Michael Crabtree

WR · Texas Tech
In just 26 games at the university, Crabtree rewrote school and Big 12 Conference records, while also etching his name in the NCAA books. His success on the football field saw him receive Fred Biletnikoff Award honors in each of his two college seasons. A model of consistency, he put together a string of 13 consecutive games with at least one touchdown and five receptions, tying an NCAA mark. Crabtree's 231 receptions in his first two seasons topped the old college record of 227 catches over a two-year span that was previously held by Nevada's Alex Van Dyke (1994-95). He ranks tied for sixth in NCAA annals with 41 touchdown catches, an average of 1.58 scores per game. That total also set a collegiate record for most touchdowns during a two-year span, surpassing the previous mark of 34 scoring catches by Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh (2002-03). Being a featured receiver was something new for Crabtree when he arrived at Texas Tech. During his prep days at Carter High School, he competed as a quarterback, where he was ranked as the nation's 16th-best overall athlete and received a four-star rating from Rivals.com. The member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Fab 44 team, he also earned All-Area accolades from the Dallas Morning News. Crabtree threw for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns on 45 of 100 passing in his final season. That year, he also ran for 646 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 carries. As a junior, he completed 30 of 67 passes for 897 yards and eight touchdowns with just one interception. In addition to excelling in football, Crabtree was also a nationally-ranked basketball player at Carter High. He was rated among the top 50 hoops prospects in the state and received several scholarship offers in that sport from major colleges. However, Crabtree was determined to play football, accepting a scholarship from Texas Tech while bypassing offers from Baylor, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Kansas. He spent the 2006 season performing on the scout team, acclimating to life as a wide receiver. He was on a two-sport scholarship, but dropped basketball due to the grueling football schedule. Texas Tech featured three seniors ahead of Crabtree on its 2006 depth chart entering fall drills, but the redshirt freshman beat out Joel Filani for the "Z" receiver position, starting every game. He earned Biletnikoff Award honors, given to the nation's top receiver, the first time a freshman ever captured that award. The unanimous All-American and All-Big 12 Conference first-team choice set NCAA freshman records, leading the nation with 134 receptions for 1,962 yards (14.6 avg) and 22 touchdowns, as he also led the major college ranks with an average of 10.31 receptions and 150.92 yards receiving per game. While Crabtree did not match his lofty 2007 totals in 2008, he still had a banner sophomore campaign. He was again the Biletnikoff Award recipient, in addition to garnering first-team All-American and All-Big 12 recognition. He ranked sixth in the nation with a team-high 97 receptions, good for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns, despite battling late season ankle issues.