Six Years in the Making

Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images

Chris Dailey

Founder, The Sports Court

Shaun Crawford isn’t your typical college football player.


Crawford, the 5’9 cornerback from Lakewood, Ohio, is a veteran who has gone through since stepping on the Notre Dame campus in 2015.


As a freshman, Crawford suffered a torn ACL that saw him undergo season-ending surgery. 


His sophomore year started off with two successful games against Texas and Nevada in which Crawford had an interception and a blocked PAT return against Texas. However, Crawford tore his Achilles during the game against Nevada.


His junior year was the first year that he played the whole year, but in 2018, as a senior, Crawford injured his knee during fall camp and missed the whole year.


After being ranked the 63rd best player in the nation coming out of high school, Crawford only played in 1 full season of his 4 years at Notre Dame.


Naturally, Crawford took a graduate year in 2019 and yet another one in 2020, both years being named team captain and being a lockdown cornerback on an Irish team that is set to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2021.


Crawford’s journey to the top was spent for many hours by himself on the ND campus, wondering if he will ever wear the iconic gold helmet again.


But the support of the Irish fans around the country and knowing Notre Dame was his home away from honey made Crawford fight, fight for another snap.


“This place is home to me,” Crawford said, “It’s been a place where I continue to find love and passion for the game. Coach Kelly has been great, sticking with me through the pain and adversity, he’s been a father-figure to me.”


And after six long, painful, but rewarding years, Crawford and Kelly are now on the nations biggest stage together for one last time before Crawford heads off to the NFL Draft.