Blue and Gold Illustrated

Sept. 26, 2020

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 26, 2020 17 After playing some safety during fall camp in 2019, Crawford at least had an introduction to the position at the college level and said the transi- tion this year was smooth given his previous experience and the similari- ties between playing nickel and safety. Still, outside the program concerns linger about Crawford's size and du- rability. Only time will tell if he can stay on the field for a full season, but his size shouldn't be an issue. "There's that belief that you need to be 6-3, 220 pounds to play safety," said Fertitta, who also played the po- sition at 5-9 and about 180 pounds. "He's just that guy who's paving the road for other people like myself that had to deal with that kind of stereo- type during their career. He's just breaking that mold and setting the new standard that it doesn't matter. "If you can play, you can play, and there's plenty of ways to compensate for being one or two inches too short." Another vital reason why Craw- ford was moved to safety is the lead- ership he provides the back end of the defense and to the entire team. This is especially valuable given all the doubts Notre Dame faced while navigating the uncertainty of the CO- VID-19 pandemic. Over the years, he's proven time and time again that he'll keep his faith, even at the worst of times, and younger, less experienced players feed off him because of it. This is part of the reason he was named a captain in his sixth season. "That type of energy that Shaun brings out in those circumstances is contagious," Fertitta said. "You need someone like Shaun, whose energy, focus, passion and work ethic is con- tagious. It spreads to the whole team. "Given that he's been through those trials and tribulations that weren't fair to him, he grew from those in a positive way. "You may have seen other people go through similar circumstances and they fold." ✦ Originally a nickel and then also a cornerback, Crawford (No. 20) — who was elected a captain by his teammates — found a home as a starting safety during training camp. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS "I never thought I'd be starting as a safety. It was always just a dream that I had because some of my favorite players play safety: Tyrann Mathieu, Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Budda Baker. Those are some people that I've looked up to that I try to model my game after." CRAWFORD

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