ASHBURN — When the Washington Redskins drafted Jamison Crowder in the fourth round this past spring, coach Jay Gruden knew he would be returning punts this season.
What Gruden did not expect was the rookie wide receiver to work his way into the starting slot position ahead of veteran Andre Roberts.
Needless to say, the Redskins have been pleasantly surprised with Crowder’s production. Entering Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, Crowder’s 23 receptions and 204 receiving yards rank third on the team behind wide receiver Pierre Garcon and tight end Jordan Reed.
At Duke, Crowder caught 283 passes for 3,641 yards and 23 touchdowns in 52 games. He returned 65 punts for 869 yards and four touchdowns.
The Monroe, North Carolina native was also a standout basketball player at Monroe High School. He averaged 22 points per game his senior year and led his team to the 2010 1A state championship his junior year.
Crowder talked about his NFL debut, playing basketball and more in this week’s Sunday chat.
Q: What were your emotions like during your NFL debut?
A: It was fun. Exciting. I definitely was nervous. But, it was fun and I thought I played really well. It was just butterflies. I always get nervous before any game. That’s how it was in high school, college. I felt like going into the game, I was prepared. Just the common nervousness. Once I got out there and running around, got into the flow of the game, it felt normal.
Q: What would you be doing if you were not playing football?
A: I’d probably be trying to coach or try and find me a job in the marketing area. I got a certificate in marketing. I did a few internships in college with Duke’s sports marketing. I thought that was very interesting.
Q: What was your most embarrassing moment on the football field?
A: In high school, I got stiff-armed. It was my first time playing varsity. They had moved me up from freshmen and I was playing safety, I was really small. I was probably 160, 150 pounds. They threw me in, we were losing, and I played safety. I was in there for three plays and they ran a reverse. I was the only one who saw it so I came in real fast and just got stiff-armed bad. The dude just kept running. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was crazy.
Q: What’s your favorite music to listen to?
A: I’ve got a lot of music I listen to. J. Cole. R&B. I have a variety.
Q: You were a pretty good basketball player in high school. Do you miss it?
A: I haven’t played basketball in a while. I miss playing ball. It was something I was really good at, something I enjoy doing. In the offseason, sometimes I shoot in the gym. My junior year we won a state championship, I scored 20 points in the state game. My senior year I had 40. I had a lot of good basketball games.
Q: What has been the biggest adjustment from college football to the NFL?
A: I don’t know. Everybody says the speed of the game, that’s a big difference. But, I’m adjusting to that better, getting more playing time and getting that experience. The biggest adjustment, I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. I guess just the free time once I’m done with work. Not having to have class. A lot of times, I go home, watch film and am just chilling. I’ll play a little video games every now and then. I like to sightsee. I’ve been to D.C. a few times. See some of the monuments and go to the mall and stay busy. Other than that, I’m just relaxing.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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