Michael Crabtree facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michael Crabtree

Crabtree with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012
No. 15
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1987-09-14) 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 played as a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was known for his amazing catches and strong play.

Michael played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He was so good that he earned "unanimous All-American" honors twice. This means he was chosen as one of the best players in the country by all major selectors. The San Francisco 49ers picked him 10th overall in the 2009 NFL draft. Crabtree played for the 49ers for six seasons. He also 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.

When he was deciding on college, Michael was offered scholarships from many schools. Coaches from Texas wanted him to play defense. But Michael wanted to score touchdowns, so he chose to play offense. He decided to play college football only, even though the Texas Tech basketball coach, Bob Knight, asked him to consider basketball.

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

Michael Crabtree did not play in 2006. This was because of a small issue with his school records and a change from quarterback to wide receiver.

In 2007, he started his first season against SMU. He quickly showed how good he was. He caught 12 passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns. In another game against the Rice Owls, he gained 244 yards on 11 catches for three touchdowns.

During his freshman year, Crabtree broke the record for most touchdown catches by a freshman receiver. He finished his first season with an amazing 134 catches, 1,962 yards, and 22 touchdowns. He also set records for most catches and yards by a freshman in college football history.

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

Sophomore Season Success

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

Crabtree started his sophomore year strong. In one game against Southern Methodist, he had 164 yards and three touchdowns. He was named the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week.

One of his most famous plays happened against the #1 ranked Texas team. With only seconds left, Crabtree caught a pass in the endzone for the game-winning touchdown. This helped Texas Tech upset Texas. He finished fifth in the Heisman voting that year.

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

College Records and Awards

After just two seasons at Texas Tech, Michael Crabtree set eight NCAA records. These records include:

• Most passes caught by a freshman in a season (134 in 2007).
• Most yards gained by a freshman in a season (1,962 in 2007).
• Most touchdown passes caught by a freshman (22 in 2007).
• Most touchdown passes caught in freshman and sophomore seasons (41 total).

He also received many honors. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award twice, which goes to the best wide receiver in college football. He also won the Paul Warfield Award twice. He was a two-time unanimous first-team All-American.

Professional Football Career

Before the 2009 NFL draft, Michael Crabtree decided to enter the NFL. He was expected to be one of the top players chosen.

He had a foot injury that needed surgery. This meant he couldn't show off his skills at the NFL Combine. Still, the San Francisco 49ers drafted him as the 10th overall pick. He was the highest-drafted player from Texas Tech since 1965.

San Francisco 49ers (2009–2014)

Crabtree did not sign his contract right away with the 49ers. This was a long holdout, meaning he didn't join the team for training camp. Eventually, on October 7, 2009, he agreed to a six-year contract.

Crabtree on the sidelines in November 2009

First NFL Seasons

On October 25, 2009, Crabtree played his first NFL game. He caught five passes for 56 yards. On November 22, 2009, he scored his first NFL touchdown. It was a 38-yard pass from quarterback Alex Smith. He led all rookie receivers in yards per game that season.

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

In 2011, he had a career-high 72 catches for 874 yards. He scored two touchdowns in the final game of the regular season. In the playoffs, he caught a touchdown pass against the New Orleans Saints.

Breakout Year and Super Bowl XLVII

The 2012 season was a great one for Crabtree. He had his first season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He became the main target for the 49ers' new starting quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. Crabtree had 107 yards and two touchdowns against the New England Patriots. He also had a career-high 172 yards and two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals.

In the playoffs, Crabtree continued to shine. He had nine catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. He also played in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens. He caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in that game, but the 49ers lost.

Injury and Final 49ers Season

In 2013, Crabtree had surgery for a torn Achilles tendon. This is a serious injury that kept him off the field for most of the season. He returned in December 2013. In the playoffs, he had eight catches for 125 yards against Green Bay. In the NFC Championship game, a pass to him was tipped by a defender, and the 49ers lost.

In his final season with the 49ers in 2014, he had 68 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns. He finished his 49ers career with 347 catches for 4,327 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Oakland Raiders (2015–2017)

In 2015, Crabtree signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders. He quickly became an important player for them.

In his second game as a Raider, he caught nine passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. He finished the 2015 season with 85 catches for 922 yards and nine touchdowns.

Crabtree in 2017

Strong Seasons with the Raiders

The 2016 season was another excellent year for Crabtree. He had his second career season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He caught a career-high 89 passes for 1,003 yards and eight touchdowns. He had three games where he gained over 100 receiving yards.

In 2017, he had a game with three touchdowns against the New York Jets. He also caught the game-winning touchdown pass as time ran out against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished the 2017 season with 58 catches for 618 yards and six touchdowns.

The Raiders released Crabtree in March 2018. He finished his time with the Raiders with 232 catches for 2,543 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Baltimore Ravens (2018)

In March 2018, Crabtree signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. In his first game with the Ravens, he caught three passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He finished the regular season with 54 catches for 607 yards and three touchdowns. In the playoffs, he caught two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers, but the Ravens lost. He was released by the Ravens in February 2019.

Arizona Cardinals (2019)

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

NFL Career Statistics

Endorsements and Personal Life

Michael Crabtree worked with different companies during his career. In 2012, he teamed up with Ubisoft, a video game company. They created a special touchdown dance called "The Crab Shake." Every time he did the dance on the field, Ubisoft donated money to the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco.

He also had deals with Subway restaurants, EA Sports, and Jordan Brand.

Texas Tech University honored Crabtree by putting a large picture of him in their football stadium. His image 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.

Images for kids

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  Crabtree at 49ers training camp in August 2010

See also

In Spanish: Michael Crabtree para niños