Veteran defensive end Jack Crawford has decided to call it a career in a surprising move on Tuesday.
Crawford played with a number of different teams throughout the duration of his career, starting out with the Oakland Raiders after being selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He then went on to play with the Dallas Cowboys, where he played from 2014 to 2016.
Arguably the most memorable stop along Crawford’s ten-year NFL career was with the Atlanta Falcons, where he played with the organization for three years, recording 6 sacks and an interception in an impressive 2018 season.
He finished his career last season in an unceremonious fashion, landing on the injured reserve list for the entire year with the Arizona Cardinals organization after playing for the Tennessee Titans in 2020.
Crawford’s journey to the NFL is extremely interesting, being one of the five players that were in the NFL last season from England, which he detailed in his message to fans on social media to announce his retirement.
“After 10 seasons in the NFL, I know my time has come to step away from the game and close the chapter on my life in the League,” he wrote. “At 16 years old I left my family and friends in the UK and moved to the US. I couldn’t have imagined the journey that lay ahead of me, it feels like it flew by and I’m grateful for every minute.”
“I want to thank all of the organizations that took a chance on me and all of the fans that supported me. I will never take for granted the memories of going to battle with my friends and teammates.”
He also went on to thank his girlfriend, agent, and his host family in the United States after he moved for their support throughout his career.
Many took the chance to wish Crawford a happy retirement on social media following his announcement.
Congratulations on a great career Jack! Loved watching you put that work in every single day making yourself and your teammates better!
— Jon Condo (@JonCondo) May 17, 2022
Legend. Congratulations brother
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) May 17, 2022
Congrats brother. Helluva career. Excited for what’s next. 💯
— Vic So'oto (@Coach_Sooto) May 17, 2022
While his NFL career is over, this will remain a great story that shows no matter where you are from you can succeed if you bring the right work ethic day in and day out like Crawford did at the professional level.
[Jack Crawford, Pro Football Talk]
