You can always go back to where it all began.
Eastern Michigan has announced the addition of one of their own, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby to their staff as assistant general manager. Crosby will continue to play and dominate for the Silver and Black Raiders while in this capacity.
He is setting a precedence as the first active NFL player to take on such a role with his alma mater, but this resembles what NBA stars Steph Curry and Trae Young have done at Davidson and Oklahoma, respectively.
Ahead of this announcement, Crosby posted Friday on social media that he hoped for top transfer portal edge rushers to consider the Eagles.
Yoo!! This one goes out to the absolute best Edge Rushers in all of College Football! I want you at Eastern Michigan! The coaching staff has renamed the weakside DE position as The MAXX! The winner of this new annual award will be coming out for a Raiders Game. I want the best…
Along with this role, the Eagles will change the name of their LEO position to “Maxx” and the lucky player who ends up assuming the starting role there and would don the No. 92, which Crosby wore in his time with the Eagles. Crosby will have a significant role in recruiting and coaching those players as well.
“There is no place more important to my personal and athletic development than Eastern Michigan University,” Crosby said. “It truly is an honor for me to not only be named the assistant GM of the EMU, but together with my wife Rachel, make another donation aimed at creating opportunities for other athletes to be impacted by the EMU program, community, students and alumni.”
Embed from Getty ImagesA Lapeer, Michigan, native, Crosby relocated to Texas and prepped at Colleyville Heritage before returning home and playing for the Eagles from 2015-18. Eastern Michigan was the only Division 1school to offer him a scholarship in the 2015 class.
Crosby then became an All-MAC performer, a fourth-round pick of the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft and has become a four-time Pro Bowl selection. In March, he signed a three-year $106.5 million contract extension and became the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback at the time.
Crosby and his wife Rachel, who was a standout on the soccer team at Eastern Michigan, donated $1 million to the EMU athletics department October 30, 2023.
Crosby now joins coach Chris Creighton’s staff.
“It’s always special when former players return to be part of our staff, and this is truly a full-circle moment,” Creighton said. “There’s something powerful about staying in one place and building something meaningful over time — Maxx is a shining example. He has already positively impacted our program, and now we’re taking it to another level. His passion for mentoring and developing our players is inspiring. I mean, how many people have a position named after them? That’s got to be a first. Big-time edge rushers will want to come here — not just to play but to build a relationship with Maxx and learn from one of the best. We just finished up a really good spring and are fired up for our future.”
Creighton has been at Eastern Michigan since 2014. Prior to his arrival on campus, the Eagles had been to only one bowl game in their program’s history. He has led them to six bowl appearances in his tenure.
