 | Thisbiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Ray Crockett" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| No. 39 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1967-01-05)January 5, 1967 (age 59) Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 178 lb (81 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College | Baylor | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1989: 4th round, 86th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Donald Ray Crockett (born January 5, 1967) is an American former professionalfootball player in theNational Football League (NFL).
NFL draft analysts projected Crockett would be selected in the late first-round to the early second-round of the 1989 NFL Draft.[2]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Bench press | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft9+1⁄4 in (1.76 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | 29+3⁄4 in (0.76 m) | 8+1⁄4 in (0.21 m) | 4.61 s | 1.61 s | 2.74 s | 17 reps | |||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[3] | ||||||||||||
TheDetroit Lions selected Crockett in the fourth round (86th overall) of the1989 NFL draft. He was the seventh cornerback drafted in 1989.[4]
On July 30, 1989, the Detroit Lions signed Crockett to a three–year, $310,000 rookie contract that included an initialsigning bonus of $75,000.[5][6] Throughout training camp, he competed againstTerry Taylor andBruce McNorton to be the No. 2 starting cornerback. Head coachWayne Fontes named him a backup and listed him as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behindJerry Holmes and Terry Taylor.
On September 10, 1989, Crockett made his professional regular season debut in theDetroit Lions’ home-opener against thePhoenix Cardinals and made one solo tackle as they lost 13–16. On December 17, 1989, Crockett made one solo tackle, a pass deflection, and had the first interception of his career, picking off a passJoe Ferguson threw to running backSylvester Stamps as the Lions routed theTampa Bay Buccaneers 7–33.[7] The following week, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (four solo) and made one pass deflection during a 31–24 victory at theAtlanta Falcons in Week 16. He finished his rookie season with 46 combined tackles (34 solo), four pass deflections, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and one interception in 16 games and didn't receive a start.[8][9]
He entered training camp as a candidate to compete for a starting role at cornerback following the departure of Jerry Holmes. He competed againstLeRoy Irvin and Bruce McNorton. Head coach Wayne Fontes named Crockett a backup and listed him as the fourth cornerback on the depth chart, behind Terry Taylor, LeRoy Irvin, and Bruce McNorton.
On September 21, 1990, the NFL issued a suspension for life to Terry Taylor for his third violation of the NFL’s drug abuse policy after failing a drug test for illegal substances.[10] Entering Week 12, head coach Wayne Fontes named Crockett a starting cornerback for the remainder of the season, replacing Bruce McNorton. On November 22, 1990, Crockett earned his first career start and made five solo tackles, one pass deflection, and intercepted a passJohn Elway to wide receiverVance Johnson as the Lions defeated theDenver Broncos 27–40. In Week 15, he made six solo tackles, one pass deflection, and made his first career sack onJim Harbaugh for a 14–yard loss during a 21–38 win against theChicago Bears.[11] He finished the1990 NFL season with a total of 91 combined tackles (62 solo), ten pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one sack in 16 games and six starts.[9]
He entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback under defensive coordinatorWoody Widenhofer following the departures of LeRoy Irvin and Bruce McNorton. Head coach Wayne Fontes named Crockett andMelvin Jenkins the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.[12]
In Week 2, he set a season-high with 12 combined tackles (nine solo) as the Lions defeated theGreen Bay Packers 23–14. On September 15, 1991, Crockett made three combined tackles (two solo), two pass deflections, and secured a 13–17 win against theMiami Dolphins by blocking a pass attemptDan Marino threw to wide receiverTony Martin at the goal line on fourth down.[13] On October 27, 1991, Crockett recorded eight combined tackles (six solo), set a season-high with four pass deflections, and returned an interception for the first touchdown of his career during a 10–34 win against theDallas Cowboys. During the fourth quarter, Crockett intercepted a passTroy Aikman threw to tight endRob Awalt and returned it 96–yards for a touchdown.[14] He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.[15] On November 28, 1991, Crockett recorded eight solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and sealed a 6–16 win against theChicago Bears by intercepting a pass Jim Harbaugh threw to wide receiverWendell Davis with two minutes remaining in the game.[16] In Week 16, he made three solo tackles, two pass deflections, and set a career-high with his sixth interception of the season, intercepting a passMike Tomczak threw toErik Affholter during a 21–17 win at theGreen Bay Packers.[17][18] He started in all 16 games for the first time in his career and finished with 86 combined tackles (74 solo), 16 pass deflections, six interceptions, a forced fumble, one sack, and scored one touchdown.[9][19]
TheDetroit Lions finished the1991 NFL season in first in theNFC Central with a 12–4 record to earn a first round bye. On January 5, 1992, Crockett started in his first career playoff game and made five combined tackles (four solo) and one pass deflection as the Lions routed theDallas Cowboys 38–6 in the Divisional Round.[19] The following week, he started in theNFC Championship Game and recorded four solo tackles as the Lions lost 10–41 at theWashington Redskins who went on to winSuper Bowl XXIV.
He returned as the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season alongside Melvin Jenkins. On September 13, 1992, Crockett recorded five solo tackles, set a season-high with two pass deflections, and intercepted a passRich Gannon threw toCris Carter as the Lions defeated theMinnesota Vikings 17–31.[20] He was inactive as the Lions lost 7–13 against theNew Orleans Saints in Week 5 due to an ankle injury.[21] In Week 11, he set a season-high with eight combined tackles (six solo) during a 14–17 loss at thePittsburgh Steelers. He finished the1992 NFL season with 52 combined tackles (41 solo), 12 pass deflections, four interceptions, one forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a sack in 15 games and 15 starts.[9] On December 31, 1992, theDetroit Lions fired defensive coordinatorWoody Widenhofer after they finished the season with a 5–11 record.[22]
TheDetroit Lions selected cornerbackRyan McNeil in the second round (33rd overall) of the1993 NFL draft and also signed free agentTim McKyer. The Lions' new defensive coordinatorHank Bullough retained Crockett as the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him withKevin Scott.
In Week 4, he set a season-high with eight combined tackles (five solo) and made one pass deflection as the Lions defeated thePhoenix Cardinals 26–20. In Week 7, Crockett set a season-high with seven solo tackles and made one pass break-up during a 30–10 win against theSeattle Seahawks.[23] On January 2, 1994, Crockett recorded five combined tackles (four solo), made one pass deflection, a sack, a fumble recovery, and intercepted a passBrett Favre threw to tight endEd West during a 30–20 win against theGreen Bay Packers.[24] He started in all 16 games throughout the1993 NFL season and finished with 67 combined tackles (58 solo), five pass deflections, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and one sack.[9]
On March 12, 1994, theDenver Broncos signed Crockett to a four–year, $6.40 million contract that included a signing bonus of $1.20 million.[25] He entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback under defensive coordinatorCharlie Waters following the departures of Tyrone Braxton andCharles Dimry. Head coachWade Phillips named Crockett the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him withBen Smith.
In Week 4, Crockett recorded two solo tackles before exiting during the third quarter of a 20–27 loss at theBuffalo Bills after injuring his ankle.[26] He remained inactive for the next two games (Weeks 6–7) due to a sprained ankle.[27] In Week 8, he recorded six solo tackles, two pass deflections, and had his first interception as a member of the Broncos, picking offStan Humphries’ pass toRonnie Harmon during a 20–15 victory at theSan Diego Chargers.[28] On November 13, 1994, he recorded four solo tackles and set a season-high with five pass deflections as the Broncos defeated theSeattle Seahawks 17–10.[29] On November 27, 1994, Crockett set a season-high with eight combined tackles (seven solo), made one pass deflection, and intercepted a passJeff Blake threw to wide receiverCarl Pickens during a 13–15 win against theCincinnati Bengals.[30] On December 30, 1994, theDenver Broncos fired head coach Wade Phillips after they finished the1994 NFL season with a 7–9 record.[31] He finished the season with 64 combined tackles (58 solo), 19 pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts.[9]
On February 1, 1995, theDenver Broncos hiredMike Shanahan to be their new head coach. Defensive coordinatorGreg Robinson retained Crockett as the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him withLionel Washington.
In Week 8, he set a season-high with eight combined tackles (seven solo) and made one pass deflection during a 7–21 loss against theKansas City Chiefs. On December 17, 1994, Crockett made seven combined tackles (six solo), a pass deflection, and scored a touchdown after he had a strip/sack onSteve Bono and returned the fumble recovery for a 50–yard touchdown during a 17–20 loss at theKansas City Chiefs.[32] The following week, he set a season-high with three pass deflections during a 31–28 victory at theLos Angeles Raiders in Week 17. He started in all 16 games throughout the season and recorded 72 combined tackles (60 solo), 19 pass deflections, three sacks, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, and one touchdown.[9]
The Denver Broncos selected cornerbackTory James in the second round (44th overall) of the1996 NFL draft. Crockett returned to training camp slated as the No. 1 starting cornerback. Head coach Mike Shanahan retained Crockett and Lionel Washington as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. On October 27, 1996, Crockett recorded three solo tackles, set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass Steve Bono threw to wide receiverDanan Hughes as the Broncos routed theKansas City Chiefs 7–34.[33] On December 15, 1996, Crockett set a season-high with eight combined tackles (seven solo), made one pass deflection, and secured a 19–24 win against theOakland Raiders by intercepting a passBilly Joe Hobert threw to wide receiverDaryl Hobbs late in the fourth quarter.[34]He finished the season with 58 combined tackles (52 solo), 15 pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and set a career-high with four sacks in 15 games and 15 starts.[9]
TheDenver Broncos finished the1996 NFL season first in theAFC West with a 13–3 record to earn a first round bye. On January 4, 1997, Crockett started in the AFC Divisional Round and recorded two solo tackles as the Broncos lost 27–30 to the upstartJacksonville Jaguars.[35]
He entered training camp slated as thede facto No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure of Lionel Washington. During the preseason, projected No. 2 starting cornerback Tory James tore his patellar tendon and was placed on injured reserve for the entire season. Head coach Mike Shanahan named Crockett and newly signed free agentDarrien Gordon the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.[36]
On September 14, 1997, Crockett recorded three solo tackles, set a season-high with five pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byTony Banks as the Broncos defeated theSt. Louis Rams 14–35.[37] On November 9, 1997, Crockett made four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions on pass attempts thrown byKerry Collins as the Broncos routed theCarolina Panthers 0–34.[38] In Week 10, he set a season-high with ten combined tackles (seven solo) and made two pass deflections during a 30–27 victory against theSeattle Seahawks. He started in all 16 games throughout the season and had a total of 82 combined tackles (68 solo), 20 pass deflections, four interceptions, and one forced fumble.[9][39]
TheDenver Broncos finished the1997 NFL season first in the AFC West with a 12–4 record to clinch a playoff berth. They avenged their playoff elimination from the previous season and easily defeated theJacksonville Jaguars 42–17 in the AFC Wild-Card Game and followed with a 14–10 victory at theKansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. On January 11, 1998, Crockett started in theAFC Championship Game and recorded eight solo tackles, two pass deflections, a sack, and intercepted a passKordell Stewart threw to wide receiverYancey Thigpen during a 24–21 victory at thePittsburgh Steelers.[40] On January 25, 1998, Crockett started inSuper Bowl XXXII and recorded six solo tackles and made one pass deflection as the Broncos defeated theGreen Bay Packers 31–24. Crockett earned his first of twoSuper Bowl rings.
On February 12, 1998, theDenver Broncos re-signed Crockett to a five–year, $14.50 million contract that included an initial signing bonus of $3.30 million.[41][42] He returned as the No. 1 starting cornerback and started alongside Darrien Gordon throughout the season.
In Week 2, Crockett set a season-high with eight solo tackles as the Broncos defeated theDallas Cowboys 42–23. On September 20, 1998, Crockett made five solo tackles, two pass deflections, set a season-high with two interceptions, and returned one for a touchdown during a 34–17 victory at theOakland Raiders. During the fourth quarter, he intercepted a passJeff George threw to Tim Brown and returned it 80–yards for a touchdown.[43]In Week 12, he recorded two solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and secured a victory against the Oakland Raiders by interceptingDonald Hollas in the fourth quarter as the Broncos were leading 14–20. It would be the first of three fourth quarter interceptions by the Broncos, leading to a 14–40 victory.[44] He started in all 16 games for the second consecutive season and finished with a total of 53 combined tackles (46 solo), 13 pass deflections, three interceptions, and scored one touchdown.
The Denver Broncos finished the1998 NFL season first in the AFC West division with a 14–2 record to clinch a first-round bye and home-field advantage. They began the playoffs by defeating theMiami Dolphins 38–3 in the Divisional Round.[45] On January 17, 1999, Crockett started in the AFC Championship Game and recorded six combined tackles (four solo) and made one pass deflection as the Broncos defeated theNew York Jets 23–10 to advance to their second consecutiveSuper Bowl.[46] On January 31, 1999, Crockett started inSuper Bowl XXXIII and recorded five solo tackles during a 34–19 victory against theAtlanta Falcons.[47]
He returned to training camp slated as the No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure ofDarrien Gordon. Head coach Mike Shanahan named Crockett andDale Carter the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. During nickelback situations, Crockett would be moved to cover the slot receiver withTory James replacing him outside.[48][49] On October 3, 1999, Crockett made three solo tackles, one pass deflection, a sack, and intercepted a passRick Mirer threw to wide receiverDedric Ward during a 21–13 loss to theNew York Jets.[50][51][52] In Week 11, he set a season-high with ten combined tackles (nine solo), made one pass deflection, and had a forced fumble during a 27–21 overtime victory against theOakland Raiders.[53] He started in all 16 games for the third season in-a-row and finished with a total of 64 combined tackles (61 solo), ten pass deflections, two sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and made two interceptions.[9] TheDenver Broncos finished the1999 NFL season with a 6–10 record due to the retirement ofJohn Elway and season-ending injuries to running backTerrell Davis and tight endShannon Sharpe.
On April 5, 2000, starting cornerback Dale Carter was suspended for the entire2000 NFL season by the NFL after his third violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. During free agency, Tory James departed to join the Oakland Raiders. TheDenver Broncos subsequently selected cornerbackDeltha O'Neal in the first round (15th overall) of the2000 NFL draft and signed unrestricted free agentJimmy Spencer. On July 21, 2000, the Broncos signed cornerbackTerrell Buckley. Head coach Mike Shanahan named Crockett and Terrell Buckley as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season and had Deltha O’Neal as the primary backup.[54]
In Week 3, he set a season-high with seven combined tackles (five solo) and made one pass deflection during a 33–24 victory at theOakland Raiders. On September 24, 2000, Crockett recorded four solo tackles, set a season-high with four pass deflections, set another season-high with two interceptions, and returned one for a touchdown during a 23–22 loss to theKansas City Chiefs.[55] During the second quarter, Crockett intercepted a passElvis Grbac threw to wide receiverDerrick Alexander and returned it 26–yards for a touchdown.[56] In Week 12, Crockett recorded four solo tackles before exiting during the third quarter of a 38–37 win against theSan Diego Chargers due to a hamstring injury. He remained inactive for the next three games (Weeks 13–15) due to a strained hamstring.[57] He finished the2000 NFL season with a total of 46 combined tackles (43 solo), 12 pass deflections, four interceptions, and a touchdown in 13 games and 13 starts.[9]
On April 5, 2001, theKansas City Chiefs signed Crockett to a six–year, $21.50 million contract that included an initial signing bonus of $2.50 million.[58][59] He was reunited with former Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator Greg Robinson. Entering training camp, Crockett was slated as the No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure ofJames Hasty.[60] Head coachDick Vermeil named Crockett andEric Warfield the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.
On September 23, 2001, Crockett recorded three solo tackles, set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byKerry Collins during a 13–3 loss to theNew York Giants.[61] He was inactive for two games (Weeks 6–7) after breaking his right hand.[62] In Week 16, Crockett set a season-high with six solo tackles during a 30–26 victory at theJacksonville Jaguars.[63] He finished the2001 NFL season with a total of 45 combined tackles (41 solo), nine pass deflections, and one interception in 14 games and 12 starts.[9]
Throughout training camp, he competed against Eric Warfield and William Bartee to retain his role as a starting cornerback. Head coach Dick Vermeil named Crockett a backup and listed him as the starting nickelback to begin the season, behind Eric Warfield and William Bartee.[64] He was inactive as the Chiefs defeated theMiami Dolphins 48–30 in Week 4 due to a hamstring injury.[65] In Week 8, Crockett set a season-high with nine combined tackles (eight solo) and made one pass deflection as the Chiefs defeated theOakland Raiders 20–10. On December 1, 2002, Crockett recorded three solo tackles, set a season-high with four pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions off passes thrown byJake Plummer as the Chiefs routed theArizona Cardinals 0–49.[66]He finished the2002 NFL season with 45 combined tackles (39 solo), ten pass deflections, one sack, and two interceptions in 15 games and five starts.[9]
On June 3, 2003, theKansas City Chiefs released Crockett with four years remaining on his contract.[67]
In 2005, he co-starred (withDick Butkus) in theESPNreality showBound for Glory, in which they both took on the task of coaching a high school football team.[68]
He appeared on theNBCgame showIdentity, as one of the twelve people whose identity the contestant had to guess. The contestant correctly identified him as a football player.
In 2008, he collaborated withMorgan Spurlock (creator of the show30 Days and the popular filmSuper Size Me) to be on an episode of30 Days. In the episode, Crockett spent 30 days using awheelchair to get around.[69][70] He chose to be on the show after witnessing aparalyzing injury of formerDetroit Lions teammateMike Utley in 1991.[71] The rapper and producer Birdman is seen wearing his jersey in the music video of the song "I made it" by Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil' Wayne, Jaysean and Birdman.
In 2019, he joined Your EFO "Your Championship Tax Office" and is currently the VP of Operations. Crockett lives in Dallas, Texas and works as a youth football coach for a middle school football team.