Michael Crabtree's Record-Breaking Freshman Season at Texas Tech

Michael Alex Crabtree Jr., born on September 14, 1987, is an American former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Before his NFL career, Crabtree made a name for himself playing college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, where he achieved remarkable success, particularly during his freshman season.

Early Life and High School Career

Born in Dallas, Texas, Michael Crabtree attended David W. Carter High School, where he participated in basketball, football, and track. As a quarterback for the Carter Cowboys football team, he showcased his athletic abilities by completing 45 of 100 passes for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior year. He also rushed 100 times for 646 yards and nine touchdowns. Crabtree was considered a top recruit in Texas.

Crabtree's athletic talent extended to basketball, where he garnered interest from Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight. Ultimately, Crabtree chose football, receiving scholarship offers from multiple universities. These included Baylor, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Kansas. Texas also recruited him, with coaches interested in him playing defense.

Redshirt Freshman Season (2007)

In 2007, Michael Crabtree began his redshirt-freshman season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, quickly establishing himself as a dominant force in college football.

Breaking Records

During the Iowa State game, Crabtree surpassed the season record for the most touchdown receptions by a freshman receiver. The previous record of 14 was shared by Jabar Gaffney (2000), Mike Williams (2002), and Davone Bess (2005).

Read also: From Injury to Stardom: Penix Jr.

On October 13, 2007, Crabtree had eight receptions for 170 yards in a 35-7 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies, bringing his total yardage to 1,244.

During the game against Colorado, Crabtree made his 99th reception, setting three records simultaneously:

Most single-season receptions by a freshman in I-A.
Most single-season receptions by a Red Raider.
Most single-season touchdowns by a Big 12 player (18).

Freshman All-American Honors

Crabtree's outstanding performance in 2007 earned him Freshman All-American honors. He set freshman single-season FBS and Big 12 records for receiving yards (1,962) and receptions (134). He also set freshmen records for receiving yards per game (150.9), touchdown receptions (22), receptions per game (10.3), and 100-yard receiving games (11).

He was named the Big 12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2007.

Biletnikoff Award

Crabtree's exceptional freshman season led to him winning the Biletnikoff Award, an honor given to the nation's top college receiver.

Read also: UCLA's Progress Under Michael Beck

Sophomore Season (2008)

Before his sophomore season, CBS Sports listed Crabtree as a Heisman hopeful.

During a 56-14 victory over Massachusetts, Crabtree recorded five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown in limited playing time. In the next game against Kansas State, he caught nine passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns during the 58-28 victory. The Red Raiders then defeated Nebraska 37-31, where Crabtree had five receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns. In the following 43-25 win over Texas A&M, he recorded eight receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns while also compiling his first kickoff return of his career in the game, running the ball for 50 yards. Crabtree partially recovered from his ankle sprain enough to play at Kansas, where he recorded nine receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns in a 63-21 Tech victory.

Game-Winning Touchdown Against Texas

The Red Raiders then upset #1 Texas 39-33. Down 33-32, Tech drove down into the Longhorns' territory with eight seconds left in the game. Quarterback Graham Harrell threw to Crabtree in double coverage inside the 10-yard line. Crabtree grabbed the pass, shook a defender on the sideline, and ran into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown with a second left in the game. As the Red Raiders won, Crabtree finished with 10 receptions for 127 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.

Against Oklahoma State, Crabtree had eight receptions for 89 yards and three touchdowns.

Continued Accolades

Crabtree continued to receive accolades for his performance, solidifying his reputation as one of the top receivers in college football.

College Football Hall of Fame

The Dallas native is the sixth Red Raider player in the College Football Hall of Fame. The only two-time unanimous First Team All-American (2007, 2008) in Texas Tech history, Crabtree finished fifth in the 2008 Heisman Trophy voting.

NCAA Football 10 Cover

On April 23, 2009, EA Sports announced that Crabtree would be featured on the cover of NCAA Football 10 for Xbox 360.

NFL Draft and Career

After only two seasons at Texas Tech, Crabtree declared himself eligible for the 2009 NFL draft. He was selected in the first round (10th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2009 NFL draft.

Legacy

Michael Crabtree's impact on Texas Tech football is undeniable. He achieved eight NCAA records in just two seasons. He is one of only five Red Raiders in school history to have earned unanimous All-American honors.

Texas Tech Records

Despite playing just two seasons, he remains Texas Tech's all-time leader with 41 career receiving touchdowns and 15 career 100-yard receiving games while ranking second with 3,127 career receiving yards. His 1,962 receiving yards and 134 receptions in 2007 are both Big 12 and Red Raider records, and he owns the top two single-season receiving touchdown marks in school history (22 in 2007, 19 in 2008). The 2007 Texas Tech team MVP owns nearly every freshman receiving record in the Big 12 and Red Raider record books.

Honors and Awards

Crabtree has received multiple honors due to his accomplishments at Texas Tech. In addition to being a two-time unanimous first-team All-American, Crabtree is a two-time Biletnikoff Award and Paul Warfield Award winner.

Texas Tech Ring of Honor

The 2020 Texas Tech Hall of Fame inductee was named to the school's Football Ring of Honor in 2021.

tags: #michael #crabtree #freshman #stats