Jack Crabtree

NFL player
Name=Jack Crabtree


Caption=
DateOfBirth=
Birthplace=
Position=QB
College= University of Oregon
DraftedYear=1958
DraftedRound=12 / 136
Awards= 1958 Rose Bowl MVP
playing_years=1958
1960
1960
playing_teams= Philadelphia Eagles
Denver Broncos (AFL)
Los Angeles Chargers (AFL)

Jack Crabtree is a former American football quarterback who was the most valuable player of the 1958 Rose Bowl, despite the fact that his team lost the game.

Early life

Crabtree grew up in Lakewood, California and attended Excelsior High School in nearby Norwalk where he starred at quarterback.cite news|work=Long Beach Press-Telegram|date=October 5 1956|title=UCLA tackles Oregon] He attended San Bernardino Junior College before attending the University of Oregon and became the starting quarterback for the Oregon Ducks football team in his senior season of 1957.cite web|url=http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=0&SPID=3169&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=227071|title=Jack Crabtree|publisher=GoDucks.com|accessdate=2008-03-10]

Rose Bowl

In 1957, Crabtree led the Ducks to a tie for the Pacific Coast Conference championship with Oregon State. Since Oregon State had gone to the Rose Bowl the previous year, the unranked Ducks earned a berth in the 1958 Rose Bowl against heavily-favored and top-ranked Ohio State.cite news|url=http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=38609&sid=7&fid=2|title=Mighty Oregon honor: Fifty years ago, the Ducks fought No. 1 Ohio State to a near draw in the 1958 Rose Bowl|last=Bellamy|first=Ron|work=Register-Guard|date=December 23 2007|accessdate=2008-03-10] In the game, Crabtree completed 10 of 17 passes for 135 yards—huge numbers for those days—and the Ducks nearly pulled off a major upset, tying the game 7-7 in the second quarter and holding the score until the fourth quarter when a Buckeye field goal put Ohio State ahead for good, 10-7.cite web|url=http://www.sports-venue.info/NCAAF/Bowls/T_Rose_Bowl_Timeline.html|title=Rose Bowl Timeline|publisher=Pasadena Tournament of Roses]

For his heroics in a losing effort, Crabtree was named Rose Bowl MVP, one of only two players from a losing Rose Bowl team to win the award outright. [Cal's Benny Lom, who tackled teammate "Wrong Way" Riegels in the 1929 Rose Bowl, is the other; several players from losing teams have shared the award with players from the winning school.] cite web|url=http://www.rosebowlhistory.org/rosebowl-records.php|title=Rose Bowl History|publisher=RoseBowlHistory.org|accessdate=2008-03-10] Crabtree was named to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1998.cite web|url=http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/halloffame.asp|title=Rose Bowl Hall of Fame|accessdate=2008-03-10|publisher=Pasadena Tournament of Roses]

Pro career and retirement

Crabtree was drafted in the 12th round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles before spending two years in the United States Army. In 1960, he played briefly with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League. Following his retirement from football, he worked for the Champion sportswear company, becoming manager of its west coast sales force.

Legacy

Crabtree was named to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981cite web|url=http://www.oregonsportshall.com/inductee/roll/football.htm|title=Inductees: Football|publisher=Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum|accessdate=2008-03-10] and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

References