On the Plains with Keyron Crawford: 'Potential to be great'

For Keyron Crawford, his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, helped mold him into the man and football player he has become.

“Seeing the struggles my mom had gone through, it was more the fact that it was me or never,” said Crawford, one of four siblings to his single mother, Kimberly, growing up in northern Memphis.

A well-rounded student and star football player at Briarcrest Christian, Crawford credits his high school with preparing him for success.

“How you talk to people, how to make money, how to have a plan is what I took from Briarcrest,” Crawford said. 

The school also helped Keyon start what would become a journey to Auburn. He was introduced to football at the age of 18 by high school coaches. In his one and only high school season, he led Briarcrest to nine wins, accumulating 78 tackles and 14 sacks.

In just one season, he went from novice to a Division-I student-athlete, signing to play at Arkansas State. 

“Coach John Herrington introduced me to Briarcrest head coach Brian Stewart when I was touring the school, telling me, ‘I got a guy that you may want to see.’ And he came and pulled up in front of the school and saw me,” Crawford recalled. “He [Stewart] was like, ‘Oh yeah, you can be a Division-I player as long as you step on the field.’ I looked at my mom, and said, ‘I might as well do it; it’s my last year.’”

After talking it over with his mom, Crawford decided to give football his best. He has never looked back.

Crawford played his first two seasons at Arkansas State before transferring to the Plains in 2024. 

“It was more of the connection piece and the way it was explained to me,” Crawford said of his decision to transfer for Auburn. “(Defensive coordinator) DJ Durkin talked to me about being a buck, the position I am in now. I wanted to be more versatile because I had so much more to bring to the table than just being a true defensive end.” 

Crawford showed off his versatility in 2024, accumulating 22 tackles in his first campaign on the Plains, including five tackles in Auburn’s win over No. 15 Texas A&M in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
 
Crawford continued to carry momentum into spring practice ahead of his senior season.

“I think we had a good spring,” Crawford said. “We just weren’t as comfortable with each other because there were a lot of new faces and a lot of younger guys. I just saw a glimpse of how special we can be.” 

Crawford also mentioned his newfound leadership role on the team, now that he’s a senior. As the season progresses, he hopes to thrive in his new role, becoming a trusted voice in the locker room as he develops into someone SEC fans instantly recognize.

“Not so many people know who I am,” Crawford said. “I like that. I want to be an unknown. I want to be an unknown person right now because I know the expectations for myself and what I have to work on. What I plan on doing this season is going to be impeccable. It’s going to be a movie.” 

Considering Auburn’s goals for the 2025 season, Crawford returns to the connection piece that first drew him to Auburn. 

“What I want to get out of this team is more of a realization of how special we can be,” he said. “There are so many players that we have on this team that don’t know they are great yet. They have so much potential to be great.” 

Crawford also talked about continuing to bond as the season approaches. 

“I would love for the team to come together 10 times more and be able to dominate everybody that we go against,” he said. “I truly think that’s the goal and that’s going to happen.” 

Once the ’25 season concludes, Crawford hopes to play professionally.

“After the season, I plan on immediately going straight to training,” said Crawford, who’s studying in Auburn University’s College of Liberal Arts. “I definitely will be in the NFL, but just in case things go left I want to have a backup plan.”

Reflecting on how he expects to remember Auburn, Crawford mentions the Auburn family and the university’s close-knit feel.

“I see how close Auburn is in general life,” he said. “It’s very close and passionate, people rally around each other here.” 

Crawford also appreciates the off-the-field lessons head coach Hugh Freeze teaches the Tigers.

“Freeze is a godly man,” Crawford said. “I really try to take what he’s saying and apply it. I just want to be able walk in faith 10 times stronger once I leave here because I know it’s going to be 10 times harder, and life is going to hit me.”