Color has no meaning on Crawford's life

[J_R]

*Long read*
Nice read on UDFA & longshot WR London Crawford.

Houston Texans rookie London Crawford is facing an incredible challenge as he attempts to make the team's roster loaded at the receiver position.

However, for the 23-year old from Mobile, Alabama, overcoming and adapting have already become a way of life.

"I came from nothing basically, now I'm something," said Crawford in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "It takes a lot of hard work. It takes pride. It takes wanting to be here.

"It takes people behind you and sticking behind you and pushing you."
And for Crawford who is black and grew up in a drug and gang-infested area of Mobile, it was a white teacher at his school who believed she could help the trouble-maker who had no direction.

Janice and Bryan Givens reached out and Crawford responded.

"We just took a chance on him and we just took him in," said Janice Givens. "If we did anything positive for him he was like a sponge."
Throughout high school the Givens family was a home for Crawford, who played college football at Arkansas, whenever he needed it and in time he began to call them mom and dad.

Crawford's own mother had issues with drugs, but is doing much better. His father didn't come into the picture until later in life

"(They) fell in love with me," Crawford said. "I was in the 9th grade. She was a teacher to me and told me if I ever needed any help, (if) I wanted to change my life-style, come to her and I went to her and she helped me out throughout school with my grades and a lot of different stuff and moved to Arkansas with me.

"(She) kept me straight, kept me focused, and stayed with me ever since and is still with me."

Janice Givens acknowledged the move to Arkansas was financially hard on her family. She got a job right away, but her husband, who is an art teacher, did not.

"It was a big sacrifice, but I guess you do the things for people you fall in love with.

"They fell in love with me. I was a good kid. They are good people and wanted to help me out.

Crawford was initially considering playing college football at smaller schools to stay close to the Givens family.

Janice Givens said she and her husband encouraged Crawford to consider the bigger colleges and he chose Arkansas over LSU.

"We said if we move to Arkansas with you, will you go there and he said yes," Janice Givens said.

Crawford said the Givens' decision to join him in Arkansas meant a great deal to him.

"It helped a lot," Givens said. "By them being there she kind of kept my head focused.

Read the rest

[JB]

The Blind Side part II

[Grams]

Very nice read. Would be nice if he could make the team. Regarless, he sounds like he now has his life in order and can make the right decisions for himself.

Sure is nice to read something like this that all the crap (like Big Ben, Vick, Farve, etc) that gets shoved in our faces by the media.

[drs23]

Originally Posted by Grams

Sure is nice to read something like this that all the crap (like Big Ben, Vick, Farve, etc) that gets shoved in our faces by the media.

Roger that. To the OP, thanks for posting.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by HoustonSportsFan09

*Long read*
Nice read on UDFA & longshot WR London Crawford.



Read the rest

Janice Givens acknowledged the move to Arkansas was financially hard on her family. She got a job right away, but her husband, who is an art teacher, did not.

"It was a big sacrifice, but I guess you do the things for people you fall in love with.

This just doesn't make sense to me. Why would people do this for people they "don't know"?

I'm planning for my daughter to go to UH, but I don't plan on moving with her. Even if she went the University of Chicago, I do not plan on moving to the University of Chicago.

This is just wild.