TAMPA, Fla. – D.J. Crowther seems to be making the most of being in the Sunshine State. St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island are to his liking and he has met many nice folks in his first few months at USF. The football has been pretty good, too. At least according to the man who brought him to Tampa.
“We are blessed to have a handful of good guys that we can rely on, at least early on, with D.J. being one of them,” coach Brian Hartline said of his group of running backs. “He is a really good downhill back, smart, never really gets flustered, not an emotional guy. He is very mature from a mentality standpoint.”
That should come as no surprise given Crowther spent the last four seasons at Dartmouth where he received his undergraduate degree in sociology. He earned first-team All-Ivy League recognition last season when his 929 yards rushing were second in the Ancient Eight and led the league’s running backs. He averaged 4.8 yards per tote and had 10 touchdowns for a team that went 7-3.
“It was an opportunity that was hard to pass up,” he said of coming to USF. “I really loved it on my visit, really liked what (the coaches) were preaching.”
Crowther’s freshman season of 2022 was Buddy Teevens’ last as head coach of the Big Green. Teevens was a decorated quarterback at Dartmouth who spent 23 seasons over two stints leading his alma mater and is the program’s winningest coach. He succumbed to injuries sustained when hit by a pickup truck while bicycling in St. Augustine in 2023. Teevens, who was also a head coach at Stanford and Tulane, was 66.
“Coach T had a real impact on me and has a special place in my heart,” said Crowther, whose full name is Darius Crowther Jr. “He was really personable. He was genuine and always cared about you as a person on and off the field. I remember he always preached about life after football. You were more than just a football player.”
Crowther is far, far more than just a football player. He enrolled in a master’s program (entrepreneurship) at USF and may opt for real estate when it is time to hang up his helmet.
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The native of Fremont, Calif., which is within the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, had opportunities to remain in the Pacific Time Zone. Eastern Washington, UC-Davis and Cal Poly were among those that came calling. It was the opportunity to receive an Ivy League education that won out. Being the oldest of four boys also had something to do with his decision.
“I have three younger brothers and they all look up to me,” he said. “I take that with me each day and with everything I do. Just trying to be a pro and just know that I’m doing it for the family. I wear the (Crowther) name on the back of my jersey, so I’m trying to make them proud.”
Crowther, whose cousin, Julian Neal, was a defensive back at Arkansas and Fresno State and has the potential to be a late-round selection in next month’s NFL draft, is proud to be with the Bulls and a group of players and coaches he enjoys being around.
“The one thing I have enjoyed most is everybody’s mindset in trying to be a pro and trying to be expert in everything we do,” he said. “Coach Hartline, all of the coaches, they kind of preach that. The way you go to sleep, the way you attack each and every day, every rep, the weight room, the way you eat. Everything matters and at the end of the day it will pay off.”
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