Michael Crabtree facts for kids

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Michael Crabtree

Crabtree with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012

No. 15

Position:

Wide receiver

Personal information

Born:

September 14, 1987 (age 37)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)

Weight:

215 lb (98 kg)

Career information

High school:

Dallas Carter

College:

Texas Tech (2006–2008)

NFL Draft:

2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10

Career history

San Francisco 49ers (2009–2014)
Oakland Raiders (2015–2017)
Baltimore Ravens (2018)
Arizona Cardinals (2019)

Career highlights and awards

2× Biletnikoff Award (2007, 2008)
2× Paul Warfield Trophy (2007, 2008)
2× Unanimous All-American (2007, 2008)
2× First-team All-Big 12 (2007, 2008)
Big 12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year (2007)

Career NFL statistics

Receptions:	637
Receiving yards:	7,499
Receiving touchdowns:	54

Player stats at PFR

College Football Hall of Fame

Michael Alex Crabtree Jr. (born September 14, 1987) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Michael played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He was so good that he was twice named a unanimous All-American, which means he was recognized as one of the best players in the country by many different groups.

The San Francisco 49ers picked him 10th overall in the 2009 NFL draft. Crabtree played for the 49ers for six years. Later, he played for the Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, and Arizona Cardinals.

Early Life and High School Football

Michael Crabtree was born in Dallas, Texas. He went to David W. Carter High School in Dallas. There, he played basketball, football, and ran track.

In high school, he played as a quarterback for the Carter Cowboys football team. During his senior year, he threw for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also ran for 646 yards and 9 touchdowns. He was considered a top football recruit. Many colleges wanted him to play for their team.

Crabtree was one of the top 51 recruits in Texas. He received scholarship offers from several big universities. The Texas coaches wanted him to play defense. But Crabtree wanted to score touchdowns, so he chose to play offense.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Michael Crabtree ATH	Dallas, Texas	Carter	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.51	Jul 8, 2004
Michael Crabtree ATH	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: N/A Rivals: Overall: 240th State: 22nd Position: 16th
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Football Career

Crabtree accepted a scholarship to Texas Tech University. He played for coach Mike Leach and the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team from 2006 to 2008.

Freshman Season Highlights

In 2006, Michael was "redshirted." This means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. It helped him get ready for college football. He also changed his position from quarterback to wide receiver.

Crabtree breaks free on the "jailbreak" screen for Texas Tech in their win over Texas A&M in 2007

In 2007, his first year playing, Crabtree had an amazing season. He started strong against SMU, catching 12 passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns. He continued to impress, with 15 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns against UTEP.

Against the Rice Owls, he gained 244 yards and scored three touchdowns. He broke the record for most touchdown catches by a freshman receiver. He finished his freshman year with 134 catches, 1,962 yards, and 22 touchdowns. These numbers were incredible for a first-year player!

Sophomore Season Achievements

Before his sophomore season, many people thought Crabtree might win the Heisman Trophy, an award for the best college football player. He and his quarterback, Graham Harrell, were even featured on a magazine cover.

Crabtree in action during the Texas Tech at Kansas game in 2008

Crabtree continued his strong play in 2008. He had 9 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in the first game. He also had a huge 82-yard touchdown catch against Nevada.

One of his most famous plays was against #1 ranked Texas. With seconds left, Crabtree caught a pass, shook off a defender, and scored the game-winning touchdown! This helped Texas Tech win a huge upset. He finished fifth in the Heisman voting that year.

Michael Crabtree was also featured on the cover of the NCAA Football 10 video game for Xbox 360.

Setting NCAA Records

After just two seasons, Michael Crabtree set many records in college football. He was known for catching a lot of passes and gaining many yards.

Most passes caught by a freshman in a season: 134 catches in 2007.
Most yards gained by a freshman in a season: 1,962 yards in 2007.
Most games with 100 or more receiving yards by a freshman: 11 games in 2007.
Most touchdown passes caught by a freshman: 22 touchdowns in 2007.
Most touchdown passes caught in freshman and sophomore seasons: 41 touchdowns (22 in 2007, 19 in 2008).

College Honors and Awards

Crabtree received many awards for his amazing college career. He was a two-time unanimous first-team All-American. This means he was chosen as one of the best players in the country by all major selectors.

He also won the Fred Biletnikoff Award twice, which goes to the best wide receiver in college football. He was the first freshman ever to win this award.

Season	Team	Games Played	Receiving Stats
Season	Team	Games Played	Receptions	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
2007	Texas Tech	13	134	1,962	14.6	22
2008	Texas Tech	13	97	1,165	12.0	19
College Totals		26	231	3,127	13.5	41

Professional Football Career

Before the 2009 NFL draft, experts thought Crabtree would be picked very early. He was chosen 10th overall by the San Francisco 49ers. This made him the highest-drafted player from Texas Tech since 1965.

Pre-draft measurables
Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand size	Wonderlic
6 ft 1+3⁄8 in (1.86 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m)	9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m)	15
All values from NFL Combine

San Francisco 49ers Years

Crabtree joined the 49ers in 2009. He missed some training camp because of contract talks. But he eventually signed a six-year deal.

2009 Season Debut

Crabtree on the sidelines on November 12, 2009

On October 25, 2009, Crabtree played his first NFL game. He caught five passes for 56 yards. On November 22, he scored his first NFL touchdown. He led all rookie receivers in yards per game that season.

2010 Season Progress

Crabtree at 49ers training camp in August 2010

In 2010, Crabtree had his first game with over 100 receiving yards. He caught 9 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 55 catches for 741 yards and six touchdowns.

2011 Season and Playoffs

Crabtree had a foot injury in 2011 but still played well. He caught his first touchdown of the season against the Cleveland Browns. He finished the season with a career-high 72 catches and 874 receiving yards. In the playoffs, he scored a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints.

2012 Breakout Season

The 2012 season was a big one for Crabtree. He had his first season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He became a key player for the 49ers. He had a career-high 172 yards and two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals.

In the playoffs, he had 9 catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. He also caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens.

2013 Return from Injury

In 2013, Crabtree had surgery for a torn Achilles tendon. This is a serious injury. He returned to play in December 2013. He caught his only touchdown of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the playoffs, he had 8 catches for 125 yards against Green Bay.

2014 Final 49ers Season

In Week 3 of 2014, Crabtree had a career-high 10 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. He finished his time with the 49ers with 347 catches for 4,327 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Oakland Raiders Years

In 2015, Crabtree signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders.

2015 Season with Raiders

Crabtree quickly became an important player for the Raiders. In his second game, he caught 9 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. He signed a new four-year contract with the Raiders in December 2015. He finished the season with 85 catches for 922 yards and 9 touchdowns.

2016 Season Success

In 2016, Crabtree had his second season with over 1,000 receiving yards. In Week 4, he had a career-high three touchdown catches against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the season with a career-high 89 catches for 1,003 yards and 8 touchdowns.

2017 Season and Departure

Crabtree in 2017

In Week 2 of 2017, Crabtree again tied his career high with three touchdowns against the New York Jets. He also caught the game-winning touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs as time ran out. He finished the season with 58 catches for 618 yards and 6 touchdowns.

In March 2018, the Raiders released Crabtree. He had 232 catches for 2,543 yards and 25 touchdowns during his time with the team.

Baltimore Ravens Experience

On March 16, 2018, Crabtree signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

In his first game with the Ravens, he caught 3 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He finished the regular season with 54 catches for 607 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the playoffs, he scored two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Ravens released Crabtree in February 2019.

Arizona Cardinals Short Stint

On August 21, 2019, Crabtree signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He played in two games before being released on September 23, 2019.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season statistics
Year	Team	Games		Receiving					Rushing					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2009	SF	11	11	48	625	13.0	50	2	—	—	—	—	—	1	1
2010	SF	16	15	55	741	13.5	60T	6	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2011	SF	15	14	72	874	12.1	52T	4	1	6	6.0	0	0	0	0
2012	SF	16	16	85	1,105	13.0	49T	9	1	8	8.0	0	0	0	0
2013	SF	5	5	19	284	14.9	60	1	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2014	SF	16	16	68	698	10.3	51	4	1	4	4.0	0	0	0	0
2015	OAK	16	15	85	922	10.8	38T	9	—	—	—	—	—	1	0
2016	OAK	16	16	89	1,003	12.1	56	8	—	—	—	—	—	2	0
2017	OAK	14	14	58	618	10.7	41	8	—	—	—	—	—	1	0
2018	BAL	16	16	54	607	11.2	27	3	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2019	ARI	2	0	4	22	5.5	9	0	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
Career		143	138	637	7,499	11.8	60T	3	18	6.0	0	0	6	1

Postseason statistics
Year	Team	Games		Receiving					Rushing					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2011	SF	2	2	5	28	5.6	9	1	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2012	SF	3	3	20	285	14.3	33	3	—	—	—	—	—	1	0
2013	SF	3	2	15	203	13.5	31	0	—	—	—	—	—	1	0
2016	OAK	1	1	2	33	16.5	19	0	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2018	BAL	1	1	2	38	19.0	31T	2	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
Career		10	9	44	587	13.3	33	6	0	0	0.0	0	0	2	0

Endorsements and Partnerships

Michael Crabtree worked with different companies during his career.

In 2012, he teamed up with Ubisoft, a video game company. He created a special touchdown dance called "The Crab Shake." Every time he did this dance on the field, Ubisoft donated money to the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco.

He also partnered with Subway restaurants in 2009. This was his first national endorsement deal. He also had contracts with EA Sports, Jordan Brand, and trading card companies.

Personal Life and Honors

Texas Tech University honored Michael Crabtree by putting a large mural of him in their Jones AT&T Stadium. His picture is also shown in the football training building.

On September 18, 2021, Michael Crabtree was added to the Texas Tech Football Ring of Honor. This is a special recognition for great players from the university.