Dustin Crum wants to leave.
Dustin Crum gives his reasons for wanting to join the Oakland A’s instead of the Ottawa Redblacks.
Being “The Man” is a new experience for Dustin Crum. He doesn’t know what it’s like to be the quarterback who, in the view of others, is a surefire game changer.
In light of his past, Crum might have been at ease when he signed on with the Ottawa Redblacks in the middle of the previous campaign. This was not a big-name signing.
“Watching him seize the chance is thrilling. This week, while on vacation in North Carolina, Scott Crum, the father of possibly the most intriguing player in the CFL, stated over the phone, “I’m not surprised with how he’s playing—that’s who he is.”
“I’m thrilled he got the opportunity, and the team seems to be supporting him as they have, so he can do what he does.”
This year, DDUstin Crum, 24, was ranked third on the depth chart in camp and was expected to drop to fourth once Jeremiah Masoli returned to health. However, after losing two quarterbacks to season-ending injuries, the club has won two highly entertaining overtime games in a row.
Though many were taken aback by Crum’s ascent, he is no stranger to conquering great obstacles. Scott Crum remarked, “If you talk to him, he’s experienced these issues previously.”
In 2017, the only college to offer the quick-witted Crum a scholarship was Kent State, which is never to be mistaken for Michigan or Alabama. Crum’s first coach, Paul Haynes, was fired during his rookie campaign.
Sean Lewis, a 31-year-old former Syracuse co-offensive coordinator, took over as head coach at the Ohio institution, making him the youngest head coach at the highest level of the NCAA at the time. A team that finished 9–30 the previous five years was handed over to him. Crum is an in-state player from Midview High in Grafton, roughly a 40-minute drive from Cleveland. Lewis chose not to recruit Crum during his former position at Bowling Green as co-offensive coordinator for another Ohio program.
As far as coach Lewis was concerned, unless Dustin persevered, “he had no intention of actually giving him a try,” according to Dustin’s high school offensive coordinator, Scott Crum.
Crum’s opportunity came the following season, having spent the majority of Lewis’ rookie campaign on the bench in 2018. All he accomplished was to take Kent State, which was formerly regarded as one of the worst programs in the nation, to its first-ever bowl victory at the Frisco Bowl.
After their first-ever Bowl victory, one of the coaches approached me and said, “Any other student in America would have transferred in the situation your kid was in,” according to Scott Crum. “We discussed the transfer, and I told you that it was up to you. He did what I advised: “Go for it if you believe you have a good chance of getting the job and would be given a fair chance.”
Former Kent State defensive end Zayin West was one of a few 2017 prospects to stick it out all the way through school with the new staff. He grew to be very close to Crum.
West remarked, “I just think he’s a quiet leader.” “Over the years at Kent, he developed into a less talkative person. He demonstrates his everyday dedication to the team through his behaviors, and as you get to know him, he will also open up.”
Crum led the Golden Flashes to another bowl participation at the renowned Idaho Potato Bowl in 2021 and went on to be awarded the best player in the Mid-American Conference (the same conference that produced former star quarterback Nathan Rourke of the B.C. Lions in Ohio).
West remarked, “Give Crum ball time on the clock; he’s going to get it done.” “He’s going to take actions to avoid losing the match.”
