Catching Up With Nebraska Great and Heisman Trophy Winner, Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch was a human highlight reel at the University of Nebraska. The former Cornhusker still sits atop of many records for the school at the quarterback position.
Nebraska became known for having amazing talent at the quarterback position throughout the 90ās and 00ās. The style of play was unique from the quarterback position. They werenāt the typical drop back passers. They ran a potent option that drove defensive coordinators crazy. Omaha native, Eric Crouch torched opposing defenses both with his legs and his arm. Crouch owns many of the schoolās records, won several individual awards and competed for a National Title in his tenure at the school. He is Nebraskaās all-time leader rusher from the QB position with nearly 3,500 yards, he made a short-list of quarterbacks to rush for 3,000 yards while passing for 4,000 yards throughout his career. In 2001 he earned the Heisman Trophy, Davey OāBrien and Walter Camp Award.
I recently caught up with the Cornhusker legend to discuss life off the football field. We discuss his Crouch Recreation business, Terence āBudā Crawfordās influence on Omaha as well as humbling lessons heās learned over the years.
What did you think of this yearās college football season?
Eric Crouch: I was very happy about it.
Are you a fan of the 4-team playoff system or would you like to see them move to eight in the near future?
Eric Crouch: I donāt know. I think eventually eight is going to be a good thing. Iām in favor of a larger system. Division II has it, so I donāt know why it canāt work at this Division I level as well. Take all of the conference champions and put them in a big playoff system.
You were once in Joe Burrowās shoes where, you won the Heisman Trophy and then competed for a National Championship. Did you feel any additional pressure because you had won that prestigious trophy?
Eric Crouch: You could let it eat you up, but I wasnāt victorious in my championship game. But I was just trying to win the game with the team that I had. I wasnāt thinking about the fact that I won the Heisman and how much pressure was on me to win the National Championship game because I won it. I never looked at it like that. It was always something deeper. We were up against a really good team. Thatās just the facts. We didnāt play our best game as a team, I donāt think we played our best games as individuals as well, and you put those two things together and thatās what you end up with. A Heisman Trophy but no National Championship.
You broke so many records at The University of Nebraska and won so many awards. Does any one of them stick out more than the other or collectively they all have a special place?
Eric Crouch: I think a lot of people would say, āOh, itās gotta be the Heisman Trophy.ā Thatās the one that sticks out to me the most. Itās a great award as well as the Davey OāBrien or a Walter Camp for different reasons. But also winning a conference championship was a really cool thing to me. I was on the Nebraska football team as a red-shirt freshman when we shared the National Title with Michigan in 1997. I do have a National Championship ring; I just wasnāt the guy behind center and thatās a lot different. Itās a lot different when youāre actually the guy behind center. I appreciate all my achievements individually.
Surpassing guys in the record books like, Tommie Frazier and Scott Frost who Iām sure being from Nebraska, were idols of yours is amazing.
Eric Crouch: Absolutely! I looked up to those guys and wanted to carry on the legacy, prestige and tradition of the powerhouse that Nebraska was that I remembered watching growing up. I wanted to be a part of it and those guys had a big impact on the way that I played the game, the way that I prepared for it, and the way that I approached every play from a mental and physical standpoint.
The stigma was, white dudes arenāt that fast or athletic, and you truly destroyed that stigma. Do you feel like you were perhaps underestimated because of those stigmas and in turn, made a lot of teams learn the hard way?
Eric Crouch: (Laughing)! Hey, I thought, Joe Burrow looked pretty good the other night with his legs. I think Johnny Manziel and Drew Brees looks pretty good with their legs. Trevor Lawrence can run like the wind. He just looks like a gazelle out there. I think in terms of being underestimated, I think I was underestimated in terms of my determination. Iām not the biggest, I wouldnāt even say Iām the fastest or the strongest, I just was determined. I was very competitive. I was willing to sacrifice my body for an extra inch for a first down or a touchdown. Not every player has that little extra that says, Iām gonna score, Iām gonna get the first down. I think thatās the difference. You see a lot of quarterbacks protecting themselves now; probably the smart thing to do, but it could cost games.
Football comes full circle. When you were doing it, smaller quarterbacks werenāt as prominent then. Now, not only do you see an influx of guys right at 6ā0, but coordinators are running offenses based on their strengths, and that wasnāt really a thing at one point either. What is it like for you to see the evolution of football, smaller quarterbacks having success and offenses being revolved around their skill sets?
Eric Crouch: Thatās a good question, I think that, the more that we look at this, like you said, full circle. Thereās been a lot of quarterbacks out there that can run and throw, short and tall. And to be honest, none of that stuff even matters. What matters is if you can get your team together and win games. I think that you can underestimate anybody, but there is a reason why people lose their starting positions. There is a reason why people donāt win football games when theyāre supposed to. For whatever those reasons are, thatās why the next guy will get an opportunity. You gotta find the guys that can get the team ready mentally. Someone that the team will play for. That quarterback position is unique. What we saw Monday night is two unique QBās at the elite level. Their teams really rally around them and play for them. 25-wins in college and never getting beatā¦ Trevor Lawrence, thatās incredible. I think Tommie Frazier had the same kind of thing. Very few guys can win that many football games as a starting quarterback and not lose. If the stars align, you have the right guys and the right coaches, the right schedule, all of these things, but they got it done. Thatās the bottom line.
You have always been a favorite of mine, but when I saw that you were either a big Terence āBudā Crawford fan because of the Omaha link or youāre a boxing fan, I gravitated to you even more being that Iām a boxing guy.
Eric Crouch: Iāve been a boxing fan my whole life. I remember growing up in the neighborhood, we put on the gloves and we had these fights down in peopleās basements when their parents werenāt home; crazy stuff like that. You know what Iām saying (laughing). I like watching the UFC too, but itās just different. I like boxing more because itās the classic hand-to-hand combat. Itās technical. Itās all fists.
Watching and having someone like, āBudā Crawford come out of Omaha. I donāt know how much you know about, āBud,ā but he comes from a part of Omaha that is one of the worse places in the nation in terms of black on black crimes, gangs, black on black murders. So, the impact that he can have and is having in his community, to meā¦ he may not understand it now. Heās probably 30-years old, but each and every year that passes, heās going to realize the impact that heās having on his community. Heās allowing kids to understand that, they donāt have to go down that path. You can make a difference. You can make choices. Sometimes these choices almost seem impossible, everything is against you, but thatās why, āBudā gives that bright light and that hope. Watching him fight the way that he fights; it makes me sad but happy. I know the way that he fights and the background that he came from is why he fights like that. It makes the hair on my neck stand up watching it, because I know the struggle of where he came from, so thatās the sad part, but to see him utilize it the way that he does makes me happy. Iāve been to a lot of his fights. I didnāt know a lot about, āBud.ā I just met him last year. Him being in Omaha, I was gone playing football. I didnāt come back to Nebraska fully until 2012.
To be honest, I was a big heavyweight fan, when those guys all went away, I loss track a little bit. Then the middleweights came back strong, the lighter weights. Iām a big Pacquiao fan. I love watching that guy fight. Triple G, Iām a fan of him as well. When Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya was around, those guys were so much fun to watch. Roy Jones Jr. was another one I loved. Watching boxing got me pumped to play football too. You just gotta be tough. When I watched boxing, that just made me think of how tough you gotta be to do anything in life.
You played angry like a fighter. Real raw aggression on that football field.
Eric Crouch: Yeah man! I had to. Those fights got me pumped to go out there and play.
I love how accessible guys like you and Terence Crawford are around your hometown. I think thatās important as well.
Eric Crouch: Life has humbled me in a lot of ways. Everything hasnāt gone the way I wanted it. Iām not the one in charge here. You have these hopes and dreams and things that you want out of life and sometimes you get humbled by that. Nebraska is also a humble place. Itās a small place, so you start burning bridges too quick and you find yourself all alone. You want to be helping everybody out. Weāre about community and family. Thatās what I love about the state of Nebraska. I love that about a lot of the athletes that have success and they come out of here. They never forget where theyāre from.
Before I let you go, tell us a little bit about Crouch Recreation.
Eric Crouch: A friend of mine at the time, heās passed away. He was an older gentleman; in his 60ās or 70ās when I bought this business. He basically just told me, āYou know what, man, football is not going to lasts forever.ā The wheels started to turn, and I got to thinking and I was like, āWhat are you talking about?ā He knew a guy that was selling his business. So, I actually shadowed him for 3-months, and I ended up buying this businessā¦ I wouldnāt say out of desperation, but more out of likeā¦ security. It was like a switch went off, you know what, football is not going to lasts forever, maybe Iām not going to be the MVP of the Super Bowl and make millions of dollars and signing autographs for the rest of my life and charging $100 per autograph.
Iām just happy that it worked out the way that it did, and I had the opportunity to get into a business that you have to work hard in every day. I donāt want to say itās a grind, but when you own your own business youāre always working and itās a lot like playing football and being a quarterback. Iām the leader of my business. When I step into the huddle, which is when I step into my business every day, people are looking at me to call the play. I enjoy that part because thatās what I enjoyed about football. I enjoyed building relationships with my teammates and doing what I could to make them better. And then essentially doing that, made the whole team better. I didnāt know what business what about to be honest. I had to learn about all of this. But the way I approached it was pretty simple, and I just fall back on what I know. And I know football and I know hard work, and I know some of those things that it takes to be successful. Now, I have transitioned that into my professional world of recreational equipment, but 16-years later, I wouldnāt say Iām an expert still. Iām learning every day. We have a great business. Weāve built a lot of great parks and recreational facilities for communities, and we are bringing families and communities together with our projects. Thatās something you can feel good about when you rest your head on a pillow at night.
Thatās awesome, my man. Itās been an honor speaking with you, best of luck and if there is anything you need to get out there, donāt hesitate to give me a buzz.
Eric Crouch: Alright cool. Call me anytime.
Be sure to visit Crouch Recreationās website at www.crouchrec.com.
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