Countdown to Kickoff: 41 Days
PREVIOUS COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF ENTRIES: 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42
Texas Tech's 2016 football season will begin in exactly 41 days with a Sept. 3 kickoff against Stephen F. Austin.
Today, we continue our Countdown to Kickoff series with a notable way the number 41 relates to Red Raider football.
41: Michael Crabtree caught 41 touchdown passes during his Texas Tech career.
In just two years, Michael Crabtree almost completey rewrote Texas Tech's record book. From 2007-08, Crabtree set single-season records for catches (134), receiving yards (1,962) and touchdowns (22) and career records for receiving yards* (3,127) and touchdowns (41). He was a two-time unanimous All-American, two-time Biletnikoff Award winner, two-time Paul Warfield Trophy winner and the 2007 ESPN All-America Player of the Year.
The amazing thing about Crabtree's dominance is that no one saw it coming. Not even close.
* Jakeem Grant broke Crabtree's career receiving record in 2015.
Crabtree was a four-star, Rivals250 prospect in the class of 2006 but he was hardly viewed at the time as a can't-miss, uber recruit. The Dallas Carter standout was classified as an athlete after spending most of his high school career playing quarterback. His recruitment was fairly low key until January 2006, when he ultimately chose the Red Raiders over Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
There's room to argue whether Crabtree is the best player in the history of Texas Tech's football program, but no Red Raider before or since has earned more accolades and honors over the course of their career.
Tomorrow: 40 - We look back at one of the fastest players in Red Raider football history.