 "Photo: File photo")
While Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is content with Michael Crabtree's departure to the NFL, he believes Brandon Williams is leaving too soon.
Crabtree confirmed in a news conference Tuesday he will enter the 2009 NFL Draft with an announcement. Williams filed his papers for the NFL Draft on Monday.
Crabtree's announcement was expected after ESPN reported the redshirt sophomore would conduct a news conference Tuesday to declare for the NFL Draft.
Leach, who tries not to pay much attention to the draft, said while Crabtree has a chance to be picked high, he is unsure of where Williams will fall.
"Michael Crabtree has the opportunity to get drafted relatively high," he said. "That's a little bit of a different consideration. I think Brandon would've been served better to have another year, especially (with) the physical nature of the position he plays.
"Michael really could've gone either way, and Brandon I think should've stayed in college. I think he's hurting his chances by leaving early."
During the press conference, Crabtree said he had a two-hour discussion with Leach immediately after the loss to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl.
"For 30 minutes, he was telling me about how I should stay," Crabtree said in the story by The Associated Press. "The other half, I don't even remember. There was some pirates, some ski trips coming up."
Crabtree leaves Tech as one of the most prolific receivers in college football history.
Before he was making plays at Tech, Crabtree was doing the same at Carter High School in Dallas as a quarterback.
In his senior season, Crabtree completed 45-of-100 passes for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had 100 carries for 646 yards and nine touchdowns.
His high school career led to scholarship offers from Baylor, Iowa, Kansas State and Illinois among others.
Crabtree went on to break three NCAA records during his redshirt freshman season with 134 receptions, 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Although he did not match those numbers this season, he managed 97 catches for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns.
One of the more memorable plays in his career was a game-winning touchdown catch with one second left against No. 1 Texas Nov. 1. The catch gave Tech a 39-33 win, a No. 2 ranking and its first win over a top-ranked opponent in Tech history.
Crabtree led the Red Raiders to the Gator Bowl and the Cotton Bowl Classic in his two seasons at Tech. Tech won the 2008 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl 31-28 against Virginia but took a 47-34 loss to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl. Crabtree had nine catches for 101 yards and one touchdown against the Cavaliers and four catches for 30 yards and one touchdown against the Rebels.
With 231 catches for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns in two season for the Red Raiders, Crabtree won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the country's best wideout in 2007 and in 2008, the first to ever do so.
However, the final two games of his Tech career did not have the perfect ending.
Crabtree sprained his ankle against Baylor on Nov. 29 and struggled against Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl Classic. The injury and the sub-par performance in the Cotton Bowl were deciding factors in Crabtree turning pro, according to the report in The Associated Press
"It was hard when I was little. Money was a big problem," Crabtree said to The Associated Press. "I feel like this was the best decision."
ESPN's Todd McShay, director of college football scouting for Scouts Inc., has Crabtree as the top wide receiver in the NFL Draft, giving him a grade of 98. He said Crabtree's strength includes his ability to make plays; however, McShay said Crabtree's weakness is his speed.
Scouts Inc. has Crabtree getting picked as the No. 3 overall selection in the draft, which currently belongs to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Associated Press also reported Crabtree will not run at the NFL Combine on Feb. 18-24, but he will hold his own Pro Day in Dallas. The official invite list to the 2009 NFL Combine will be posted at the end of this month.
While Crabtree is forgoing his redshirt junior and senior seasons, Williams is forgoing his final year.
Williams, also recruited by Colorado, Iowa State and SMU, had 102 tackles and 11 sacks during his senior season at South Hills High School in Fort Worth.
His play in high school transitioned to the collegiate level well, as he tallied 22.5 sacks in three years as a Red Raider. The total ranks fourth all-time on Tech's sacks leaders list.
Williams anchored a defensive line that had 34 sacks during the 2008 season, good for 18th in the country.
Similar to Crabtree, Williams said he believed turning pro was the best decision to make.
The 20-year-old was told by the NFL's College Advisory Committee he could get picked in the third round at the earliest.
Williams, who will train with Crabtree at the Michael Johnson Camp in McKinney, said he can't wait to start training.
"I'm kinda nervous," he said, "but once I start training, doing everything I'm supposed to do, it'll eventually wear off."
In preparation to impress pro scouts, Graham Harrell, Eric Morris and Daniel Charbonnet are training with Chip Smith at Competitive Edge Sports, based in Atlanta.
Darcel McBath and Louis Vasquez have been invited to the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 17 in Houston.
Leach expressed the strengths of both Crabtree and Williams staying in school, as he said not getting a degree is what stands out to him.
"I think it's important you get the degree, but generally speaking, it's not a wise decision to leave early," he said. "The most important thing for a guy that goes to the NFL is people who make it, stay there. I think your chances are better if you stay in college the whole time."
Understanding both players' decisions to leave, Leach said he is grateful to have coached them.
"We enjoyed the time coaching them and wish them the best in the future," Leach said. "I hope the best for them."
Be the first to comment on this article!