Alge Crumpler

Algernon Darius Crumpler (/ˈældʒiː/; born December 23, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football for North Carolina. Crumpler now works as an analyst for the ACC Network.[1]

Alge Crumpler
refer to caption
Crumpler in 2014.
No. 82, 83
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1977-12-23) December 23, 1977
Greenville, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
High school:New Hanover (Wilmington, North Carolina)
College:North Carolina
NFL Draft:2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:373
Receiving yards:4,743
Receiving touchdowns:39
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Crumpler also played for the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots. He is a four-time Pro Bowl selection.

Early years

Crumpler attended New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina and was a letterman in football and track and field. In football, he started as a tight end and as a linebacker, and as a senior, he was an All-Midwest 4-A Conference selection. In track & field, he was a three-time State Champion on the discus, and won a State Championship on the shot put in 1996. He graduated from high school in 1996.

College career

After graduating from high school, Crumpler attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his last three seasons with the Tar Heels, Crumpler was named to the All-ACC first-team. As a sophomore, Crumpler caught 24 passes for a total of 278 yards, with four of those catches being touchdowns. In his junior season, Crumpler had 20 catches for 191 yards. His senior season concluded with him amassing 23 catches for 287 yards and one touchdown and he finished second in All-American voting.

Professional career


Pre-draft measurables
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 2+1⁄2 in
(1.89 m)		 266 lb
(121 kg)		 34 in
(0.86 m)		 10+1⁄2 in
(0.27 m)		4.76 s1.68 s2.75 s4.43 s7.38 s34.0 in
(0.86 m)		9 ft 4 in
(2.84 m)		22 reps
All values from NFL Scouting Combine[2][3]

Atlanta Falcons

Crumpler was selected by the Falcons in the second round (35th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft.[4] Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the New Orleans Saints, on October 21, 2001. He finished his rookie season starting 12 of 16 games and totaling 25 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns. In 2002, Crumpler started 9 of 16 games, recording 36 receptions for 455 yards and five touchdowns.

Crumpler earned his first Pro Bowl honor in 2003, starting all 16 games for the Falcons, catching 44 passes for 552 yards, the most for a Falcons tight end since 1980; he also had three touchdowns. Crumpler played in and started 14 games for the Falcons in 2004, who advanced to the NFC Championship Game. Crumpler finished the regular season with 48 receptions for 774 yards and six touchdowns and was elected to the Pro Bowl. In 2005, Crumpler returned to start 16 games for the Falcons, setting career highs with 65 receptions for 877 yards, as well as five touchdowns. He was also named to his third-consecutive Pro Bowl.

In 2006, Crumpler set a career-high with eight touchdowns, while also making 56 catches for 780 yards in 16 games started. Crumpler made 10 starts in 14 games in 2007, in his first season without Michael Vick at quarterback. He finished the year with 42 receptions for 444 yards and five touchdowns. In December 2007, Crumpler was fined by the NFL for wearing black eye strips during a Monday Night Football which had the letters MV and the number 7 written on them in support of Vick, who was in prison at the time.[5]

On February 15, 2008, Crumpler was released by the Falcons.

Tennessee Titans

On March 2, 2008, Crumpler signed with the Tennessee Titans. He made his debut with the team on September 7, 2008 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He started 15 games for the Titans in 2008, making 24 catches for 257 yards. In the Titans' Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, Crumpler fumbled after a reception from Kerry Collins on the Ravens' 5-yard line, which helped the Ravens ultimately win the game over the top-seeded Titans.

On August 9, 2009 in the Titans' first preseason game, Crumpler weighed approximately 300 pounds, gaining an estimated 30 pounds during the offseason.[6] However, Crumpler played in all 16 games for the Titans in 2009, starting 14 and catching 27 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. He was also part of a blocking unit that aided Titans running back Chris Johnson in a 2,006-yard rushing season.

New England Patriots

On March 24, 2010, Crumpler signed with the New England Patriots. After running back Kevin Faulk, an offensive captain, was lost for the season with a knee injury in Week 2, the team named Crumpler an offensive captain prior to their Week 6 game.[7] The next day, head coach Bill Belichick lauded Crumpler's professionalism:

He's very professional. Alge's really smart. He's into football. He works hard at it. He has a great presence. He's one of those guys that just seems like he always does the right thing no matter what the situation is. Whether it's in a game, in practice, in a meeting, in a walk through, whether it's a decision on the play, whether it's the way his demeanor is at that particular time, he knows when to smile, he knows when to be serious, he knows when to [step up], when to back off, when to gear it up, when to say and do the right thing. He's constantly helping his teammates and making reminders to them or telling them what to do to help them work off of him and so forth. I guess I think the best way I can put it is it seems like he always does the right thing no matter what the situation is. On or off the field, in the locker room, meetings, practice, it just seems like he always does the right thing.[8]

Crumpler finished the 2010 season with six receptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games played (10 starts).

On July 29, 2011, the Patriots announced that Crumpler had been released.

Personal life

He is the son of East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (1980) and North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2002) Carlester Crumpler Sr. and younger brother of former Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings tight end Carlester Crumpler. Alge is named after his father's favorite book, Flowers for Algernon.[9]

References
  1. "ACC Gridiron Live Presented by McAlister's Deli Debuts August 27 on Fox Sports South".
  2. "2001 Draft Scout Alge Crumpler, North Carolina NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  3. "Alge Crumpler, Combine Results, TE - North Carolina". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  4. "2001 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  5. "Falcons fined for Vick 'support'". Fox Sports. Reuters. December 19, 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
  6. Reiss, Mike (March 31, 2010). "Crumpler on a mission". ESPNBoston.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  7. "Bill Belichick Postgame Press Conference - 10/17/2010". New England Patriots. October 17, 2010. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  8. "Bill Belichick Press Conference - 10/18/2010". New England Patriots. October 18, 2010. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  9. "Alge Crumpler biography". Tennessee Titans. Archived from the original on January 23, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.