Inside the CFL: From Crescent Heights Viking to Calgary Stampeder

By James Tubb on October 20, 2022.

For Medicine Hat’s Crescent Heights High School grad Aaron Crawford, his football journey has been a long and winding road. Now in his ninth season, the best long snapper in professional football is happy to be back home in southern Alberta, playing for the Calgary Stampeders. His folks, Guy and Jenny Crawford couldn’t be happier to have him nearby with his wife Angela and son William.

Crawford went from CHHS to junior football in Chilliwack and Victoria, then university ball at St. Mary’s in Halifax. He was drafted as a linebacker by Toronto in 2012, released, signed in Jan. 2013 by Saskatchewan and released in June, signed and released by Winnipeg and Hamilton and finally signed as a free agent by the Ticats Sept. 3, 2014. A free agent again in 2020, he moved to Calgary. As the song says, “I’ve been everywhere.”

Why did his odyssey end with the Stampeders?

“The organization has a pedigree of winning,” he explained. “That’s a big part of the culture here. That’s one thing that attracted me. In Hamilton, we were always in the hunt (for the Grey Cup) but never quite finished the job. Calgary’s always been in it and has a strong winning tradition. That was definitely part of the decision to come this way.”

Plus family.

“My wife’s sister lives here in Calgary so we’ve got family on both sides nice and close. My father-in-law lives in Regina working with the Riders. So we’ve got family all around and our little guy gets to see his grandparents.”

Like everyone else, he was affected by COVID-19 and when the 2020 season was cancelled, pondered his future, including retirement.

“That was supposed to be one of my best years contractually so I was quite disappointed. I stayed ready never knowing until the last minute that the season wasn’t going to happen. I had to figure out a course of action with my family, not knowing what was coming next. Not so much that I was ready to retire but I was ready to pivot if I needed to.”

After losing Grey Cup games with Hamilton, to Calgary (2014), and Winnipeg in Calgary (2019), he still has unfinished business.

“There have been a couple of great teams I’ve been on, and great teammates over the years. I’ve got a ton of great memories with the guys. But I’m still chasing that championship ring.”

Was there a time in his career when he wondered if it was all worth it?

In 2017 he tore his ACL and meniscus. The healing process was so arduous he wondered if it was all worth it.

“When the injury first happened, finding out how severe it was later on, it was quite a process. I wasn’t under contract when I got hurt so I knew I’d have to be competing for a job with half a leg. That was the darkest time because progress was minimal. I don’t know how many times I failed the physical to be approved to be signed. I kept coming back, five or six times. Every week I’d try again until finally they gave me a medical clearance.

“You wonder if you’ve got what it takes to pull off the recovery. A lot of people doubted it could be done and were saying ‘great career.’ Family and a couple of coaches really encouraged me through that time. That was a big part of my comeback. But there were definitely times my confidence slipped a little bit.”

Now in perfect health, he’s ready for another run at that elusive ring.

Aaron praised those who prepared him, beginning with Lloyd Bray of the Parkside Pythons and his dad who coached with CHHS in his senior year.

“I’ve had really good experiences with coaches, especially with Mark Killam in my high school senior bowl in 2005. He was really upbeat and you could tell he loved the game . He showed interest in me as a long snapper coming back here.” (Killam is Calgary’s Special teams coordinator). They have inspired him. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can about coach, possibly pursuing that when my career is over.”

The CFL success of Lloyd Fairbanks and Aaron Crawford is a tribute to the fine high school football programs across southern Alberta.

Graham Kelly has covered the CFL for the Medicine Hat News for 50 years. Feedback for this column can be emailed to sports@medicinehatnews.com