NAME: Darrell Crawford
SCHOOL: G.A.R.
LAST SEASON: 2011
POSITIONS: QB/DB

Electric was a word used by many observers whenever Darrell Crawford touched the football.  A senior captain and three-year starter, he led the Grenadiers to Wyoming Valley Conference and District 2 title with an 11-2 record. He rushed for 1,834 yards and 32 touchdowns, and threw for 997 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2011. For his career, Crawford finished with 4,027 rushing yards and 54 rushing touchdowns and 1,733 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns. On defense, he played safety and finished his career with 134 tackles and 11 interceptions.

Crawford was named 2011 NPF Wyoming Valley Conference Small School Offensive Player of the Year and first-team at quarterback and defensive back. He was named a first-team athlete in the division in 2010. Crawford was named an all-state athlete in 2011 and an all-state defensive back in 2010 by the Pennsylvania Football Writers and a third-team all-state athlete by the Pennsylvania Football News in 2011. He was also named a first-team offensive specialist by EasternPaFootball.com. Crawford was a member of the WNEP Dream Team and played his college football at Division I-FCS Lafayette University where he played both wide receiver and defensive back.

Former G.A.R. coach Paul Wiedlich Jr. on Crawford: “Darrell was one of the smoothest, well- rounded  football players to come out of the WVC in my opinion. He was deceptively quick and was always one step ahead. He a had great knack of anticipating things in all facets of the game. Offensively he made the right reads with his legs and arm. Defensively he was like a predator stalking his prey with his unreal athleticism. On special teams you had to be crazy to punt or kick off to him. Darrell had the “it factor” when it came to playing football at the high school level. We always joked that if he were 3-4 inches taller, we would have watched him play on ABC and ESPN on Saturdays, but that was the big school’s loss. Lafayette College got one heck of an athlete and I couldn’t be more proud of Darrell graduating from such an esteemed school of higher learning and the young man he has become today.”