West Virginia running back Justin Crawford to skip bowl game to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft

It’s been a pretty busy day for official news releases from the West Virginia Mountaineers athletic department. Of course, the biggest news being that which pertained to quarterback Will Grier. Another news release has just come down the pipe and it’s one that most Mountaineer fans will find is a sensible decision by senior running back Justin Crawford.

According to the release, Crawford will skip the Heart of Dallas Bowl on December 26th, and the preparation leading up to the game, to focus on the upcoming NFL Combine and Draft.

“Justin has logged a lot of miles and been a key contributor for us the past two seasons. He made a decision to not play in the bowl game based on what is best for him and his family. He came to West Virginia to further his education and be a featured back in the Big 12 and he accomplished his goals. As he starts his preparation for the NFL Draft, we wish him nothing but the best.” - Dana Holgorsen

Crawford is not the first college running back to make this move; Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Leonard Fournette skipped LSU’s bowl game to prepare for the NFL.

Crawford finished his career at West Virginia with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, the first Mountaineer running back to accomplish the feat since Noel Devine did it in 2008 and 2009.