Defensive end Tyrone Crawford is calling it a career with the Dallas Cowboys after nearly a decade, officially announcing his retirement.
Although we heard from Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy last week about Crawford’s decision to retire, we officially heard from Tyrone on Tuesday about his decision.
Official Tyrone Crawford Retirement Announcement
The nine-year NFL veteran tweeted a statement out Tuesday morning, saying he has a “thankful and full heart.”
Announcing Retirement and Thanking Family
Crawford says he fully intended on “riding into the sunset” with no official news breaking, but this wasn’t the case. This pretty much confirming that McCarthy spilled the beans with the announcement last week.
The statement went on to say he turned to his faith frequently during the span of his career, even before joining the Cowboys. He says he always strived to be “a light on other people and the light shined the brightest” when he relied on his faith.
Tyrone continued to thank his wife, Kelsey, who he called his “at-home nurse” after every surgery. He went on to say she played a large part in his life during all of the ups and downs that come with being an NFL player, including being a role model to their two daughters.
He continued by thanking his mom, saying she is the reason he is the person he is. “The example she set for me and my brother set the precedence very early that I could not fail,” he said.
Crawford went on to thank all of his friends and family who have been there for him throughout his career. He thanked some supporters for converting to being Cowboys fans, since it was a difficult thing to do for some.
“This sport is very much a business and having the right team by my side literally allowed me to leave this game with peace of mind,” he said.
Taking A Walk Down Memory Lane
While officially announcing retirement, Tyrone reminisced about the Jerry Jones giving him a shot in 2012. Crawford, also, thanked Cowboys Nation, calling them the “best fan base in the world.” He didn’t forget to thank the Cowboys faculty and staff for helping him throughout his time in Dallas.
Crawford went on to thank his teammates, saying they made his “decision to hang them up extremely difficult.” He, also, gave thanks to his former teammates from the last nine years calling them all his brothers.
The statement wrapped up by saying although he is retiring, his isn’t done working. He made is clear that he will be working with the communities that helped him during his career. “I will attack it exactly like I did every time I stepped onto the field wearing the star on my helmet,” he about about life after football.
Social Media Reaction
Some of Crawford’s current and former teammates were quick to congratulate after he officially announced retirement over social media. Dak Prescott being one of the first to post on his Instagram story congratulating Crawford.
Crawford’s Time in Dallas
Crawford was selected out of Boise State in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. In 2012, he played all 16 games, before going down with a torn Achilles during training camp before the 2013 season.
Between 2014 and 2018, he played 76 games out of 80 regular season games, but only played during four games in 2019. During the 2020 NFL season, he played in all 16 games and started three times.
What’s Next for Dallas
It’s not a bad idea for Dallas to pick up another DE in the 2021 NFL Draft. Dallas currently has DEs DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Brent Urban and Ron’Dell Carter on their roster.
