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| Isaiah Crowell | |
|---|---|
| Name | Isaiah Crowell |
| Birth date | 7 June 1993 |
| Birth place | Columbus, Ohio |
| Position | Running back |
| Weight lb | 209 |
| College | Alabama State University, Georgia Military College, Auburn University, Ohio State University |
| Undraftedyear | 2014 |
| Teams | Cleveland Browns (2014–2016), New York Jets (2017–2018), Oakland Raiders (2019)* |
Isaiah Crowell is an American former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) primarily for the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. A product of Columbus, Ohio and a transfer standout in the FBS, Crowell's career featured significant rushing performances, roster moves, and off-field controversies. His trajectory intersected with programs and organizations across college football and the NFL, drawing attention from media outlets and sports institutions.
Crowell was born in Columbus, Ohio and attended Eastmoor Academy in Columbus before transferring to Olentangy High School and later Glennville High School in Georgia. During his high school career he played for teams in Ohio High School Athletic Association and Georgia High School Association competitions, attracting scouting interest from programs including Auburn University, Ohio State University, University of Alabama, and Florida State University. Recruiting reports compared him to notable high school prospects evaluated by services such as Rivals.com, Scout.com, ESPN Recruiting Nation, and 247Sports. Crowell's high school timeline included moves that connected him with prep programs and junior college routes like Georgia Military College.
Crowell enrolled at Auburn University and later attended Georgia Military College before transferring to Alabama State University and ultimately Ohio State University after a junior college stint. At Alabama State and during his time in junior college he faced NCAA eligibility processes overseen by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). His move to Ohio State placed him under coaches including Urban Meyer and alongside teammates such as Braxton Miller, Carlos Hyde, and Ezekiel Elliott (at different times), competing in the Big Ten Conference and participating in bowl games affiliated with the College Football Playoff discussion. Crowell's collegiate statistics were tracked by outlets including Sports Reference, Pro Football Focus, CBS Sports, and Bleacher Report.
After going undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, Crowell signed with the Cleveland Browns and made the active roster, contributing as a primary ball carrier behind offensive personnel including Johnny Manziel, Brian Hoyer, and later quarterbacks such as Robert Griffin III. Crowell posted multiple 100-yard rushing games at FirstEnergy Stadium and registered season totals that drew comparisons in analytics circles to backs evaluated by Pro Football Focus, ESPN NFL, NFL.com, and Sporting News. In 2017 Crowell signed with the New York Jets and produced notable performances at MetLife Stadium against teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, before being released and later joining the Oakland Raiders training camp. His professional timeline involved transactions processed through the NFL Players Association and roster management by general managers including Sashi Brown and Mike Maccagnan.
Crowell's career was marked by legal issues and controversies that attracted scrutiny from entities such as Columbus Division of Police, Cuyahoga County law enforcement, and media outlets like ESPN, The New York Times, USA Today, and Cleveland Plain Dealer. Incidents referenced in reporting involved allegations that led to police involvement and public discourse around player conduct handled by NFL disciplinary frameworks and team-level responses. Coverage of Crowell intersected with broader debates in sports media concerning athlete behavior, criminal justice reporting by organizations including The Washington Post and Deadspin, and legal proceedings in local jurisdictions.
Crowell was primarily a power and speed-oriented running back known for combining burst between the tackles with ability to break tackles; analysts from Pro Football Focus, ESPN, Bleacher Report, Pro Football Weekly, and Football Outsiders assessed his yards after contact and breakaway run tendencies. He accumulated career rushing yards and touchdowns recorded in databases maintained by Pro-Football-Reference and NFL.com, with season highlights including multiple 100-yard rushing games and notable single-game rushing totals during his tenure with the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. Crowell's skill set was evaluated relative to contemporaries such as Adrian Peterson, Le'Veon Bell, DeMarco Murray, and Mark Ingram II in scouting reports compiled by CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout.
Crowell's personal life drew attention in local and national coverage in Columbus, Ohio and cities where he played, intersecting with community organizations, charity efforts, and debates about athlete rehabilitation and second chances cited by commentators in Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and SI.com. His legacy in professional football is framed by on-field production for franchises like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, discussions in retrospectives by outlets including The Ringer, Grantland-era writers, and statistical retrospectives on platforms such as Pro-Football-Reference and Spotrac. Crowell's career remains a point of reference in analyses of undrafted players' impacts within the National Football League.
Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Columbus, Ohio Category:American football running backs Category:Cleveland Browns players Category:New York Jets players