Shaun Crawford Announces 6th-Year Return To Notre Dame
Notre Dame cornerback Shaun Crawford announced on Friday he will return for his sixth season of eligibility at Notre Dame in 2020 after receiving approval from the NCAA.
His return provides a huge boost to a secondary that graduated safeties/captains Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott, plus cornerbacks Troy Pride Jr. and Donte Vaughn.
The most likely starting quartet in 2020 would include Freshman All-American Kyle Hamilton and a combination of Ohio State graduate transfer Isaiah Pryor and current sophomore Houston Griffith at the safety spots, while Crawford and current sophomore TaRiq Bracy would be the top candidates at corner.
Sidelined all of 2015 and 2018 with a torn ACL and having missed all but one full game in 2016 with a torn Achilles, Crawford was productive for the 2017 secondary and also in 2019 while playing in 11 games, finishing with 28 tackles, two passes broken up and an interception.
He finished with 388 snaps in 11 games, while Bracy had 467, the most among returning cornerbacks. Crawford was this year's recipient of Notre Dame's prestigious Nick Pietrosante Award that celebrates loyalty, dedication and courage, among other traits.
Back in September, Crawford declared he had no plans to apply for a sixth season because five was plenty. However, upon further review and a campaign in which he excelled, he told reporters following the Irish Echoes Awards Banquet last month that he had a change of heart.
“Earlier in the season I wasn’t thinking about that,” said Crawford of returning for a sixth year. “I was just thinking about being here for five years already, just ready to move on.
“Throughout the season, just the memories we’ve created, the opportunities that were presented — it’s something you just can’t move on from.”
He already has his undergraduate degree and is working on his master’s in the Mendoza College of Business.
“I love this University, I love everything they have to offer,” he said. “Just the opportunity to further my education here, continue to be in the locker room with this great group of guys, those things will take care of themselves.”
Tearing four ligaments in his elbow in the Sept. 28 Virginia game that sidelined him two games also has not affected his outlook.
“Once I was told I could return I was focused on that,” he said.
Having missed three seasons with injuries and sitting out some this year with another one might make the average person say “enough is enough.” Such is not the case with Crawford.
“That’s the great thing about Notre Dame — I don’t feel like we have any average guys on our team,” he said. “We have guys who come from many different places or very gifted in many different fields. I made a commitment to this team, to this program and I don’t ever want to go back on that.
“The person who I am, anything that I started I’m going to finish. Being here at this University with these group of guys, playing with these guys, I don’t want to let them down ever. If there’s an opportunity for me to get back on the field, or if there’s opportunity for me to help and impact this team any way, then I’m going to take full advantage of it.”
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