Aug 22, 2010 9:28pm
Determined Crabtree making his mark
By JASON WILDE
jwilde@espnmilwaukee.com
GREEN BAY He got the tattoo last year, at a joint in Kansas City.
Determined.
The word is inked in a script-style font. He thought it made sense, given his quest: To make an NFL roster, despite a thin college resume that had him catching only
Yeah, it is appropriate. And I think itd be appropriate for any of the guys in this room, Tom Crabtree says, pointing around the Green Bay Packers locker room. Everybodys fighting for a job. I think it would apply to any of us.
But its particularly apropos for Crabtree, not only for what the tattoo says, but where its located: On his left forearm.
You see, for the last week or so, the first-year tight end has been wearing a bulky hard cast on that forearm, protecting what team doctors have diagnosed as a bone bruise in his hand and a sprained wrist. It doesnt cover the word the cast ends atop the final D as much as it underscores it.
He is a tough guy, Packers coach Mike McCarthy says and coming from a tough guy from Pittsburgh, its the highest compliment. He is having a heck of a camp.
Determined.
Making an impression at tight end this summer was a tall order, given the developments at the position: The elevation of Jermichael Finley, a burgeoning NFL star, to the starting spot; the workmanlike effort of veteran Donald Lee, who accepted his demotion like an old pro and responded with his best camp in several years; the jack-of-all-trades role of Spencer Havner, a converted linebacker who was a pleasant surprise as the No. 3 tight end last season; and the selection of Penn States Andrew Quarless in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, a move that had some fans wagering on which of the incumbents would be unemployed by the end of camp.
Instead, general manager Ted Thompson is seriously considering keeping four tight ends and wouldnt rule out keeping all five.
Yeah, thats possible. Sure, Thompson says. It sort of messes up your equation at other spots, but it depends how it works out.
Right now, all signs point to the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Crabtree getting one of those spots on the 53-man roster, no matter how many tight ends Thompson chooses to keep. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin absolutely loves the kid and says Crabtree is already the groups best in-line blocker, while special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum has made Crabtree a core player on his coverage and return units.
Theyre trusting me to be a part of the offense and be out there on special teams, so that has to say something, Crabtree says. I feel like Im doing some good things. Hopefully theyre noticing.
They are.
I see a guy that, its important to him, tight ends coach Ben McAdoo says. He wants to be a part of this football team. He spent most of his life in-line, and were moving him around, asking him to do some more things in the pass game that he isnt used to doing, and hes come a long way in a short period of time. And hes worked hard at it. Hes fought through that injury and it really hasnt slowed his progress down.
Determined.
But as much as Crabtree has done to get the coaches attention with his play, its been his toughness and willingness to fight through what at times has been some excruciating pain in his hand, thumb and wrist. The worst of it was during the first half of the teams preseason opener against Cleveland on Aug. 14, when he was blocking on a punt return and got his hand caught up in a Browns players jersey, twisting it awkwardly.
My arm was killing me. But its just my hand. As long as my legs are still moving, Im good, Crabtree says. This isnt going to stop me. Im just trying to stay out there and play.
Not that he has much of a choice, of course. For a player in his predicament, the old adage You cant make the club sittin in the tub most certainly rings true. Married to Chelsea, hes about to become a dad for the first time, with son Bryce scheduled to arrive in a matter of weeks. Chelsea and Bryce provide all the motivation he could possibly need.
This is what I do, this is what I love, Crabtree says. At this point, youve got to be out there. Youre going to have pain. Its the most physical game in the world. You just have to play through it. I feel like I have to be out there.
Determined.
Whats remarkable about Crabtrees story is how anyone ever noticed him in the first place. During his senior year at Miami of Ohio, he split time with fellow senior Jake OConnell, with OConnell catching most of the passes and Crabtree handling most of the blocking. In 48 games in college, Crabtree had only 40 catches for 329 yards and two touchdowns. His senior year, he started nine of 12 games but caught just 10 passes for 64 yards. (For comparison, OConnell caught 46 passes for 453 yards and four TDs in 41 career games, including 25 receptions for 258 yards as a senior.)
When we went to evaluate him (before the draft), we usually have cut-ups of every throw that you can watch of the tight ends coming out. And he had maybe five plays on his. He was a hard guy to find, McAdoo says. We had to go do some digging. But we liked what we saw. Hes a tough, gritty guy. He just didnt get the opportunities. And sometimes you cant control that as a player.
The Chiefs signed him after drafting OConnell in the seventh round following the 2009 NFL Draft, and kept him through the offseason program and training camp before cutting him on the final roster reduction last Sept. 6. Kansas City brought him back for a three-week stint on the practice squad before releasing him for good on Sept. 29.
After catching on with the Packers and spending the final five weeks of last season on the practice squad which he believes gave him a leg up this season Crabtree has been one of the pleasant surprises of camp. The other night, despite the awkward cast, he made a nice catch across the middle on an Aaron Rodgers fastball, then made another nice grab down the seam on a pass from backup Matt Flynn.
Then in Saturday nights 27-24 preseason victory at Seattle, Crabtree saw extensive action, playing on the Packers No. 1 kickoff return team, then entering the game on offense on the second offensive series which meant playing with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the starters and playing six plays on the Packers second touchdown drive of the game. Crabtree played about 15 first-half snaps with the 1s and 2s.
While he didnt have a catch, he blocked well and figures to see even more action on Thursday against Indianapolis at Lambeau Field, where he will continue to block with ferocity and attack special teams with a reckless abandon.
Hes very much into trying to make this team. He has been since he came here on our practice squad, Thompson says. He is a no-nonsense guy. (Is he) old-school? I dont know. Hes got the big tattoos and stuff. I dont know if that eliminates him from (being) old-school or puts him in there.
Tattoo or not, its Crabtrees attitude that makes him old-school: Determined.
I approach every day the same. Im going to work just as hard and fight each day like I have a chance, Crabtree says. Theres some good things happening and being said, but when it comes down to it, whether Im not getting those compliments or getting any attention, Im going to approach things the same way. Im going to work just as hard either way.
Listen to Jason Wilde every weekday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Green & Gold Today, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jasonwilde.