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BY DON WILLIAMS
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
The next Crab grabs will come with Mike Crabtree wearing a different uniform.
Texas Tech’s will enter the NFL draft, his father said Friday, ending a brilliant college career after two years.
Michael Crabtree, the Tech flanker’s father, said the expectation that Crabtree will be taken among the top 10 overall picks is too enticing to pass up.
“We thought about (him returning to Tech),’’ the elder Crabtree said. “Probably be better to go now. He had small injuries this year. We didn’t want to their to be any major injuries or anything (in the future) to keep him from going pro.’’
Crabtree will have a news conference Tuesday to discuss his decision, according to his cousin, David Wells.
Crabtree’s father said the NFL draft advisory board informed Crabtree that he should go high in the first round. The elder Crabtree said his son could go as high as fourth overall to Seattle or seventh overall to Oakland, both teams in need of receiving help.
“It should be in the top 10,’’ he said. “That was one of the main factors.’’
Before he arrived at Tech, Crabtree hadn’t played receiver since his sophomore year at Dallas Carter High School. He’d been a quarterback his last two schoolboy seasons, but he adapted in a hurry when Tech put him at flanker.
After sitting out his first year on campus, Crabtree won the Biletnikoff Award each of the last two years as the top wide receiver in college football. He broke NCAA freshman records in 2007 with 134 receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns.
This year, he finished with 97 catches for 1,165 yards and 19 TDs.
Even at a program known over the past decade for its passing offense, Crabtree broke the school records for career receiving yards and career touchdown receptions.
His legacy also will include one of the great plays in Tech hisotry — and some nationally have said, college football history. His 28-yard touchdown catch with one second left to beat Texas on Nov. 1 gave the Red Raiders their first win in 84 seasons over a No.1-ranked team.
He didn’t go out the way he wanted, however. In last Friday’s 47-34 Cotton Bowl to Mississippi, Crabtree finished with a career-low 30 yards receiving on four receptions, which tied a career low.
In that game, he continued to be bothered by a right high ankle sprain that kept him out of the second half of the regular-season finale against Baylor. In the Oct. 18 game at Texas A&M, he also suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot.
The foot injury, his father said, wasn’t nearly as troublesome as the recent high-ankle sprain.
“That didn’t bother him near as much as his ankle,’’ the elder Crabtree said. “He could run straight ahead on it, but when he tried to cut he couldn’t do anything.’’
Crabtree had an MRI exam performed on the ankle this week in Lubbock and received favorable results on Friday, his father said.
“It could be rehabbed,’’ the elder Crabtree said. “It’ll take time to heal. It doesn’t require surgery or anything.’’
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
The next Crab grabs will come with Mike Crabtree wearing a different uniform.
Texas Tech’s will enter the NFL draft, his father said Friday, ending a brilliant college career after two years.
Michael Crabtree, the Tech flanker’s father, said the expectation that Crabtree will be taken among the top 10 overall picks is too enticing to pass up.
“We thought about (him returning to Tech),’’ the elder Crabtree said. “Probably be better to go now. He had small injuries this year. We didn’t want to their to be any major injuries or anything (in the future) to keep him from going pro.’’
Crabtree will have a news conference Tuesday to discuss his decision, according to his cousin, David Wells.
Crabtree’s father said the NFL draft advisory board informed Crabtree that he should go high in the first round. The elder Crabtree said his son could go as high as fourth overall to Seattle or seventh overall to Oakland, both teams in need of receiving help.
“It should be in the top 10,’’ he said. “That was one of the main factors.’’
Before he arrived at Tech, Crabtree hadn’t played receiver since his sophomore year at Dallas Carter High School. He’d been a quarterback his last two schoolboy seasons, but he adapted in a hurry when Tech put him at flanker.
After sitting out his first year on campus, Crabtree won the Biletnikoff Award each of the last two years as the top wide receiver in college football. He broke NCAA freshman records in 2007 with 134 receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns.
This year, he finished with 97 catches for 1,165 yards and 19 TDs.
Even at a program known over the past decade for its passing offense, Crabtree broke the school records for career receiving yards and career touchdown receptions.
His legacy also will include one of the great plays in Tech hisotry — and some nationally have said, college football history. His 28-yard touchdown catch with one second left to beat Texas on Nov. 1 gave the Red Raiders their first win in 84 seasons over a No.1-ranked team.
He didn’t go out the way he wanted, however. In last Friday’s 47-34 Cotton Bowl to Mississippi, Crabtree finished with a career-low 30 yards receiving on four receptions, which tied a career low.
In that game, he continued to be bothered by a right high ankle sprain that kept him out of the second half of the regular-season finale against Baylor. In the Oct. 18 game at Texas A&M, he also suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot.
The foot injury, his father said, wasn’t nearly as troublesome as the recent high-ankle sprain.
“That didn’t bother him near as much as his ankle,’’ the elder Crabtree said. “He could run straight ahead on it, but when he tried to cut he couldn’t do anything.’’
Crabtree had an MRI exam performed on the ankle this week in Lubbock and received favorable results on Friday, his father said.
“It could be rehabbed,’’ the elder Crabtree said. “It’ll take time to heal. It doesn’t require surgery or anything.’’
DAL @ PHI
LAR 
IND 
CAR 
