With a hundred years of football history, it’s not often you get to see a player have a special night and best a legendary player from a very rich football history.
That is exactly what Kadon Crawford was able to do last Friday night when he hauled in seven catches for a record-setting 191 yards through the air.
“It’s a big honor to be in the record book (at Clinton),” Crawford said of the accomplishment. “There’s been a hundred years of football here and now my name is in that record book.”
Through seven games this season, Crawford has 30 receptions for 495 yards with six touchdowns. He has been junior quarterback Tushawan Richardson’s favorite target, accounting for 55 percent of the Red Devil air attack.
“He’s just an old school player,” Clinton head coach Corey Fountain said of Crawford. “He’s going to do what it takes off the field to be great on the field. He’s going to lift the weights. He’s going to watch the film. That’s what makes him such a special player.”
Crawford has always played tight end, though he prefers to play more like a wideout.
“I like standing up a lot better than having my hand on the ground,” Crawford said. “I’ve always been a tight end, but then the coaches saw that I could get open and catch the ball and they started moving me around.”
Crawford plays a pretty even split of his offensive snaps lined up wide and lined up right at the end of the line. He is an excellent blocker and makes tough catches in traffic. He also has the speed to stretch the field, which is why he averages 16.5 yards per catch this season and has several catches of 40+ yards.
Crawford is just as good on defense, helping anchor a Clinton linebacking corps that is arguably the best in the area. He was critical to the success of the Red Devil defense while standout linebackers Brett Young and Zane McLendon both missed some time due to injuries.
“He’s got the length you want as a linebacker,” Fountain said. “He can play in coverage because he has decent speed and he can get to the ball. He’s a very physical player and that’s what you need on the defensive side of the ball.”
Crawford and the Red Devils continue region play when they travel to Woodruff to take on the Wolverines. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
