Blog Archives

On Tuesday night, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, HOF Willie Brown, and fellow Raiders Wide Receivers distributed bicycles to less fortunate children in Alameda County. (see full story and photos here)

No Comments

first_catch_as_raider

May 4, 2015
DALLAS, Texas – Crab5 Foundation officially launches its website today and begins an era filled with the Spirit of Hope.

The foundation, started a couple years ago by the Oakland Raiders new wide receiver, Michael Crabtree, announces the official launch of their website. Crab5 Foundation has been organizing events to give back to the inner-city community for the last two years, but in typical Crabtree fashion, he’s decided to take it to the next level. In a day where funding to provide cultural activities, arts, music, and sports continues to dwindle, Crabtree wants to bring hope. The foundation’s mission is to provide these opportunities to inner-city youth to inspire hope and put dreams back into their hearts, because that’s where change happens… at the community level.

Rodney Baker, Executive Director of Crab5 Foundation and Michael’s childhood friend said, “To see the difference, you have to be the difference. It’s my favorite quote. I’m so grateful and honored to serve in this capacity as Michael could have picked anyone, but he chose me. I always tell kids – ‘Never be afraid to go into the unknown and never stay in your comfort zone.’”

Now the foundation is preparing for their Spirit of Hope Gala scheduled for early summer to raise money for Michael Crabtree’s 3rd Annual Youth Mini Camp, where Michael, Camp Coach, Terry Drake, Camp Trainer, Bennie Wylie and other NFL players spend the day teaching and inspiring the attendees.

No Comments

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent WR Michael Crabtree, the club announced Monday.

Crabtree joins the Raiders following six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, during with he helped the team to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII. Crabtree’s career totals include 79 games played with 77 starts, 347 receptions for 4,327 yards (12.5 avg.) and 26 touchdowns. Additionally, he has posted 40 catches for 516 yards and four touchdowns in eight postseason games. Last season, Crabtree started all 16 games, producing 68 receptions for 698 yards and four touchdowns. In San Francisco’s Week 3 game at Arizona, Crabtree posted a career-high 10 receptions. In 2012, the 6-foot-1, 214-pounder set career highs with 85 receptions, 1,105 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, helping the 49ers capture the NFC Championship. In Super Bowl XLVII, he posted five receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown. The Dallas, Texas, native was originally drafted by the 49ers in the first round (10th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Texas Tech. Crabtree was a two-time winner (2007-08) of the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given the nation’s top wide receiver. The two-time All-American finished his two-year career at Texas Tech with 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. See video highlights on the Raiders website

No Comments

September 16, 2014 – The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver visited his hometown this offseason and allowed 49ers Studios to document the trip.

Watch Now

No Comments

November 26, 2014

Former Texas Tech star has blossomed in the NFL, but his real growth has come in the way he is giving back…

BY NICK KOSMIDER
Special to TexasTech.com

Rodney Baker has always known one thing to be very true about Michael Crabtree.

“If there’s something that he wants to do, and he has the vision and the foresight for it, he’s going to do it,” Baker said.

At Dallas Carter High School, the powerhouse Metroplex school featured prominently in the film “Friday Night Lights,” Crabtree was a quarterback who burned defenses in nearly every playmaking way the position would allow.

But Crabtree knew he would change positions when he went to college, and he knew exactly which one he wanted to play.

“His senior year he told me there were a lot of schools that wanted to recruit him to play defensive back,” said Baker, a high school teammate and close friend of Crabtree, who now works as the director of the Crab 5 Foundation. “When Texas came up to Carter to recruit him (to play defensive back), he said, `Nah, man, I catch touchdowns.”

Texas Tech was just fine with allowing Crabtree to pursue his vision, and it’s safe to say the move paid off pretty well for both parties.

Crabtree took home two Biletnikoff Awards during his two seasons playing for the Red Raiders. He caught 231 passes for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. Of course, the biggest of those was game-winning scoring catch as time expired against the No. 1 Longhorns in 2008.

Crabtree has continued catching touchdowns in the NFL. He has grabbed 26 of them for the perennial Super Bowl contender 49ers, including four this season heading into a Thanksgiving Day matchup against the rival Seattle Seahawks.

But for all that he has accomplished since leaving Texas to pursue his pro football dreams, the biggest strides Crabtree has made have come in the form of helping others chase their own goals.

(read full article here on the Texas Tech official website)

No Comments