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| Date of birth: | May 5, 1962 |
| Place of birth: | Philadelphia, PA |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | Guard |
| College: | Florida |
| NFL Draft: | 1985 / Round: 3 / Pick: 76 |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1985-1990 1991 |
Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards: | College All-American Junior College All-American (Arizona Western) |
| Honors: | voted to Team of the Decade (Dallas Cowboy Weekly) |
| Playing stats at NFL.com | |
Crawford Francis Ker (born May 5, 1962 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a former American football guard in the National Football League for six years with the Dallas Cowboys and one year with the Denver Broncos. He played college football at the University of Florida, where he was an All-American.
He is founder and CEO of Ker's Winghouse Bar & Grill.
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Early life
Ker is the only son of George and Anne Ker. His father George immigrated to the United States from Scotland, and was at time, a Buckingham Palace guard.[1] When Ker was young, George worked two or three jobs to pay for the family's ranch house in Dunedin, running a lawn service during the day and working at a 7-11 at night. After school, weekends and summers, Ker worked with his father, cutting grass.[1] In the mid-1970s George managed the kitchen at Capogna's Dugout, a sports restaurant in Clearwater where Ker bused tables while in high school.[1] During school semester breaks and vacations, he also waited tables and cooked in the kitchen.
During his junior year in high school, Ker made the decision to become a professional football player.[1] He had not played high school football, but he purchased a Kmart weight set and started working out. After beginning high school at 145 pounds, he bulked up to 210.[1] According to Crawford's mother, Anne:
"It's hard to believe. He was a skinny kid. I mean, he got a ribbon for the high jump. Other guys were worried about girls, he was in the gym working out. I think Crawford went into football in order to make things easier for his dad. It was a means to an end."[1]
Ker didn't love football, but he was certain he could make the money he wanted as a player. Crawford stated, "I made myself into a football player."[1] During his senior year, Ker played very well, and Dunedin won a county championship, but no big schools recruited him. Crawford graduated from Dunedin High School in 1980,[2] but didn't want to attend a small college; he wanted to play at a big school to improve his chances of being drafted in the NFL. He worked and worked out during the first year after graduation, adding another 50 pounds to his 6'4" frame.
College career
Arizona Western
On the advice of a friend, he called the coach at Arizona Western College who invited him to Yuma. George Ker purchased his son a one-way airline ticket.[1] Ker played at Arizona Western for two years and was a JUCO All-American.
Florida
The Gators were convinced of Ker's talent and offered a scholarship for his junior and senior years.[3] He played two years of college football for the University of Florida and was on the Gator's 1984 team that at the time was considered the finest Gator squad ever.[4][5] The offensive line was called, "The Great Wall of Florida" and included Ker, Jeff Zimmerman, Phil Bromley, Billy Hinson and Lomas Brown. The team finished with a 9-1-1 record and won their first Southeastern Conference title. Unfortunately, the title was rescinded due to NCAA violations. Ker's nickname was "Big Daddy", and he could bench-press up to 515 pounds.[1]
Professional football
Ker was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (76th pick overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft, and became their highest-paid offensive lineman.[1] Ker started from 1986-1990. After coach Tom Landry retired he left via free agency in 1991.[6] Ker signed with the Denver Broncos, but was placed on the Injured reserve list during the pre-season and stayed in Denver just one year. He retired before the 1992 season began.[7]
Business
Personal
Crawford and his wife, Melissa were married in 1998. The couple has three children, two daughters and one son. They make their home in Largo, Florida.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j St. Petersburg Times: July 15, 2005-A wing and a player by Kelley Benham
- ^ dataBase Football: player statistics-Crawford Ker
- ^ Zoom info: Crawford Ker
- ^ Gator Tickets.com: Florida Football History
- ^ Word Press: Florida Sports-The 10 Best All Time Florida College Football Teams
- ^ Know Your Dallas Cowboys website: August 3, 2008- Greatest Cowboys By Their Jersey Numbers: #68
- ^ New York Times: August 28, 1991-Sports Transactions
External links
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