A Cardinal Letterman could look to

Former Marine follows dreams, plays football for Ball State
Ben Gouldsmith

He's a man among boys.

Brandon Crawford is 31 years old. He's spent four years in the Marine Corps and has experience working on an assembly line in an automotive factory.

Now, Crawford is a sophomore defensive end playing for the Ball State football team. Yes, that means he is a 31-year-old sophomore.

"I appreciate every day I get to touch that field because I'm living the dream right now to be able to play at this level again," Crawford said. "That's why I try to give my all when I'm out there, whether it's practice or in games, because some day the Lord might take football away from me. … Having it taken from you, you learn to appreciate it a lot more."

This is a great story. Crawford made one of the classic blunders as a young man and was in the wrong place wrong time. As a senior in high school he climbed in a friend's car that unbeknown to him was stolen. Lost the football scholarship, lost his way, as the story goes.
The course of his life put him on a Hummer assembly line and then to the Marines. After serving his country, he went to Obob's Alma Mater, Ball State.
Now, he's a 31 year-old sophomore defensive end. To you fans of Navy, he is the man who blocked the field goal that sent Ball State and Navy into overtime. Where the mighty Cardinals won in overtime.