When thinking of the male influences in his life, Dufur senior Curtis Crawford names off his teammates and coaches, his father, Rick Crawford, grandfather, Ron Townsend and family friend, Russ Pishion as crucial mainstays in his development.
But, mama is No. 1.
“The most important part of all of this is my mom. She has always been there for me no matter what,” Curtis said of his mother, Eileen. “I always felt her love for me. She’s always shown me that my sister and I are the most important people in the world to her. She inspires me to work hard for what I do, because she has been alone through tough times, and she pushed through because of her hard work.”
It is that stronghold and positive example that has given Curtis a will to expect the best from himself, as he approaches the next phase of life as a football player at George Fox University, where he is slated for duties as a receiving tight end at the Division III school.
In addition to gridiron play, Curtis Crawford seeks to earn a Liberal Arts degree.
“It’s huge for me to be able to take this step into my football career,” Crawford said. “I always have worked so I could continue to play football past high school. I feel I’ve grown a lot as an athlete from the time I was in middle school. I’ve always had a passion for football. I love the work you have to put in to be a better player and athlete. Due to great coaches and teammates that have pushed me to be the best I can, I feel I’ve improved every year.”
Through his four-year high school career, Curtis Crawford has jumped from honorable mention as a sophomore, to second team defense as a junior, to first-team all-league and first-team all-state on both sides of the ball last fall as a senior.
When looking at a player Like Crawford, his hands and route running are at a high level, as he posted a team-leading 25 receptions, on 36 targets, for 494 yards and nine touchdowns.
With his sack and tackle numbers at defensive end, Crawford had 151 yards for loss on those plays, recovered two fumbles and turned one of those into a touchdown.
During the program’s recent run at three consecutive state championships, Dufur head football coach Jack Henderson sees an athlete who will handle going from the 8-man game to the Division III level with a fluid transition.
“It will be an adjustment to learn and understand the schemes that he will need to master. The speed of the game will challenge him as well, but Curtis has the physical tools to make that transition with success as well,” Henderson said. “With his work ethic and dedication, Curtis will do just fine. His future is bright, and he will succeed in whatever path he ultimately takes in his life.”
While college life is tough, Curtis is taking with him the necessary tools to gain an edge on the field and in the classroom.
His passion for the game is unmatched and he aspires to evolve into being a difference maker to help the football program moving forward.
“To perfect my game, I have to continue to run, so I stay in shape,” Curtis said. “I’ll also have to continue lifting weights, so I can be as strong as I can for college. One of the biggest things I’ll be working on is my blocking. Being able to out-muscle someone from the line of scrimmage and open holes for the running backs is important, and I love that part of the game.”
Winning championships, picking up individual accolades are just a small factor on why being a Dufur Ranger football player has played an impactful role on Curtis.
As a productive member of his school and positive influence at his local church, everything comes together to help guide the way for youths in the community.
He wants to harness that love and exude that generosity and kindness when he steps on the Newberg campus for the start of school.
“Dufur athletics has provided a lot for me,” Curtis said. “Due to all of my coaches’ winning attitudes and great coaching abilities, we have won three championships during my high school career. The most important thing to me was being able to wear red, black, and white with my teammates. I’m very thankful for everything my teammates have done to help me have a great time playing high school football.”
While her baby boy goes off to college through his journey into adulthood, Eileen Crawford is going to do what she has done every single day for the past 18 years – show love and support, while continuing to be the beacon of light and foundation for success.
“Curtis’ goal through high school has been to play football in college,” Eileen said. “I’m just so proud of him for working hard and getting this opportunity. It seems like it was just yesterday I was sending him off to kindergarten. The time has gone so fast. It’s going to be hard for me to send him off to this next step in his life, but I’m really proud of the young man that he has become.”
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