The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a roster full of players, and we want to talk about all of them. One Foot Down’s player profile series will take a look at every single one of them, and hopefully we all learn a little bit more about these guys, and Notre Dame’s chances for the upcoming 2018 season.

#20 Shaun Crawford

Shaun Crawford is coming off his first healthy season at Notre Dame. During camp his freshman year, he was slotted to be the Nickel after immediately showing he was ready to play, but tore his ACL before the season began. The next season started off on a high note (minus the loss), with Crawford playing exceptionally well against the Texas Longhorns....but again was cut short after tearing his achilles against the Nevada Wolfpack one week later. However, he had a complete and healthy season a year ago, which is remarkable given the nature of both injuries. He is a an incredibly explosive athlete and playmaker, drawing comparisons (due to his size and tenacity) to my favorite DB of all time, Tyrann Mathieu. He has a similar nickname, being dubbed as the, “Golden Mongoose”.

3 Things to Know About Shaun Crawford

1. In his first game for the Irish, Crawford had 5 tackles, 1 interception, and a blocked PAT returned for 2 points.
2. He put up ridiculous numbers as a senior in high school at St. Eds in Ohio, totaling 91 tackles, 17 PBUs, 8 TFLs, 7 interceptions and three forced fumbles. Wow.
3. Not only his play mimics Tyrann Mathieu, but they are identical in size as well, both listed at 5’9 180 lbs.

Youtube Hot Fire

His play vs. the Michigan State Spartans is the play of the year for the Irish in my opinion. He doesn’t give up on the would be touchdown, but punches the ball out, and then recovers the fumble. This deflated the Spartans and is a character defining play for #20.

Country, Condiment, or Canon

Identifying the player as either a country, condiment, or member of the Star Wars Canon.

Lando Calrissian

Lando is an absolute Badass, and even managed to become more immortalized recently after Donald Glover stole the show in “Solo”. At one point Lando betrayed his friends to save himself and his planet, but then totally redeemed himself (after Chewie nearly chokes him out). I am not saying the Crawford has betrayed anyone, but more that he will come back in a HUGE way this year. Crawford, like Lando will help save the day and resurrect a secondary that has the potential to be elite across the entire unit.

2018 Outlook

Crawford will look to be a key part of the secondary that could be the best the Irish have had in years. He will most likely be slotted in the Nickel, with Julian Love and Troy Pride Jr. at the Corner spots. Notre Dame fans should not take for granted just how incredible it will be to have those 3 in coverage, which will make the lives of the 8 other defenders much easier. We will see a spike in production this year, with 3+ forced fumbles, 3+ interceptions, and 5+ sacks (he will be used in multiple blitz packages). Crawford has the potential, and the nickname (Golden Mongoose) to become a household name in college football this season.