Earlier this month, police found various items of drug paraphernalia in an apartment where former Penn State defensive end Jack Crawford reportedly resides.
Crawford’s agents explain that Crawford has not lived in the apartment in several months, and that none of the items recovered by police belong to Crawford.
“From December 2011 forward, Mr. Crawford did not reside at the apartment in question at any time,” said Eastern Athletic Services in a statement. “Mr. Crawford was assigned one of the rooms in that four person apartment in August 2011 as part of his football scholarship and was given permission by the University to reside in that apartment as he chose. Mr. Crawford lived in that apartment during the fall semester of what was his senior year. That semester ended in December 2011. That same month, Mr. Crawford and his Penn State teammates left for the Ticket City Bowl in Dallas, Texas. From that point forward, Mr. Crawford never again resided at the apartment in question. After the Ticket City Bowl, Mr. Crawford played in college all-star games, attended several camps, participated in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and was living with family outside of the State of Pennsylvania, where he continues to reside and will remain until after the NFL Draft.
“The items listed in the Receipt Inventory of the Police Search Warrant do not belong to Jack Crawford,” the statement continues. “He never used them nor did he have any knowledge of their existence. Mr. Crawford does not use drugs and he does not own or possess any drug paraphernalia. Mr. Crawford is an exceptionally skilled player who has been preparing his whole life for his career as a professional athlete. He is a young man who is devoted to his sport and his family. Mr. Crawford would not jeopardize either his future or his family by involving himself in illegal activity.”
Crawford was regarded as a late-round prospect. Teams interested in him undoubtedly will explore the information in order to confirm its accuracy.
And if it’s accurate, it should have no bearing on Crawford’s draft stock.