Cory Hall’s mysterious journey to CMU, and how he got Xavier Crawford to join him
Cory Hall left the Oregon State coaching staff and promptly went missing on his own terms.
“When I left, I went MIA,” Hall said. “Nobody knew that I was (at CMU). I just left.”
It was only a matter of time before he was discovered in Mount Pleasant as Central Michigan’s defensive backs coach. Once the news of his move to the Chippewas was released on March 18, Hall’s phone exploded with texts, phone calls and emails.
“You went to Central Michigan?” he remembers people curiously asking.
One of those phone calls was from Oregon State cornerback Xavier Crawford, who graduated from the university in three years and was granted his full release to transfer.
Prior to the announcement of his move from Oregon State to CMU, Hall did not talk to any of his players within the Beavers program, including Crawford.
“I had to leave them to my voicemail because it’s a touchy subject,” Hall added. “Even when I left, a lot of players were waiting to see where I’d land. They wanted to know if there’d be openings wherever I went.”
Hall eventually reached out to Crawford, but not until he was set to graduate after his third year on-campus in Corvallis. During the phone call, the cornerback said he wanted to join his former coach in Mount Pleasant.
“Let’s go,” Hall recalled telling Crawford.
“I was still deep in my final year of school, so I was focused on that,” Crawford explained. “After I put my head in the books, knew I’d graduate and got my release, I talked to Coach Hall and he set me up with Coach Bono.”
The other team Crawford was considering other than head coach John Bonamego’s squad was Fresno State.
Marcus McMaryion, a pro-style quarterback who played at Oregon State in 2015 and 2016, was the fundamental justification for Crawford’s consideration of the Bulldogs. McMaryion, at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, started five games in 2017 for Fresno State, completing 113-of-174 passes for 1,473 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.
However, following Crawford’s visit to CMU, he made the decision to shut out other schools and pledge his final two seasons to the Chippewas. Bonamego, Hall and the team members were sizeable influences in his decision.
“You have to give him all the credit because he did what he had to do in the classroom to make the situation right,” Hall said. “He’s a tremendous student and tremendous athlete. He took so many credits to graduate early, which speaks to who he is as a person and athlete. For me to have two years of Crawford at CMU is truly a blessing.”
After sitting out his freshman 2015 season with a redshirt, Crawford started all 12 games in 2016 for Oregon State. During that campaign, he made 70 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception, 10 passes defended and one forced fumble.
His 10 passes defended ranked eighth in the Pac-12.
Crawford, at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, registered 17 tackles and two passes defended in five games before going down with a season-ending injury in 2017.
“With Crawford, it’s obviously his speed as a player,” Hall said. “He’s hungry to learn and is a smart player. If you watch the things that he does when reading offenses and receiver routes, it stands out. He’s a bright football player, student and young man.”
Corvallis, home of Oregon State University, has a population of 57,110 residents. Even though Mount Pleasant has just 26,313, Crawford feels the same vibe between the two cities.
“Mount Pleasant is a small town, and everyone is serious about the sports,” Crawford said. “It’s close-knit and there isn’t much to offer for entertainment. CMU is a great place to do what you have to do, focus and get out.”
Being on the field for an entire season just once in three years, Crawford is eager to show the world his capabilities as a football player.
“Sitting out that whole time made me appreciate football and what it’s done for me over time,” he said. “I’m ready for another opportunity.”
