Cult of the Crab
by Humerto Martinez
Bradley Wilson stood on the edge of a bleacher at AT&T Jones Football Stadium. He was one of thousands of red raider fans, mostly adorned with the same colors of their team, staring out onto the field. The red raiders had built up momentum and driven the ball down the field against Oklahoma University, but it was third down, and a conversion was needed. The chant began by a group of students on Wilson’s left, who were making the motion of pincers with their hands and then formed the crown of a tree by using their arms.
“CRAAABB-TREE. CRAAABB-TREE. CRAAABB-TREE.”
Soon, the entire student section of the stadium was pinching at the air and had become a flesh forest of red-and-black-clad college students.
In the fall of 2007, Texas Tech was absorbed by a phenomenon probably unlike any other seen by the campus. Following the success of freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree, a wave of fan support, merchandise, and tomfoolery emerged at the tune of the football star’s last name.
It wasn’t too long after the season started that t-shirts adorned with crabs and trees were being sold alongside crab-shaped hats. Students could be seen at tailgating events, bent over backwards on hands and feet, emulating a crab-walk. And during the weekend that Texas A&M visited, a giant inflated crab could be seen on the sidewalk of Broadway.
Wilson, a pre-law student from Round Rock, Texas, said that Crabtree rose to popularity very quickly because he came into the football season after several key receivers had graduated, leaving him in the spotlight.
“I think there was a power vacuum when Filani and Johnson graduated,” Wilson said. “We really needed a play-making receiver, that star x-factor on the offense that when the game was on the line, could step up and do what was needed.”
Though Wilson said others’ departure is what drew so much attention to him, it shouldn’t discount the fact that he’s an extraordinary player. He said Crabtree’s ability to turnaround what may seem like a hopeless drive is what drives fans wild and garners their love for him.
The national attention Crabtree has received served to only fuel fans’ fervor even more. When the possibility of being nominated for a Heisman trophy as a freshman arose, students created groups on the social-networking web site facebook to show support.
Wilson said that most students, like him, think Tech doesn’t receive enough national recognition.
“I guess it’s more grassroots too, that’s why [the idea of the Crabtree cult] is so widely accepted,” Wilson said. “You have nearly every student as a fan, knowing Crabtree and his abilities. It’s not necessarily some ESPN analyst dictating to you, ‘well this is going to be a good player.’”
All the hype surrounding Crabtree isn’t unfounded. In his first season, he received 134 passes for a total of 1,962 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. He was named a 2007 first-team all-american, and was awarded the 2007 Biletnikoff award.
Daniel Albus, 19, is an environmental engineering major from Whitharral, Texas, and said that Tech football is important to him because it’s always been a part of his life. He said that all of his family has gone to Tech, so he’s grown up watching.
Though he was skeptical of the hype at first, Albus said that after watching Crabtree perform in a conference game, he was impressed.
“The last couple of years I’ve seen a lot of good receivers at Texas Tech,” Albus said, “but Crabtree is one of the best I’ve ever seen, in terms of explosiveness and being able to turn plays into big gains.”
Albus said that Crabtree brings a different dynamic as a receiver in that he may not necessarily be the fastest, but has power that defensive players aren’t used to seeing.
“He has a quick couple of first steps and corners that defensive backs can’t respond to,” Albus said. “And he couples that with a lot of power. I think those two weapons, the quickness and explosiveness, make it really hard for those defensive backs, who a lot of times can match his speed but a lot of times can’t match his power. It makes him very dangerous.”
Crabtree definitely deserves the hype he gets, Albus said, but he needs to make sure it doesn’t interfere with his game.
“I’m fearful about it because I’m scared it will get to his head,” Albus said. “He’s a great player, but he’s still got a lot of room to grow, and if he lets his fame get in the way, he won’t make it.”