crawford seems like one of those guys that you doubt at your own risk. I won’t make that mistake. Rather, I will simply wish Crawford the best of luck and watch with interest as he continues pursuing his dream.

The opportunity for stories like Brandon Crawford’s is what makes sports so special. At some point, like he was from the Marines, Crawford will be honorably discharged from his dream of playing in the NFL. Let’s hope he can find a way to achieve his dream and get on an NFL field before that time comes.

In a league where a guy like JaMarcus Russell can receive tens of millions of dollars to be lazy, out of shape, and indifferent, I hope there is room for someone like Brandon Crawford.

Crawford’s story is one that everyone wants to see continue…into training camp…into the regular season…and as far beyond that as Crawford’s weathered yet strong legs can carry it. I’ll be rooting for Brandon Crawford, as will everyone who writes for and reads this site I imagine, because deep down inside all of us who used to play sports and now spend our time writing and reading about them, we all wish we had one more shot to “make it”.

Here’s hoping Brandon Crawford makes it. No one in a rookie camp will deserve it more.

**********

* – Brandon Crawford playing photo credit: JJ’s Audibles

* – Brandon Crawford suit photo credit: BallStateSports.com

Over the last few years I have grown quite fond of you. I, being a BSU alumni, appreciate all you have done for our program and will never forget this last season. So thank you for your time here and thanks for giving us our first positive national exposure (Letterman not withstanding).

After all you have done for us (The alumni and student body of BSU) I think it is only fair that I shoot straight with you. It’s time for you to move on. People like BSU President Jo Ann M. Gora and A.D. Tom Collins are probably telling you otherwise. Coach Parrish may even be in your ear asking for another season, but let’s face it: that is not in your best interest.

With 20 seniors leaving after this year there is little to no chance next season is going to go as well as this one went. Brady Hoke is gone, there isn’t another Dante Love on his way into the program, and the football schedule isn’t going to improve. You get better by playing better opponents, and there are no better opponents coming up at BSU. All of those things point to one logical conclusion. In order for you to get better and move on to the next level, you need to go ahead and enter the NFL draft.

Yes, it is true your last two BSU games have cost you millions of potential dollars, but there are still millions to be made. Also, what does living in Muncie do for you? With people like the Muncie Stars’ Greg Fallon waiting to call you things like “immature and unintelligent” the only thing sticking around could do is continue to bring you down.

Fallon starts his piece by saying, “Forget what the NFL advisory committee says, what ESPN’s Todd McShay or Mel Kiper Jr. says.” Ok, fine don’t listen to them. How about you listen to a real sports writer, a national writer; how about one who happens to be a BSU alumni… say Jason Whitlock. Earlier in the season he said you were the most pro-ready QB in Indiana and a top NCAA QB. You have a NFL future and you should jump on it now.

One last thing Nate. What has BSU done for you? Over the years the administration has made it pretty clear they don’t care about athletics. Everything from the previously shady basketball program to the early 2000′s longest losing streak in the nation points to a lack of caring. Those two things are just circumstantial though; the real damning evidence is the pushing out of Brady Hoke and the unceremonious way they handled it. Why would you risk injury and millions to play for a school which is uncommitted to you?

Nate, I wish you luck and hope you make the right decision. I am sure you will.

Plough

The Sporting News, citing the San Diego Union-Tribune website, is reporting that Brady Hoke will be named the new head coach at San Diego State later this week. San Diego State will most likely buy out the last year of Hoke’s Ball State contract for $240,000 and then will likely triple that salary as part of Hoke’s new contract.

I haven’t seen anything yet that discusses whether or not Brady Hoke will coach Ball State in their bowl game, but I’ll keep checking.

I did read an interesting opinion piece of this move, written by Cory McCartney at SI.com. McCartney is surprised, as many others may be as well, that Brady Hoke is making the jump all the way across the country to San Diego. Not only does he leave the recruiting base he has developed at Ball State, but he takes over a team that has been awful for the past few years. According to McCartney, the San Diego State Aztecs ranked 91st or lower in 13 major national statistical categories this season — which no doubt led to the firing of former head coach Chuck Long.

McCartney does go on to explain that Hoke has San Diego State ties because his brother was once an assistant there, and that Brady Hoke recruited California when he was an assistant coach at Michigan. Add up the fact that San Diego State has better facilities, a better tradition, better weather, and that SDSU will pay him more money, and the move really is not all that surprising. Hoke’s name was mentioned in connection with the Auburn job as well (he interviewed), but he wisely struck while the iron is hot and parlayed his Ball State success into a bigger payday and a higher profile job.

The best point made by McCartney is that while the move may seem curious because of San Diego State’s dubious recent performance, it is not all that dissimilar from a move made by another coach who is pretty high up on the totem pole now: Urban Meyer. Meyer jumped from the MAC (Bowling Green) to Mountain West Conference (Utah) and then parlayed success there into his current gig at Florida.

Can Brady Hoke experience the same type of meteoric rise to the top of the coaching ranks in college football? That remains to be seen, but I think it is pretty hard to argue with this move from Hoke’s perspective.

Typically, when coaches make moves like this before a bowl game, they move onto their new team quickly. With so many administrative and recruiting tasks to get ironed out, including selecting a coaching staff, schools usually want their new coach on the job immediately. I will be interested to see how Brady Hoke and Ball State handle this.

The Cardinals play Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl on January 6, 2009. That is a long time from now, and will be a long time for San Diego State to wait for their new coach to be working on the Aztecs and not the Cardinals. Plus, from a Ball State perspective, you are preparing to close out the greatest season in the history of your school and you don’t want to end it with two straight losses. Wouldn’t you want a coach who will be 100% focused on Ball State and on beating Tulsa, not on getting things organized for his new job?

My prediction is that Brady Hoke will take off immediately to his reclamation work at San Diego State, and the Ball State Cardinals will move forward with an assistant coach taking over the reins. Nate Davis and the boys deserve to be coached in their bowl game by someone who is 100% committed to Ball State. This is not a knock on Brady Hoke — I’m sure he’d love to coach them in the GMAC bowl and finish what he started. But college football and coaching is business, and you cannot begrudge Brady Hoke for taking a job that will pay him three times what he is making and advance his career. That’s just the nature of the beast, and it is the situation that mid-level programs like Ball State face when they find a really good coach.

Congratulations to Brady Hoke, who deserves to take the next step in his career. And good luck to the Ball State Cardinals. You may not have your head coach for the GMAC Bowl, but you certainly will have the support of football fans everywhere in the state of Indiana, who don’t have much else other than Notre Dame-Hawaii to keep us interested this bowl season.

Entering Friday night’s MAC Championship game against Buffalo, Ball State had won every game it had played this season — including two over Big Ten opponents — and came in at 12-0. Led by QB Nate Davis and RB MiQuale Lewis, the Cardinals were an offensive juggernaut that many people were clamoring to see in the BCS.

I did not watch the game, but I just glanced at the box score, and it was clear to see that the Cardinals continued their dominant ways on Friday night. Nate Davis was 31-48 for 351 yards and a touchdown. MiQuale Lewis ran the ball 30 times for 131 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Just look at the team statistics and you will see how much Ball State dominated an overmatched Buffalo team that few people game much of a chance to win the game:

First Downs: Ball State – 30 | Buffalo – 18

Total Yards: Ball State – 503 | Buffalo – 301

Passing Yards: Ball State – 351 | Buffalo – 206

Rushing Yards: Ball State – 152 | Buffalo – 95

Time of Posession: Ball State – 34:18 | Buffalo 25:42

Final Score: Ball State – 24 | Buffalo – 42

Wait — what? Ball State lost? Say it ‘aint so!

Oh…it be so, sadly for fans of the Cardinals, for David Letterman, and for fans of football in the state of Indiana in general.

The most important stat of the Ball State-Buffalo game was the one that often determines the outcome of football games: turnovers. Ball State turned the ball over five times, while Buffalo only turned it over twice. Compounding the problem was that Buffalo scored off of all five Ball State turnovers.

According to the ESPN recap, Buffalo returned fumbles 92 and 74 yards on consecutive drives in the third quarter. Ouch. And superstar Nate Davis was involved in all four fumbles. The other turnover was a Davis interception.

After the MAC Championship debacle was over for Ball State, Nate Davis said that is coming back to school for his senior season. That is probably a good move. A putrid game like that on a big stage, when you are already fighting an uphill battle by not coming from one of the “big schools”, cannot be good for the draft stock.

On the bright side, only 12,871 fans were in attendance at Ford Field in Detroit to watch the game. My conjecture would be that this total exceeds the cumulative total of fans who have watched all Lions home games this year, but I have not been able to confirm that.

With the victory and MAC Championship, Buffalo and new head coach Turner Gill will be playing in the International Bowl, located in Toronto. Coincidentally, the Buffalo Bills are playing the Miami Dolphins in a “home” game in Toronto this weekend. And soon, if you are mailing letters to friends who live in Buffalo, you will just be able to address them to Toronto.

Ball State may end up back near the 8 Mile if they end up in the Motor City Bowl, which is played in Detroit. If the Motor City Bowl does not work out, they could always go on David Letterman and participate in his skit where people drop things off the roof and watch them splatter.

If they do, they might want to grab a watermelon and write “OUR UNDEFEATED SEASON” in big letters on it. Then they can drop that and watch it splatter all over the place…just like their chances for an undefeated season splattered tonight.

I am not sure why, but I have ended each of the last four paragraphs with really lame one liners. I think it is because I am tired, and aggitated, and can no longer write the post I had been planning about Ball State ducking a potential matchup of the under-appreciated unbeatens against Boise State.

I guess it’s a moot point now. But I was looking forward to saying that Ball State should change its name to “Tate University” — because they had no balls.

Now, of course, that joke just seems lame and sophomoric. So let’s just say that Ball State should change its name to “Drop the Ball State University”, because that is definitely what they did tonight; and it’s not a ball joke.

Who thinks ball jokes are funny anyway?

Damn you Ball State. I’m a Browns fan, a Tennessee Volunteers fan, and an Indiana grad. Combined, I’m not sure those three teams would have enough wins to be bowl eligible. I was clinging to Ball State and hopping on the bandwagon in hopes that they could give me something to cheer for. If you are a MAC team and you aren’t shooting for an undefeated season, you’re just another team with a good record that played a poor schedule.

And I’m just a tired, lonely blogger writing about MAC football and ball jokes on a Friday night.

It’s time for bed. Both for me, and for all the talk of Ball State in the BCS.

First off, what is going on with the Pacers?

Just a week or two ago I was writing about how they were on the verge or something special and how I could see them being one player away from greatness. Since then all hell has broken loose and they have gone 2-6.

Sure, Danny Granger is the next big thing, sure they are a young team, but how long can we keep saying the same old thing over and over again? Come guys, give me some material.

Hopefully this hell week (Lakers, at Boston, at Cleveland, then Boston again in Indy) will show me that spark they had to start the season.

The Colts on the other hand are on a winning streak, they are also on an injury streak. I don’t have this %100 confirmed (I would place it as a %70 – %30 right now) but someone in the know mentioned to me that Gary Brackett is done for the season. They didn’t say if that included any playoff run or not, but the regular season may be over for one of Indy’s defensive captains.

Indiana University saw victory at Assembly Hall on Sunday, but they also saw Verdell Jones carted off the hardwood. He was taken to the hospital for a quick once over and released.

While I am happy to see the Hoosiers get a win, I am much more happy to see Jones is ok. Watching someone get carted off the football field is expected, but when it happens in basketball it usually leads to something more serious, I’m glad it was all precautionary with Jones.

Also, I love Tom Crean.

Undefeated Ball State will be entering the M.A.C. Championship game on Friday to face Buffalo. I don’t claim to know much about Buffalo, but what I do know is that if BSU can pull this out and get our first ever MAC championship we deserve a BCS bowl bid. Ok, maybe not deserve, but if we don’t get it, and a BCS conference team that is ranked lower then us does, then the current BCS deserves to be blown up and re-imagined.

I’ll be back later this week with an early look at UFC 92 and hopefully some good Pacer news.