2019 Pro Day Preview: Safety Jonathan Crawford
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Image: Jonathan Crawford’s Twitter Account
Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)
Jonathan Crawford is the very definition of an iron man. Crawford started in every single game of his college career. All 50 of them. Only a dozen other players have accomplished such a feat in Indiana history. Coming to Bloomington from Largo High School in Florida, Crawford made a lasting impact on the Indiana football program. Crawford proved right away that he was going to be a great safety. As a freshman, he racked up 76 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and four interceptions – the third most for a true freshman in school history.
Indiana hired Tom Allen to be the defensive coordinator in 2016 for what would be Crawford’s sophomore year. He helped lead Indiana’s secondary toward what would become one of the most significant single season turnarounds Hoosier fans have ever seen. Dramatic defensive improvement followed Tom Allen’s arrival, and Crawford played a major role. Crawford led the entire team in takeaways with seven. He had four fumble recoveries, three interceptions, as well as 71 tackles and seven pass breakups. By the time Indiana promoted Tom Allen to head coach, Jonathan Crawford was an upperclassman and ready to be a key leader.
Crawford continued his production throughout his junior and senior seasons. He was named Indiana’s defensive player of the week on several occasions. When it was all said and done, Crawford had put together an amazing resume. He stands eighth all time in IU football history with nine interceptions. A three-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, Crawford tallied 275 tackles, 19 takeaways, seven fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, 19 pass breakups and two blocked punts. Now it’s time for the next stage.
At the NFL combine, Crawford came in at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. His hand measured 9 and ¼ inch with a wingspan of over 6-foot-4. He also posted 16 reps on the bench press. Crawford has a bright future ahead of him. His career was action packed and Hoosier fans will miss his steady play at safety after four years of consistency. Crawford has cemented his name in the IU record books and in the memory of Hoosier fans.