Raging Rhino: Humble, dynamic Twelve Bridges star is an old soul for a new-school power
There is a degree of glee when a running back charges downfield with the ball, leaving a wake of defenders. Or plowing through players bent on cutting him in half.
Ask Nathan Crawford. He is the throwback senior running back for Twelve Bridges High School, able to break free or grind for tough yardage up the middle. He is an old soul football leader on a campus so new in Lincoln that the tree roots on campus are still taking hold.
His muscled 5-foot-10 and 185-pound frame is the result of weight lifting and conditioning programs. He’s earned every bit of his gains, right on down to his field production. Crawford has rumbled and raced for 1,668 yards yards and a regional-leading 35 touchdowns this magical season as the focal point for a Raging Rhinos outfit that is 11-0 and top seeded in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs.
As the playoffs grind on, 12B coach Chris Bean won’t hesitate to feed the ball to a player who is as good as anyone he’s seen since his playing days at Colfax High in the early 1990s. That’s 30 years of experiences, leading the coach to say, simply: “Nathan’s a special player, a guy you just don’t see very often.”
Crawford off the field blends into a crowd because only his game speaks loudly. There is ability in Crawford but no boast or bluster for the 3.7-GPA student whose favorite class is finance — “How to manage your money and stay out of debt,” he said. He is a face in the crowd on campus who happens to be the face of the football team, one of just two in the section playoffs that is unbeaten (Woodland Christian in D-VII is the other).
“He’s a regular dude who happens to be really freaking good at football,” Bean said with the enthusiasm of a coach and fan. “I would buy a ticket to watch Nathan Crawford play.”
On Thursday against Rosemont of Sacramento in a quarterfinal contest in Placer County, Crawford and Company were worth the price of admission. He rushed 12 times for 77 yards and three touchdowns in a 67-25 triumph, a game in which 6-foot-6 quarterback and fellow team leader Whit Kruse passed for 309 yards and five touchdowns, four of them to Isaiah Rodriguez.
It wasn’t a monstrous rushing night for Crawford and it didn’t have to be because he is hardly a one-man show. But Crawford has delivered big when needed, including 23 carries for 218 yards and five scores against Bear River; 21 attempts for 203 yards and three TDs against Center; and 34 carries for 135 hard yards in a 19-14 win at Sutter to decide the Pioneer Valley League championship.
And then there was his highlight game. Crawford carried 19 times for 347 yards and five scores in a 36-21 late-season road win over Colfax on the same field where his coach used to lead drives.
‘Out-of-body experience’
Crawford spoke to The Bee about the joys of running and the rewards of commitment, of how cool it is to pursue championships “with your best friends, guys you’ve been with since elementary school.”
Crawford studies opponents on film and he will break down his own plays. He will take mental notes on a move he should have made, and he often thanks his line for the openings. He will also smile on one of his big gains.
“It’s pretty electric on some plays,” Crawford said. “It feels surreal sometimes when I have a big run, like an out-of-body experience.”
Imagine, then, what his coaches and teammates think and feel at the sight of a Crawford run. Or his kid brother, 3-year-old Jack. Or his parents, Alina and Brian, who own and operate Crawford Orthodontics, located near campus.
And, yes, Crawford wears a mouth piece during games.
“It’s been a fun season,” Crawford said. “I got my work ethic from my parents, because they know what it’s like to work hard and to be successful.”
On little Jack, the proud brother said: “He loves it up in the stands when we play. He hangs out with all the parents.”
Crawford didn’t have much fun in his early days of football while growing up in Lincoln, but he learned at that young age that he could do something about it: Keep working.
“My first year of Pee Wee football, sixth grade, I was a backup, until the eighth grade,” Crawford said. “It’s not fun watching. My parents told me to stick with it. They’ve always been there for me and it’s been awesome to see how far I’ve come.”
Said his mom: “We’re proud of how hard he’s worked,” with his father adding they are proud of their son’s “humility.”
Crawford showed what he could do last fall as a junior in 2022. He rushed for 1,317 yards and 21 touchdowns for a first-time varsity team that was without the benefit of any seniors. The team went 7-5 and won a playoff game before pushing eventual CIF state champion Hughson to double-overtime.
From good to great
Bean then challenged Crawford to become even better, to go from good to great. He implored Crawford to add 15 to 20 pounds through a good diet and regular sessions in the weight room.
Crawford bulked up to 185 by the summer. He still has his speed and added power. He opened the season with a 22-carry, 236-yard, six-touchdown night in a 41-20 victory over Nevada Union.
“Amazing,” Bean said of his lead back. “When you hear about the best player being the hardest-working player on your team, that’s him. When your best player is your hardest worker, it elevates the program. He is the most humble kid.”
Bean’s history classroom setting is an open door for students to stop by for group discussions, or to have lunch. Crawford is a regular.
“Here he is, the star of the football team, the most recognizable guy, and he comes into my room bee-bopping as just one of the dudes,” Bean said. “It’s always a cheery, cool vibe.”
Crawford said he is just one of the guys. He said one can play with pride and without ego. He added that the weight room doesn’t just transform bodies, it can transform a team. Generally, new schools take their lumps as first-time varsity programs. Bean and his staff have built a program to last and to compete right out of the blocks. The Raging Rhinos have doled out the hurt this season after absorbing some crushing losses in 2022. Not that Crawford didn’t feel his aches after that Sutter game, the most physical team Twelve Bridges has faced this season.
Had Crawford not added the 20 pounds, he would not be enjoying out-of-body touchdown runs. He’d be experiencing the sore-bodied black and blues.
“I was hurting the next day after the Sutter game,” Crawford said. “That was a tough game against a really good team. ... I could tell that I’m stronger this season. Before, when I was 150 pounds, I’d get hit and be pretty shaken up, or I’d go straight down. Now, it’s much easier to stay up. I didn’t like the weight room at first. Now, I love it.”
Where are the college recruiters?
Bean said Crawford checks off all the boxes as a player, teammate, student and young man of high character. The game film shows what the guy in jersey No. 14 can do. So why hasn’t that translated to more college recruiting interest?
The simple answer is that Crawford is lost in a numbers game. There are tens of thousands of high school football players across the country scrambling for hundreds of scholarships, not to mention the new trend of football programs going through the NCAA transfer portal to find waves of players.
Crawford is receiving interest from area junior college programs that have sent scores of players to four-year programs, and he has heard from NCAA Division II and III programs. There is more to college football than the Division I programs.
“Nathan would be our best defensive back if we had him back there, but we keep him fresh at running back,” Bean said. “We put him in at safety in a playoff game last year and he had two interceptions, including an 80-yard pick-six. He’s unbelievable anywhere on the field. He can play. He can play on returns. He can run the ball. He can play on defense. I am a little shocked he hasn’t had more recruiting interest, but there’s a whole different level with this kid. You can watch him and see that.”
Crawford doesn’t stress over it. He has a playoff run to focus on.
“I’ll play somewhere,” he said “I would tell college recruiters that I’m a great athlete, a great teammate, always there for my team, a good student. I can help your team.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 5:00 AM.