West Virginia Football: Is Justin Crawford making mistake by sitting out?

West Virginia football is preparing for the Heart of Dallas Bowl, but doing so without running back Justin Crawford. Is he making a mistake?

Justin Crawford is a kid you can’t help but root for. He was working the night shift at Taco Bell before taking over in West Virginia’s backfield and went the JUCO route to get to Morgantown. He fought his way up the ranks to become one of the top backs in the Big 12.

However, he’s deciding to sit out the Mountaineers’ Heart of Dallas Bowl against Utah in order to prepare for the NFL draft.

Some have criticized the senior running back for deciding to skip the Heart of Dallas Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft and I actually dislike players’ decisions to sit out.

Most of the time, it seems like a selfish move on the part of these athletes, skipping a bowl game with their brothers to focus on the next step in their lives that will come regardless. However, in Crawford’s case, it makes sense.

The former JUCO running back left a Taco Bell night shift, a wife and two sons to become West Virginia’s starting running back and he’s doing something that is perceived as wise. He’s protecting himself from a possible injury so he can ensure he gets drafted and makes enough money to keep his small family afloat.

Although he’s not considered an early-round pick, he did rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his seasons with the Mountaineers and was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2016 and All-Big 12 second-teamer in 2017. He has earned this.

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Will Grier announced he’s coming back for his senior season but Crawford has played his final game. In his case, you have to be happy for how far he’s come.