Corey Crawford named NAL and Sprague's Inc. Offensive Player of the Week
For the second week in a row, players from the Columbus Lions have been named the NAL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week. Corey Crawford, the former defensive lineman turned fullback was named NAL Offensive Player of the Week and Sprague’s Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Carolina Cobras.
Crawfords performance last weekend was a surprise to many as the veteran defensive tackle had filled in at fullback since the Lions victory against the Jersey Flight but his primary role was blocking for Mason Espinosa on passing plays. Prior to the game against the Cobras Crawford only touched the ball once, on a rushing attempt that lost two yards in that game against the Flight.
Against the Cobras, however, Crawford seemed to be the Lions’ secret weapon on offense, with the fullback getting involved in the running game and passing game. Crawford finished the game with two rushing attempts for four yards but one of those attempts was a touchdown run. He was targeted twice in the passing game and he took both receptions in for touchdowns, finishing with a combined 19 yards on those two receptions.
Crawford’s impact on offense changed the game for an already dangerous Lions offense and with three weeks until the Lions return to play the Jacksonville Sharks, coach Jason Gibson and the staff have time to find more ways to incorporate Crawford into the offense.
If you would like to watch Crawford’s postgame interview with Thomas Amster, click here.
You can watch Crawford’s performance and the full Lions vs. Cobras game here.
The Lions will return to action on the road as they take on the Jacksonville Sharks on July 17. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST. The game can be watched live with CTV Beam, at https://www.nationalarenaleague.com/home or on the NAL’s official Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSzSD8STXiEVPVtUDO9juhA.
ABOUT THE COLUMBUS LIONS
The Columbus Lions are members of the National Arena League (NAL). Founded in 2007, the Columbus Lions are starting their 15th season in 2021. The Lions are a 3x league champion and 13 playoff appearances in their rich history. The Lions play their home games at Hughston Field in the Columbus Civic Center. Lions Season Ticket Memberships are on sale now call (706) 322-3336 or visit columbuslions.com. Follow the Lions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lionsfootball/, twitter @columbuslions and instagram.com/Columbuslions.
ABOUT NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE
The National Arena League was founded in 2016 and hosted its inaugural season in 2017 as the premier league in arena football. The National Arena League will kick off its fifth season in 2021. For more information regarding expansion opportunities or partnerships, contact Commissioner Chris Siegfried at chris@nationalarenaleague.com For more information about the NAL visit www.nationalarenaleague.com, facebook.com/nationalarenaleauge, twitter.com/NALfootball, Instagram.com/nationalarenaleague.