St. Augustine Prep graduate Jack Crawford was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
The closest Crawford will get this way is when the Raiders will play at the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 11.
He spoke to The Press of Atlantic City following the draft (story link), but also had time with the Bay Area media. CNS Bay Area provided a transcript of that interview.
Here are some of the highlights from the interview, but click here to check it out in its entirety.
Q: Have you taken a moment to reflect how unlikely this is, given how long and how far you’ve come?
A: It’s crazy. It’s a little emotional right now, everybody is crying. It’s so unlikely. I told myself coming into this situation that I wasn’t going to get upset if I didn’t get drafted. I have come so far already. I am just so happy. This is one of the best days of my life.
Q: You had a dip in production your junior year. What happened there?
A: I got hurt. I sprained a ligament in my right foot and it was just hard, because instead of having the surgery, I decided to let it heal a little bit and try and come back. I didn’t give myself enough time to heal up and I could never play up to my full potential.
Q: When did you make the transition in your mind from basketball player to football player?
A: It was the first year I played. Stepping on that football field for the first time, it was a feeling I never had before. I liked how it was a physical game. I grew up playing rugby and stepping on the football field, there was just a lot more excitement. When I started to get more of a feel for the game, I became more and more intrigued by it.
Q: When did you make the transition in your mind from basketball player to football player?
A: It was the first year I played. Stepping on that football field for the first time, it was a feeling I never had before. I liked how it was a physical game. I grew up playing rugby and stepping on the football field, there was just a lot more excitement. When I started to get more of a feel for the game, I became more and more intrigued by it.
