FB Crockett Took Raiders a Long Way in Short Yardage

Fullback Zack Crockett is one of the most underrated Oakland Raiders from 2000-10.

Although 6-2, 240-pound Crockett did not put up eye-popping numbers in his eight-year career with the Silver and Black, Raider Nation could count on him to pick up the first down or, more importantly, score the touchdown in short-yardage situations.

“(Crockett) was a fullback until we got to third-and-one, fourth-and-one, goal line,’’ said former Stanford Coach David Shaw, who was a Raiders assistant coach from 1998-2001. “Then he would become the tailback, and nobody was better at converting such plays,

“Those are things that are hard to teach because we can’t tell him where (the other team’s) guys will be. He’s got great vision, balance, body control, and very powerful legs. and he’s decisive. He’s got a knack for those things.’’

Crockett was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round (No. 79 overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft out of Florida State and spent three seasons with the Colts and one with the Jacksonville Jaguars before coming to the Raiders in 1999 and sticking around until 1966.

At one stretch of the 2001 season, Crockett was 9-for-12 on third-and-one plays, but he was even more unstoppable the following season when he was an NFL-best 12-for-13 and scored seven touchdowns on short-yardage plays.

During a 2001 AFC Divisional playoff game against the New York Jets, Crockett picked up a first down on third-and-short inside the five-yard line with a three-yard run, and one play later scored on a two-yard run as the Raiders beat the Jets, 38-24, at the Oakland Coliseum.

“I think you have a play that you believe in, and we believe in Zack Crockett,” Coach Bill Callahan of the Raiders said. “You have a philosophy of how you want to handle short yardage. And ours is a physical philosophy.

“It’s no secret in this league. People know that when we go two tight ends and two backs that we are going to pound the rock. They know what’s coming, it’s the lead play up the middle with Zack Crockett. And it’s something that we take great pride in because we have the guy who can do it.”

Jon Ritchie, another fullback who Crockett usually followed in those short-yardage plays, knew what he had to do to make it easier for Crockett.

All he had to do was make a hit on and take out the first defender he saw, and Ritchie did that well, but he didn’t take all of the credit.

“A lot of that credit falls on the offensive line exploding off the ball,” Ritchie said. “It’s very simple what we do, yet effective. I think the beauty of it is found in its simplicity. Everyone knows where they need to be, and assignment-wise, we're very sound.

“And Zack is a real tough guy to bring down. He runs as hard as anyone I’ve ever seen. That is an emphasis for this squad to do well in crucial situations. We’ve been able to achieve it.”

Crockett said opposing teams didn’t shout warnings when he entered the game, but his entrance was no surprise. “They scheme and change their personnel,” he said.

But that didn’t do them much good, according to guard Frank Middleton, one of Crockett’s primary blockers.

“You never know in that small of a distance what’s going to happen with the defensive line, how they are going to change their angles and stuff like that,” Crockett said. “It’s a matter of reading the defense. When the hole is there, you've got to take it, there's no second-guessing. There are some tough inches out there.”

In nine years with the Raiders, Crockett played in 175 games with 61 starts, including a streak of 109 consecutive games played dating to the fourth game of the 1999 season. During his professional football career, Crockett had 510 carries for 1,701 yards and 36 touchdowns, 35 of which were scored with the Oakland Raiders.

Crockett continued his career in football beyond the playing field, working as a Southeast Area Scout for the Raiders until last season.

In addition, Crockett is the co-founder and vice president of the Crockett Foundation. This South Florida-based non-profit organization serves youth through educational programs to help build character, develop leaders and improve the community.

Through this organization, he fulfills his passion for giving back to the community and working closely with South Florida youth.

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