WASHINGTON — Jamison Crowder was a fourth-round draft pick of the Washington Commanders back in 2015. He spent four years with the burgundy and gold before departing for a couple of seasons with the New York Jets and a cup of coffee with Buffalo.
This August he was released by the New York Giants. Less than a week later, the Commanders, who were dealing with special teamer Dax Milne injured, reached out.
"My agent reached out to me," Crowder remembered. "I was headed to the Duke and Clemson game that night. He told me that Washington wanted to bring me in and possibly put me on a practice squad and possibly return punts week one, so I was like, you know, why not?"
Currently, Crowder is seventh in the league for punt returns. When asked if he knew the last time a Washington punt returner took one back for a score, he wasted no time with an answer.
"Yeah, that was 2016 — me," he said, recalling when he returned a punt for an 85-yard score against Baltimore.
Crowder attended college at Duke, so being a Maryland alum, we talked ACC and the legendary basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski.
“I met him in the elevator on campus, and he told me that I was a heck of a football player he really admired my game," he said. "So, it was a cool experience.”
When asked if he ever offered his hoops skills to Coach K, Crowder said, "They definitely could've used me on the basketball court, for sure."
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