Former Penn State player announces retirement from professional football

As we continue to track the latest batch of Penn State players to turn pro in the early days of their respective NFL careers, one former Nittany Lion has officially closed the book on his. Jack Crawford, a former defensive lineman for the Nittany Lions, announced his retirement from football on Tuesday.

“Ater 10 seasons in the NFL, I know my time has come to step away from the game and close the chapter of my life in the league,” Crawford said in a statement shared on his Twitter account.

Crawford is from London, England and he moved to the United States to pursue a career in basketball, but he picked up football along the way in high school and quickly was noticed for his size and athleticism. Crawford accepted a scholarship offer from Penn State under former head coach Joe Paterno and eventually, he found his role on the team at defensive end in his sophomore season.

Crawford was a fifth-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders in the 2012 NFL draft and he made multiple stops in the league over the course of his 10-year career. Crawford played for the Raiders in his first two seasons in the NFL, then spent three years with the Dallas Cowboys, three years with the Atlanta Falcons, and one year each with the Tennessee Titans and, most recently, the Arizona Cardinals.

Here’s hoping Crawford becomes an ambassador for the sport abroad, as he would be the perfect candidate to take on such a role with the NFL or any organization promoting the game internationally. But for now, Crawford has earned the right to step back and enjoy some downtime in his retirement.

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