CCU Football Notebook: Starting DT Crowder leaves program

One game into the season the Coastal Carolina football team has already lost another one of its most experienced defensive players, but not for any of the usual reasons.

After starting 29 games since 2013, senior defensive tackle Marcus Crowder informed the coaches on Sunday that he no longer wanted to play football.

Crowder was listed as a starter in the Chanticleers’ 38-35 win at Furman on Saturday night, but he did not record any tackles or stats.

Junior Jabarai Bothwell, who was rotating in pretty evenly at defensive tackle with Crowder and senior Leroy Cummings, will move into the starting lineup in his place as the No. 1/3-ranked Chants travel to South Carolina State this weekend.

“I don’t want to get into a lot of reasons. Marcus Crowder decided that he’s no longer going to play football and this was 100 percent his decision,” head coach Joe Moglia said Wednesday in his weekly news conference. “There was nothing wrong that happened – 100 percent his [choice]. We will miss him. He’s done a great job for us over the span of the last four years, and I think primarily his heart was just no longer in the game.”

Teammates and coaches did not seem entirely surprised while addressing the situation before practice Wednesday.

“I respect his decision. I’ve known Marcus since I’ve been here; I know how he felt,” Bothwell said. “I think as a d-line we’ve got to step up.”

Said defensive coordinator Clayton Carlin: “We wish him well. That’s just a decision he made and he’ll go on to do great things.”

Defensive line coach Cory Bailey also said he was “not totally” surprised and could tell that football did not consume Crowder as much as with other guys on the team.

Moglia expounded on that sentiment as well and also offered his support for Crowder’s decision.

“One of the things we really talk to our guys about, football is a great game – a great game – but it requires a very real commitment physically, emotionally, intellectually,” Moglia said. “And you’ve got to have your heart in it, you’ve really got to have your heart in it, otherwise it’s probably too much of a price to pay, and I think this is something that’s probably been inside Marcus’ heart for a while and he just didn’t feel he could continue to do this and give it 100 percent.

“I certainly understand that. Our team understands that. We only wish him the very, very best and because of the effort he’s given us over the span of the last three-plus years I’m always going to have his back and he can always count on me if he needs me.”

Crowder saw action off the bench in every game as a true freshman in 2012 before becoming a mainstay in the starting lineup the next season. He finishes with 72 career total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

He was one of four returning senior starters on a defensive line that figured to be a strength for the Chants after the defense lost five other starters from 2014 and continues to be without standout senior safety Richie Sampson as he recovers from shoulder surgery with no defined timetable to return.

Coastal Carolina gave up 525 yards of total offense in the win at Furman, and the Chants will now try to regroup on that side of the ball with one less contributer.

Both Bailey and Carlin, though, expressed no concern whatsoever about moving forward at that defensive line spot.

Sophomore Dwayne Price and redshirt-freshmen Christian Gill and Ja’ree Tolbert will rotate in behind Bothwell and Cummings now. Gill made his collegiate debut Saturday, playing a handful of snaps, while Tolbert should see his first action this weekend.

“We’ll be fine. Luckily we’ve got plenty of depth up front so it will just speed up the learning curve for Christian and Ja’ree behind those guys,” Bailey said.

As for Bothwell, he joined the Chants last season as a transfer from Western Michigan and tallied four tackles for loss. He finished with four total tackles in the opener Saturday night.

“Really I had Marcus, Leroy and JB [Bothwell] on a three-way rotation so they were all playing about the same,” Bailey said. “He might get another 10-15 plays, but I’ll always play as many as I got.”

Injury news

Senior nickel Datarius Allen sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter of the win Saturday night and will be out “probably a couple weeks,” Moglia said.

Junior C.J. Thompson, who has rotated in at that nickel spot, will take on a bigger role there.

Senior fullback/special teams contributer Andre Johnson has a concussion and will also be out this week.

And Sampson is once again ruled out, though no decision has been made on his status for the season.

“He’s not going to play this week, but in terms of redshirting there hasn’t been a decision made on that,” Moglia said.

Chants sticking with Rabon

Punter Evan Rabon was one of six true freshmen to see action last weekend for the Chants, and he showed some rookie jitters stepping in as a starting specialist for the first time at this level.

The South Florence High School product averaged just 26.5 yards on four punts with his first two coming off the foot awkwardly before he seemed to settle down.

Moglia acknowledged in his news conference Wednesday he was “a little disappointed” while indicating the Chants were going to stick with Rabon in that spot.

“I think he’s going to be a very, very good kicker for us,” Moglia said. “He wasn’t as effective as he could have been in his first game, and I think people might suggest, ‘Well, he’s only a freshman.’ I know he’s a freshman, but he’s a Division I college football player at Coastal Carolina so he’s got to be able to handle that. I’m confident that he will.”

Rabon averaged 37.3 yards per punt last season for South Florence while also handling kicking duties.

“He’s made 1,000 punts in his life, he’s made many punts under pressure. It’s no different. It’s a punt. That’s something he could do in his sleep. He’ll be fine,” Moglia said.

This story was originally published September 9, 2015 at 8:59 PM with the headline "CCU Football Notebook: Starting DT Crowder leaves program."