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SPORTS
Crawford moves to tight end
Tight End C. J. Crawford listens to instructions from Tight Ends coach Phil Ratliff as Herd Football continued with preseason practice, Friday, August, 13, 2010 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- When C.J. Crawford came to Marshall University two years ago, he was labeled as an athlete, meaning that he could fill several positions on a football team.
Some of the positions he was listed at included quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback and safety.
Not once was he ever mentioned as a tight end.
That is, until now.
Crawford has been running reps in the same lines as NFL prospect Lee Smith after moving from wide receiver to tight end.
For Crawford, it is a big change from what he was used to.
"I'm just going to have to switch it up and get the old mentality out of my head of avoiding hits and maybe putting a move on someone," Crawford said. "It's time to be physical and run people over, take big hits and hold onto the ball."
As one of the state's top prospects as a Huntington High player, Crawford's best attributes were his speed, athleticism and ways to make a defender miss. He even smiled when thinking about what it will be like once he lines up at the tight end position and does his best Lee Smith impression.
"It's a little different from being in the receiver stance and blocking safeties and corners to a three-point stance and blocking D-linemen and inside linebackers," Crawford said. "I'm not going to be able to knock anyone out, but I can run a little bit and use that speed to my advantage to get on them fast."
Crawford's speed has never been in question, but one newfound reason for the position change was the muscle he put on under the direction of Frank Piraino, Marshall's strength and conditioning coach.
After coming in to Marshall just more than 200 pounds, Crawford tipped the scales a few weeks ago at 225. The added bulk certainly will help, considering he didn't lose any of the speed that he had at 200.
The added bulk, combined with speed, prompted Marshall head coach Doc Holliday to switch Crawford and Gator Hoskins from wide receivers to tight ends.
"Those guys are there because we need them at those positions. ... " Holliday said. "They are athletic guys that can stretch the field a little bit."
Crawford really didn't have much time to mentally prepare himself to becoming a tight end.
Honestly, he might have even thought he was still having a weird dream when he was alerted to the change.
"5:45 a.m. Tuesday morning," Crawford said. "I was walking out (for our 6 a.m. practice) and he pulled me over to the side and told me. Literally, it was just go at it from there."
No matter when told, Crawford made the quick transition and likes what he sees in the overall scheme and the impact he can have at his new spot.
Speed is found at nearly every position on Marshall's offensive unit, and Crawford brings a little more to the tight end position.
"Hopefully, I can get teams out there in a strong formation where they don't have speed personnel in and I can stretch the field and create mismatches," Crawford said.
