Isaiah Crowell’s long-awaited homecoming was triumphant.
The Columbus native and one-time University of Georgia running back scored two touchdowns as a member of the Cleveland Browns in a 26-24 final-second win over the Falcons on Sunday.
It left Crowell all smiles following the victory with 50 friends and family in attendance at the Georgia Dome.
“I just wanted to give them a show,” Crowell said. “They came to see me play. I wanted to give them what they came to see.”
Did he ever.
Crowell had 88 yards on 12 carries, an average of 7.3 yards per attempt. His second touchdown, a 26-yard run in the third quarter, was highlight-reel worthy as he made no less than four Falcon defenders miss. Crowell took a pitch and broke it outside to the left. After leaving a couple Falcons would-be tacklers empty handed, he cut back to the right and finished the run in the corner of the end zone.
“First, I bounced it,” Crowell said. “I looked and saw the DB and said I wasn’t going to let him bring me down. I cut back across the field and saw another DB. The same thing happened. I had to get to the end zone.”
Crowell scored the Browns’ first touchdown late in the first quarter when he capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with an 11-yard run. That was not the first time Crowell scored a touchdown in the Georgia Dome. He recalled scoring in the high school state playoffs while at Carver High “a long time ago.”
He did make two other appearances at the Dome after he went to Georgia in a regular-season game against Boise State and the SEC Championship game against LSU.
Crowell committed to Georgia as one of the top running backs in the country. He was named the SEC freshman of the year in 2011 after rushing for 850 yards on 185 carries with five touchdowns. The future looked bright.
Then a NFL dream was derailed.
The next year Crowell was arrested on a felony weapons charge after a June traffic stop and was subsequently dismissed from the university. He went to play at Alabama State where he spent two seasons before declaring himself for the 2014 NFL Draft. His name was never called.
However, Crowell signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent and has made an impression. He has appeared in all 11 games for the 7-4 Browns, making his second straight start Sunday. He has picked up 446 yards on 90 carries and scored seven touchdowns.
He was in on the Browns final drive, picking up blitzes during the seven-play, 61-yard effort over the final 44 seconds that resulted in the game-winning 37-yard field goal.
“It’s been a long ride leaving Georgia and everything,” Crowell said. “I knew I wanted to get here and take advantage of all the opportunities that God gave me.
“I had a chip on my shoulder. I have a chip on my shoulder every week because no team drafted me. I’ve got to show them what they missed out on.”
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