Maxx Crosby
Defensive End
Eastern Michigan

 

Ed Hunt:  What is your biggest takeaway from the Scouting Combine?

 

Maxx Crosby:  Showing everybody that I can compete with guys from bigger schools.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is the best player you have faced on an opposing team?

 

Maxx Crosby:  Max Scharping from NIU.  Every time we went against each other, he was the most solid tackle I went against.

 

Ed Hunt:  Coming out of high school, which schools showed interest in you?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I wasn’t recruited that heavily.  I had interest from and communication with 1-AA schools.

 

Ed Hunt:  What made you ultimately choose Eastern Michigan?

 

Maxx Crosby:  They were the only team to offer me.

 

Ed Hunt:  What are your strengths?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I’m a pass rusher.  I know how to get to the quarterback.  I can stop the run.  

 

Ed Hunt:  What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?

 

Maxx Crosby:  There’s always room for improvement.  For me, it’s just technique.  My arms don’t stay in a box.  My footwork in the run game. All those little technical things, I can improve on.

 

Ed Hunt:  Describe your overall career.

 

Maxx Crosby:  When I first got to Eastern (Michigan), I was a 200-pound kid.  It was a big jump.  Going there, I really wanted to prove I could play.  My freshman year, I got scout team MVP.  I was starting my redshirt year as a freshman.  We took a lot of pride in how we changed around the program.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is the highlight of your career at this point?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I would say going to that bowl game my redshirt freshman year.  This past season, we were 2-4 and we had a big team meeting.  We hashed everything out and changed everything around.  Nobody bet on us.

 

Ed Hunt:  I noticed you have good-hand technique.  What do you attribute this to?

 

Maxx Crosby:  There’s a number of things.  We work on it a lot and I put in extra work in the offseason.  Doing extra little things.  As a D-lineman, it’s a battle and whoever has the quicker hands will win usually.

 

Ed Hunt:  What have you learned the most from your coaching staff?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I came to Eastern at 17 and left at 22.  They taught me how to be a part of a family.  They brought us together.  They taught us to be men.  They taught us to trust people from different backgrounds.

 

Ed Hunt:  Is there a role you have played on special teams thus far in your career?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I played some punt block and some on field goals.  In practice, I did kickoff return.  I’m very familiar with it, but it was a coaching decision to not put me on special teams in a game.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is your favorite NFL team?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I was a Lions fan.  I grew up in Michigan before I moved to Texas.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is your favorite NFL player?

 

Maxx Crosby:  If I had to pick one, I would say J.J. Watt.

 

Ed Hunt:  What’s the most important trait for an edge rusher?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I think speed.  Just being an overall athlete and having a great football IQ.  Having different moves, you can go to.  Having your lineman on his toes the whole time is important.

 

Ed Hunt:  Before the ball is snapped, what tendencies are you looking for in that offense?

 

Maxx Crosby:  We watch a ton of film.  Coach Needham taught us a lot about play recognition and he showed us a lot of sets.  I take my eyes to the tackle and sometimes a tight end.  Usually, a tight end or a tackle will give it away with his body language.  It is just picking apart the little details in film.

 

Ed Hunt:  What players on your team should we keep an eye on for next season?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I can’t say one person.  Watch out for the whole team.  They are going to do really well next season.

 

Ed Hunt:  What do you enjoy most about football?

 

Maxx Crosby:  There’s so many things.  The main thing for me is the competition.  I am a crazy competitor.  I love the violence of the game.  I love the speed of the game.  I love everything about football.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is your biggest role model and why?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I have to say, my parents.  My mom and dad are super hard-working people. They have been there every step of the way.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is your definition of a leader?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I don’t believe in “bark.”  Somebody who backs up what they say.

 

Ed Hunt:  What do you want to do with your life after football?

 

Maxx Crosby:  Growing up, I’ve always been a humongous sports fan.  I was thinking about a sports radio show or a podcast where I can talk about football and basketball.  Sports is all I know.

 

Ed Hunt:  What five words best describe you?

 

Maxx Crosby:  Competitor, tough, intelligent, hard-working and loyal.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who will win the Super Bowl next year?

 

Maxx Crosby:  I don’t know.  Patriots, Rams and Chiefs maybe.  I can’t really answer that for you.