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Big 12 Football: 50 best players of all-time

By Randy Gurzi

COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 1: Vince Young #10 of the Texas Longhorns in action against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field on October 1, 2005 in Columbia, Missouri. Texas defeated Missouri 51-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 1: Vince Young #10 of the Texas Longhorns in action against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field on October 1, 2005 in Columbia, Missouri. Texas defeated Missouri 51-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech Red
Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech Red football (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

874. . WR. Red Raiders . Michael Crabtree. 19. player

Big 12 Football best players of all-time: 19. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech football

There was a time when Texas Tech was one of the hottest teams in the nation. Mike Leach had their aerial attack on a different level and Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree were the two biggest stars for him during the height of his run.

Crabtree only played two seasons for the Red Raiders but he’s undoubtedly the best wide receiver the school has ever had. He started out on fire, landing Co-Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year when he had 134 receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns.

2008 was another big season for him, even though he didn’t top the insane numbers he put up the prior campaign. He still had 97 receptions for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns. He was also on the receiving end of one of the best catches in school history.

Texas Tech upset Texas (who was ranked No. 1 at the time) on a 39*33 thriller. The game came down to the wire and Crabtree caught a pass from Harrell despite being double-covered. He then avoided the tackle and took the ball into the end zone for the game-winning score.

Beyond his heroics, Crabtree was given All-American honors in each of his two seasons with Texas Tech and also won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in each of those seasons. In 2009, he was taken 10th overall by the San Francisco 49ers and was able to play in the Super Bowl during his time with them.

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