Wake-Up Call: Rays' Crawford steals the show

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

As Carl Crawford's eighth major-league season winds down, it's safe to say he made the correct career choice.

Crawford, the Rays' left fielder, has become one of the game's shining lights. Tuesday night, in a 3-1 victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field, he broke his own club record with his 60th stolen base. In July, he was named Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game, helping the American League win with a spectacular homer-saving catch. Earlier this season, he tied a modern baseball record with six stolen bases in one game.

Overall, Crawford has registered his best season - a .307 batting average, 14 homers, 67 RBIs and a much-improved batting eye that coaxes pitchers deeper into counts, generally giving himself better pitches to hit.

But this time of year - particularly on Saturday afternoons, when the clubhouse televisions are cranking with wall-to-wall college-football action - Crawford occasionally wonders about what might have been.

"Could I have won the Heisman Trophy?'' Crawford said, repeating a question. "I think it might've been possible. I mean, why not, right? The possibilities were there.''

Ten years ago, Crawford was an electrifying quarterback for Jefferson Davis High School in Houston.

He signed a scholarship with the University of Nebraska, which was something of a dream. After all, Crawford aspired to be the next Tommie Frazier, particularly after watching him chew up the Florida Gators in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl national-championship game.

Crawford loved football.

But he knew baseball guaranteed a better financial future. So when the Rays made him a second-round pick - one round behind Josh Hamilton, the overall No. 1 selection - Crawford quickly made his decision. He accepted Tampa Bay's signing bonus of $1.55-million and said no to the Cornhuskers, who had promised he could play on Nebraska's baseball team.

Two years later, Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch, who would've been Crawford's chief competitor, won the 2001 Heisman Trophy.

"You never really know about a guy until you get him on campus, but Carl was a runner on par with Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch - and he was probably a better passer than them,'' said former Nebraska quarterbacks coach Turner Gill, now head coach at the University of Buffalo, who recruited and signed Crawford for the Cornhuskers.

"We had a great relationship. But when he was drafted and got that offer from the Rays, when he called me to talk about it, to be honest with you, I told him to sign (with baseball). I said, 'Don't stop. Don't even hesitate. You have a game you love and a chance to help your family.' I remember it to this day. I wasn't going to talk that guy out of it, even though we would've loved to have him at Nebraska.''

Gill was reminded of that moment again during the summer, when he watched the All-Star Game and saw Crawford become the game's MVP.

"I got the biggest kick out of that,'' said Gill, who also balanced football and baseball in his career, spending some time in the minor-league systems of the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. "It was tremendously exciting and it brought back the memories of when we recruited him. Look, Carl chose the right path. I think that's obvious.

"But if he still thinks about football now and then, I couldn't blame him. The college-football pageantry is so strong across the country. You think about playing under those lights with those crowds. Who wouldn't want to experience that?''

Crawford was recruited by Texas as a wide receiver and Texas A&M as a defensive back. Michigan, Oklahoma and TCU also checked in, while UCLA recruited him in basketball.

Nebraska told Crawford he could play football and baseball. The memory of Frazier's career remained fresh.

"If you look at any of those Nebraska quarterbacks, you could imagine me doing the same thing,'' Crawford said. "I fit in perfectly with the system they had at Nebraska back then. You'd keep that running back on your hip, then you'd decide whether to pitch or keep. Just read the defense and react. Man, that was fun.

"Back then (after signing with the Rays), I used to think about football all the time. But that was a long time ago. I don't think about it much anymore. Football is definitely a more exciting sport, but in terms of longevity and what I can do with my career, baseball is where I need to be.''

The Rays are grateful for that choice.

"This is a high-end athlete, man,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Not sure about his jump shot, but he could've played some basketball. He could've become a professional soccer player. I know he would've been great in football.''

Maybe he might have won the Heisman Trophy.

"I don't give myself a lot of what-if questions,'' Crawford said. "Football is just something I used to do - a long time ago. I still love it. But I'm a baseball player.''

Chizik meets his mentor

Auburn University coach Gene Chizik, the former Clearwater High School linebacker who got his start on Sam Roper's Seminole Warhawks staff in 1985, will have his Tigers at 5-0 if they win at Tennessee on Saturday night.

Chizik already knows that won't be easy.

For the first time, Chizik will line up against Monte Kiffin, the first-year Tennessee defensive coordinator who spent 13 seasons with the Bucs. Chizik, during his four seasons on the University of Central Florida's staff, got to know Kiffin quite well.

Chizik has fond memories of early mornings traveling across Interstate 4 in his Jeep Cherokee, an ABBA tape blaring, making the pilgrimage from Orlando to One Buc Place.

"I just kind of barged through the door and hung around,'' Chizik said. "He (Kiffin) was just really giving with practice tapes and very forthcoming with information. I think he just kind of accepted that I was there and wasn't leaving. Monte and Coach (Tony) Dungy and Rod (Marinelli) were so accommodating towards me.

"I learned things there that I incorporate every day. People try to make football so complicated. Monte makes it simple. That's the biggest thing I learned. What Monte does with his scheme is teach it so every single player on the field understands it. He's big on tackling, being physical, forcing teams to drive the length of the field. Those are principles that I really believe in.''

Spartans, Mocs tangle in volleyball

The No. 4-ranked University of Tampa volleyball team hosts No. 17 Florida Southern College tonight at 7 in Sunshine State Conference play. The Spartans (13-1, 4-0) have been ranked in the top 25 for 182 consecutive weeks, the nation's second-longest active streak behind Central Missouri State.

The Mocs (10-5, 3-1) are coming off a four-set loss to Lynn University at home.

How high can Coghlan go?

Florida Marlins left fielder Chris Coghlan (East Lake) went 3-for-4 with two doubles in Tuesday nigtht's 5-4 victory against the Atlanta Braves. Coghlan, a prime contender for National League Rookie of the Year, raised his batting average to .319.

Coghlan is batting .390 in September (46-for-118). With one September game remaining tonight, Coghlan can tie (or break) his own franchise record.

He had 47 hits in August, a Marlins' franchise record for a month, and the most in any month by an NL rookie since Wally Moon of the St. Louis Cardinals had 52 in July 1954.

Span's hot streak continues

Since getting beaned on Sept. 21 and missing two games, Minnesota Twins center fielder Denard Span (Tampa Catholic) is batting .522 (12-for-23) in five games.

Span was 4-for-9 in Tuesday's day-night double-header split in the Detroit, which kept the Twins two games behind the Tigers in the American League Central Division race. Overall, Span is batting .314.

Clippard gets a victory

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Tyler Clippard (Mitchell) registered his first victory since Aug. 3 on Tuesday night, working two scoreless innings in a 4-3 win against the New York Mets. Clippard is 3-2 with a 2.91 ERA.

Ho-Jo a no-show

The 1984 Detroit Tigers were honored Monday night at Comerica Park and 24 of the players returned, along with former Manager Sparky Anderson.

Third baseman Howard Johnson (Clearwater) could not attend - he is the New York Mets' hitting coach - but he sent along a video message.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Bucs defensive lineman Robert "Pig'' Goff, who played at Bradenton Bayshore High School and Auburn University. After two seasons with the Bucs, Goff also played for the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. Friday, Goff turns 44.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Tuesday's trivia question:

Reche Caldwell, the former Jefferson High School quarterback and University of Florida wide receiver, caught regular-season passes for three different NFL teams - the San Diego Chargers (2002-05), New England Patriots (2006) and Washington Redskins (2007). Caldwell's younger brother, Andre, currently plays receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Wednesday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Josh Johnson, a second-year player from the University of San Diego, is scheduled to become the 31st different quarterback to start a regular-season game for the Bucs when Tampa Bay visits Washington on Sunday. Six of the others also played college football for a California school. Can you name them?

Check for the answer in Thursday's Wake-Up Call.