Marcus Crandell facts for kids

Marcus Cornelius Crandell was born on January 6, 1974. He is an American former professional Canadian football player who played as a quarterback. He also worked as a coach. His last coaching job was as the offensive coordinator for the Saskatchewan Huskies at the University of Saskatchewan.

Crandell played for 11 seasons from 1997 to 2008. He played for the Edmonton Eskimos, Calgary Stampeders, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He also spent time playing in NFL Europe and the XFL. Crandell was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player in 2001. This was after the Stampeders won the 89th Grey Cup. He also won another Grey Cup championship in 2007 with the Roughriders. He was the team's backup quarterback then.

Early Life and College Football

Marcus Crandell played high school football at Roanoke High School in Robersonville, North Carolina. After high school, he went on to play college football at East Carolina University.

College Records and Achievements

At East Carolina University, Crandell set more than 30 records for passing and offense. In 1996, he was considered for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. This award goes to the best senior quarterback in college football. He led the Pirates to two bowl games after the regular season. One of these was a 19-13 win against Stanford in the 1995 Liberty Bowl.

Here are some of his college stats:

• 1994: He completed 230 passes out of 401 attempts for 2,687 yards. He threw 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also ran for 96 yards and scored 1 touchdown.
• 1995: He completed 235 passes out of 447 attempts for 2,751 yards. He threw 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 201 yards and scored 6 touchdowns.
• 1996: He completed 136 passes out of 245 attempts for 1,507 yards. He threw 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 109 yards.

Professional Football Career

Marcus Crandell had a long career playing professional football. He played in the Canadian Football League (CFL), NFL Europe, and the XFL.

Playing for the Edmonton Eskimos (CFL)

Crandell joined the Edmonton Eskimos as a free agent on May 2, 1997. He played in a few games that season. In 1998, he was part of all 18 regular season games. He also played in the playoff games. In 1999, he played in 13 regular season games and started two of them. He also played in a playoff game where he threw a touchdown. He became a free agent in February 2000.

Time in NFL and NFL Europe

In February 2000, Crandell signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL. The Chiefs sent him to play for the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe. He played with the Claymores in 2000. He was released by the Chiefs in July 2000. Later, the Green Bay Packers signed him briefly in August 2000, but released him soon after.

Playing for the Memphis Maniax (XFL)

In the 2001 XFL Draft, Crandell was picked third overall by the Memphis Maniax. He played for the Maniax in 2001. This was the XFL's first and only season.

Success with the Calgary Stampeders (CFL)

On May 31, 2001, Crandell signed with the Calgary Stampeders. He helped the Stampeders finish second in their division. Crandell led the Stampeders to wins in the playoff games. In the 89th Grey Cup, he led Calgary to a big win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player for his great performance. He played four seasons with Calgary.

Joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL)

In March 2005, Crandell signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He started as a backup quarterback. He got his first start for the Roughriders in game 10 against Winnipeg, which they won 45-26. He won his first five starts with the team.

In 2006, Crandell was still a backup. He started one game when the main quarterback was injured. In 2007, he was again the backup. He started one game that the Roughriders won in overtime. The Roughriders won the 95th Grey Cup in 2007. This was Crandell's second Grey Cup championship.

In 2008, Crandell started the season as the Roughriders' main quarterback. He won three games and lost two before getting injured. He was later released by the team.

CFL Career Statistics Summary

Marcus Crandell played in 153 regular season games in the CFL. He started 64 of those games as a quarterback. His record as a starting quarterback was 26 wins and 38 losses.

He completed 1,297 passes out of 2,338 attempts, gaining 17,227 passing yards. He threw 86 touchdowns and 88 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,303 yards and scored 20 rushing touchdowns.

Playoff and Grey Cup Games

Crandell played in 10 playoff games, starting 3 of them. He completed 83 passes for 1,002 yards, throwing 10 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He also rushed for 57 yards.

In the Grey Cup, he played in 2 games, starting 1. In the 2001 Grey Cup, he completed 18 passes for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also rushed for 22 yards.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Marcus Crandell became a coach.

• In 2009, he was hired by the Roughriders as an offensive assistant.
• In 2011, he became the Offensive Coordinator for the Edmonton Eskimos. He later became their quarterbacks coach in 2012.
• For the 2014 season, Crandell joined the Ottawa Redblacks as their quarterbacks coach.
• In 2017, he became the offensive coordinator for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.