The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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Football 2013 "The headliner was Fayetteville (N.C.) Jack Britt offensive tackle Xavier Nixon, but it was another lineman, 2010 freak Robert Crisp from Chapel Hill High School who stole the show," Farrell wrote in his camp recap. "The sophomore tackle has five-star potential and is one of the top underclassmen in the country. "His footwork in drills was amazing for such a big, young player, and he was dominant in the one-on-ones against a very strong group of defensive linemen." Adjusting To College Every school in the country wanted him. However, for the quiet Crisp, the attention, and more notably the requirement to talk to an endless list of college coaches, was dreadful. "I was thankful for that opportunity and because of the demands on the studentathletes. And in hindsight, the pressure of being a five-star, All-American recruit got to him. "If a kid tells you that he doesn't feel pressure with all those expectations, that kid is lying, for sure," Crisp stated. By the time his junior year at NCSU started, Crisp was back on track. He began to develop a bond with his teammates, especially R.J. Mattes, who was a year ahead of Crisp in eligibility and Crisp's best friend on the offensive line. The two lined up next to each other for the 2011 season opener against Tennessee. The game was the culmination of a summer-long effort to get in supreme condition. For three and a half quarters, Crisp played what he thought was some of his best football ever. every game to help numb the pain, but he played at about 60 percent in his own estimation. The goal this summer is to get back to the form that he was in before getting hurt against Tennessee. "I'm definitely getting close," Crisp said. "My work ethic right now is better than it has been. Even when spring was here, I didn't work as hard as I should have. But now my work ethic is at a whole new level." A Success Story The craziest part about "The Blind Side" for Crisp was the similarities in his situation and Oher's. "That story is 90 percent the exact same as my story, all the way down to the details of me driving a black truck," he said. The 10 percent that is different: Crisp's journey with the Singers is far deeper than Crisp (78) suffered a dislocated tailbone in the season opener against Tennessee last year, but fought through the pain to play in the final six games of the season. photo courtesy nc state media relations that I was known," Crisp explained. "It was mind-blowing for me. I didn't know I was going to be there, given that I was planning on dropping out years and years before. Now I am in this situation. "It was a good situation, but being that I was shy, I didn't like talking. I just loved to play sports. I didn't think all of this attention came with it. I just thought it was a sport that you played. You came and had fun." Crisp did not take long to decode that he was going to NC State, announcing for the Pack in April of his junior year. Pete Singer was headed to Raleigh, too. The "brothers" would continue to play football together. Transitioning to college, though, would not be easy for Crisp. Before time to enroll, Pete Singer decided not to come and instead went into the family business. Crisp was all alone again. He admitted he was depressed without his brother. Even though home was only a half-hour away, he didn't have the opportunity to return to Chapel Hill very often In the fourth quarter, NCSU quarterback Mike Glennon threw an interception that a Tennessee player returned 12 yards before running out of bounds. Crisp, chasing the play, had let up when the Vol went out of bounds. Then he was on the receiving end of a crack block. Crisp heard and felt two cracks in his lower back. The second one troubled him. Initial X-rays suggested he probably had a muscle spasm. But Crisp could not even bend over to hug his family after the game, and the plane ride was ultra-uncomfortable. A second, closer look revealed a dislocated tailbone. "Imagine buying a new car, getting it all pretty, washing it, waxing it," Crisp said. "Imagine doing that and then you're ready to drive this sucker, you turn a corner and somebody smacks you and it's totaled. That's how I felt last season." Crisp came back for the last six games instead of electing to sit out the year and redshirt. He took a shot in his spine before what Oher went through with the Tuohys. Oher only stayed with his adopted family after his athletic abilities were discovered. "Rob's story with our family, and the way it all turned out, with no preconceived notions or expectations, is wonderful," Singer said. As he gets ready to graduate from college, Crisp has changed dramatically from the youngster who was planning as early as middle school to drop out. Singer called it a true metamorphosis. "It teaches us your environment and your exposure can have a lot to do with how things go," Singer said. "He's become a man of his own. His views on life have changed. He's definitely a very, very different person from where he was headed. I don't think there is any question about that." Crisp stays in constant contact with his adopted family, and he is very grateful for the opportunity they gave him. "Coach Singer saw something in me that I, along with anyone else, wouldn't see in a million years," Crisp said. ■ 52 ■ the wolfpacker 48-50,52.Robert Crisp.indd 52 7/2/13 12:31 PM