Crawford Ker
Encyclopedia
Crawford Francis Ker is a former American college and professional football
player who was a guard
in the National Football League
(NFL) for six seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Ker played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys
and the Denver Broncos
of the NFL. He is now the owner of a chain of restaurants and sports bars located throughout Florida
.
, and was the only son of George and Anne Ker. His father George immigrated to the United States from Scotland
, and had previously served in the British Army
as a Buckingham Palace
guard. When Ker was young, his family moved to Florida, and his father worked two or three jobs to pay for the family's ranch house in Dunedin, Florida
, running a lawn service during the day and working at a 7-11 convenience store at night. After school, and during weekends and summers, Ker worked with his father, cutting grass. In the mid-1970s, George managed the kitchen at Capogna's Dugout, a sports restaurant in Clearwater, Florida
, where Ker worked as a busboy
while he was in high school
. During school semester breaks and vacations, he also waited tables and cooked in the kitchen.
Ker attended Dunedin High School
in Dunedin. During his junior
year in high school, he decided to become a professional football player. He had not played high school football
before his junior year, but he purchased a Kmart
weight set and started working out; after beginning high school at 145 pounds, he bulked up to 210. According to Ker's mother, he didn't love football, but he was certain he could make the money he wanted as a player. Crawford stated, "I made myself into a football player." During his senior
year, Ker played very well, the Dunedin Falcons football team won a Pinellas County
championship, but no Division I football programs recruited him to play college football. Crawford graduated from Dunedin High School in 1980, but didn't want to attend a small college; he wanted to play at a big school to improve his chances of being drafted
in the NFL. He worked and worked out during the first year after graduation, adding another fifty pounds to his six-foot, four-inch frame.
who invited him to Yuma, Arizona
. His father purchased a one-way airline ticket to Arizona for Ker. Ker played at Arizona Western for in 1981 and 1982 and was recognized as a junior college
("JUCO") All-American.
After Ker's JUCO performance at Arizona Western, the Florida Gators football
coaches were convinced of Ker's talent and offered him an athletic scholarship
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
for his junior and senior years in 1983 and 1984. Ker's nickname among his Gators teammates was "Big Daddy," and he could bench-press up to 515 pounds. He played two years for coach Charley Pell
and coach Galen Hall
's Florida Gators football teams, and, as a senior, he was on the Gator's 1984 squad that, at the time, was considered the finest Gators football team ever. The Gators' outstanding offensive line was called "The Great Wall of Florida," and included Ker, Phil Bromley, Lomas Brown
, Billy Hinson and Jeff Zimmerman. Behind the blocking
of Ker and his Great Wall teammates, the Gators' quarterback Kerwin Bell
, fullback
John L. Williams
and halfback
Neal Anderson
led the Gators to a 9–1–1 overall win-loss record and won their first Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championship with a conference record of 5–0–1. (The title was later vacated by the SEC university presidents because of NCAA rules violations committed by Charley Pell and the Gators coaching staff between 1979 and 1983, before Ker's arrival in Gainesville.) Ker was recognized as a second-team All-SEC selection and an honorable mention All-American following the 1984 season.
Ker in the third round (seventy-sixth pick overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft
, and he played for the Cowboys from to . Ker played five games for the Cowboys as a 23-year-old rookie
in , but quickly became the Cowboys' highest-paid offensive lineman, and started in eighty-six of the Cowboys' ninety-one regular season games from to . After Cowboys coach Tom Landry
retired, Ker left the Cowboys via free agency
in , and signed with the Denver Broncos
. He was placed on the Injured reserve list during the pre-season and stayed in Denver just one year; he retired before the season began.
, a Florida-based chain of restaurants and sports bars. Crawford and his wife Melissa were married in 1998, and they live in Largo, Florida
. The Kers have two daughters and a son.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for six seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Ker played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL. He is now the owner of a chain of restaurants and sports bars located throughout Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Early life
Ker was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and was the only son of George and Anne Ker. His father George immigrated to the United States from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and had previously served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as a Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
guard. When Ker was young, his family moved to Florida, and his father worked two or three jobs to pay for the family's ranch house in Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The population was 35,691 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 36,632...
, running a lawn service during the day and working at a 7-11 convenience store at night. After school, and during weekends and summers, Ker worked with his father, cutting grass. In the mid-1970s, George managed the kitchen at Capogna's Dugout, a sports restaurant in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, where Ker worked as a busboy
Busboy
Busser, busboy and busgirl are terms used in the United States for someone who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables and otherwise assisting the waiting staff....
while he was in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. During school semester breaks and vacations, he also waited tables and cooked in the kitchen.
Ker attended Dunedin High School
Dunedin High School
Dunedin High School is a high school in Dunedin, Florida, U.S.A. It is operated by the Pinellas County Schools school district. The school mascot is Freddie the Falcon...
in Dunedin. During his junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
year in high school, he decided to become a professional football player. He had not played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
before his junior year, but he purchased a Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
weight set and started working out; after beginning high school at 145 pounds, he bulked up to 210. According to Ker's mother, he didn't love football, but he was certain he could make the money he wanted as a player. Crawford stated, "I made myself into a football player." During his senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
year, Ker played very well, the Dunedin Falcons football team won a Pinellas County
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
championship, but no Division I football programs recruited him to play college football. Crawford graduated from Dunedin High School in 1980, but didn't want to attend a small college; he wanted to play at a big school to improve his chances of being drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the NFL. He worked and worked out during the first year after graduation, adding another fifty pounds to his six-foot, four-inch frame.
College career
On the advice of a friend, Ker called the football coach at Arizona Western CollegeArizona Western College
Arizona Western College is a public community college located in Yuma, Arizona, United States. AWC offers classes in San Luis, Somerton, Marine Corp Air Station , Wellton, Dateland, and La Paz....
who invited him to Yuma, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
. His father purchased a one-way airline ticket to Arizona for Ker. Ker played at Arizona Western for in 1981 and 1982 and was recognized as a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
("JUCO") All-American.
After Ker's JUCO performance at Arizona Western, the Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
coaches were convinced of Ker's talent and offered him an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
for his junior and senior years in 1983 and 1984. Ker's nickname among his Gators teammates was "Big Daddy," and he could bench-press up to 515 pounds. He played two years for coach Charley Pell
Charley Pell
Charles Byron "Charley" Pell was an American college football player and coach. Pell was an Alabama native and an alumnus of the University of Alabama, where he played college football. He is most notably remembered as the head coach of the Clemson University and the University of Florida...
and coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
's Florida Gators football teams, and, as a senior, he was on the Gator's 1984 squad that, at the time, was considered the finest Gators football team ever. The Gators' outstanding offensive line was called "The Great Wall of Florida," and included Ker, Phil Bromley, Lomas Brown
Lomas Brown
Lomas Brown, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League for eighteen seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Brown played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played...
, Billy Hinson and Jeff Zimmerman. Behind the blocking
Blocking (American football)
In American football, blocking is a legal move occurring when one player obstructs another player's path with his body. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players tackling the ball carrier, or to protect the quarterback while attempting to pass or hand-off the ball...
of Ker and his Great Wall teammates, the Gators' quarterback Kerwin Bell
Kerwin Bell
Kerwin Douglas Bell is an American college and professional football coach and former player who was a quarterback in the National Football League , World League of American Football and the Canadian Football League for fourteen seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s...
, fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
John L. Williams
John L. Williams
John L. Williams is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
and halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
Neal Anderson
Neal Anderson
Charles Neal Anderson is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s and 1990s...
led the Gators to a 9–1–1 overall win-loss record and won their first Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship with a conference record of 5–0–1. (The title was later vacated by the SEC university presidents because of NCAA rules violations committed by Charley Pell and the Gators coaching staff between 1979 and 1983, before Ker's arrival in Gainesville.) Ker was recognized as a second-team All-SEC selection and an honorable mention All-American following the 1984 season.
Professional career
The Dallas Cowboys draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
Ker in the third round (seventy-sixth pick overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft
1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 30 and May 1, 1985...
, and he played for the Cowboys from to . Ker played five games for the Cowboys as a 23-year-old rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in , but quickly became the Cowboys' highest-paid offensive lineman, and started in eighty-six of the Cowboys' ninety-one regular season games from to . After Cowboys coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
retired, Ker left the Cowboys via free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in , and signed with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was placed on the Injured reserve list during the pre-season and stayed in Denver just one year; he retired before the season began.
Life after football
Ker is the founder and chief executive officer of Ker's WingHouse Bar & GrillKer's WingHouse
Ker's WingHouse is a restaurant franchise based primarily in the Southeastern United States, founded by former National Football League player Crawford Ker.-Investment:...
, a Florida-based chain of restaurants and sports bars. Crawford and his wife Melissa were married in 1998, and they live in Largo, Florida
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
. The Kers have two daughters and a son.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- List of Dallas Cowboys players
- List of Florida Gators football players
External links
- Ker's WingHouse – Official website of Ker's WingHouse Bar & Grill.