The quiet leader of the Longhorns' defense, Crowder was a model of consistency at Texas, starting his final 47 games. He proved to be a difference maker on the front wall, registering 19 sacks with 40 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 76 pressures in 51 games during his collegiate career.

At Tyler High School, Crowder excelled in both football and baseball. He lettered three times for the football team, starting during his final two seasons at defensive end. He earned All-State Class 5A and All-District honors as a senior and was an honorable mention All-District choice as a junior.

Crowder registered 127 tackles, 22 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 14 sacks in his final two seasons. He posted 55 tackles, nine sacks, 12 stops for losses and a forced fumble as a senior. His top games were a 10-tackle, one-sack performance against Tyler Lee High and a three-sack effort vs. Lufkin High.

Crowder posted eight stops, a sack and 10 quarterback pressures in a victory against Arlington Bowie High, as he made 72 tackles (26 solos), 10 stops for losses and five sacks as a junior. He saw limited action at tight end and moved up to the varsity for the team's run to the 5A Division II Championship game as a sophomore. Crowder added three letters in baseball (pitcher, first base), earning All-District honors after posting a better than .400 batting average as a senior. He also pitched a one-hitter.

Upon enrolling at Texas in 2003, Crowder immediately joined the defensive line rotation, taking over left tackle chores for the final nine games. He earned third-team Freshman All-American honors from The Sporting News and shared UT's Outstanding Defensive Newcomer Award. Crowder recorded 35 tackles (21 solos), with one sack, three stops for losses and 14 pressures. He picked off one pass, batted down five others and forced a pair of fumbles.

The Associated Press All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention produced 47 tackles (27 solos) while manning the left tackle position in 2004. He had 4.5 sacks, 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 22 pressures. He recovered and caused one fumble while also knocking down three passes in 12 games.

The league's coaches awarded Crowder first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors in 2005. He was a member of the Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) watch list and a key member of a defense that ranked 10th nationally in total defense (302.9 ypg) and eighth in scoring defense (16.4 ppg). He led the team with 20 pressures, while recording 50 tackles (31 solos), three sacks and nine stops for losses. He also picked off a pass, batted down two others and caused one fumble.

In 2006, Crowder was named a finalist for the Hendricks Award and a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy (defensive IMPACT player of the year). A second-team All-American selection by Walter Camp, he was also a consensus first-team All-Big 12 pick. The team captain produced a career-high 59 tackles (39 solos) with 10.5 sacks (11th on the school single-season record list) and 18 stops behind the line of scrimmage (13th on the Texas annual record chart). He had 20 pressures with four forced fumbles and recovered a fumble for a score.

In 51 games at Texas, Crowder started his final 47 contests at left defensive end. He recorded 191 tackles (118 solos) with 19 sacks for minus-120 yards and 40 stops for losses totaling 158 yards. He added 76 quarterback pressures with two interceptions and 13 pass deflections. He also had eight forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown.

Positives: Has an adequate frame, but shows decent muscle development in his arms and a good bubble, but also has room to add at least another 10 pounds of bulk without having it affect his quickness … Has natural playing strength and adequate quickness that he uses in battles with offensive tackles to disengage … Can shed quickly vs. single blocks when he keeps his hands active and has the functional short-area burst to pressure the pocket … Plays with proper knee bend and adequate flexibility, running with a normal stride … Has enough hip snap to redirect and the burst to close on the ball carrier … Spends his extra hours in the weight room trying to improve his impressive strength … Blue-collar type who has total command in the huddle and does a good job of keeping the younger players in check … Has the balance to keep his feet active flashing through traffic … Swings his hips around and stays low in his pads to work to the ball in pursuit … Has the agility to plant and drive out of his breaks, and the quickness off the snap to push offensive linemen back on their heels … Quick enough to turn the corner and agile enough to counter in-line blocking … Uses his hands aggressively, delivering a punishing initial jolt … Flows to the ball well and does a good job of sinking his weight and putting his foot firmly into the ground to hold firmly at the point of attack … When he keeps his hands inside his frame, he is effective at shedding … Has the torque agility to get a push off the blocker and close on the cutback lanes … Beats most blocks coming off the edge, but needs to show better pre-snap awareness (can be pulled offside) … Will not hesitate to face up to the bigger linemen, doing a nice job of fitting on the run to finish … When he comes off blocks low, he can consistently stop the ball carrier's forward charge … Extends his arms well to beat off reach blocks, keeping his hands active in attempts to shed … Closes on the pocket with good urgency, displaying better slant ability and took better angles to pressure the quarterback in 2006 … Good wrap-up tackler who hits with force and has the reach-around ability to strip the ball carrier from the pigskin … Times his leaps well to knock down the pass at the line of scrimmage … Despite giving up considerable bulk, he is stout at the point of attack working on the edge … Attacks the outside hard and keeps his balance while holding his ground firmly vs. the power charge … Keeps his feet moving when attacking and has enough balance to slip past blocks.

Negatives: Has good weight room strength, but appears to have thin ankles and legs, which could cause problems for him trying to anchor vs. the bigger blockers at the pro level … Has good lateral agility, but needs to apply it more often, as he seems to coast a bit and take plays off when having to move long distances … Battles a little too high on occasion when redirecting inside and sometimes stops his feet, rather than driving through when making the tackle … Tends to stay on the ground when leveled, rather than getting up quickly to bounce back into the play … Not really an explosive pass rusher due to adequate speed coming off the edge, but has enough short-area burst to pressure the pocket if given a clear path to the ball … Has to get lower coming off the snap to prevent blockers from getting their hands on him … While he generates a nice surge off the snap, he needs to vary his speeds as he sometimes over-pursues the play and doesn't always give the effort needed to recover … Will close in a hurry in plays in front of him, but does not seem to like chasing the play in long pursuit … Has active hands, but when he fails to keep them inside the frame, he struggles to disengage.

Compares To: MATT ROTH-Miami … Like Roth, Crowder plays with good intensity, but will get a bit reckless at times and over-pursue the play. He is effective at gaining pressure coming off the edge, but lacks the elite speed to be a quality pass rusher. He will take a few plays off, especially when having to move laterally down the line. He is best served coming off the edge, but needs to be quicker with his hands attempting to shed.

Crowder's 10.5 quarterback sacks in 2006 rank 11th on the school's single-season record list … His 2006 sack total was the most by a Texas player since Tony Degrate registered 12 sacks in 1984 … Crowder's 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2006 rank 13th on the Longhorns' annual record books … His seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2006 vs. Rice is a school single-game record.

All-American second-team selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation … All-Big 12 Conference first-team consensus choice … Named a finalist for the Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) and a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy (defensive IMPACT player of the year) … Chosen UT's Most Consistent Defensive Player and voted captain by his teammates … Helped Texas give up only 58.8 yards rushing per game (second NCAA), 291.9 yards per game (22nd NCAA) and 17.8 points per game (25th NCAA), as he led the team with 18 stops for losses of 80 yards, 20 quarterback pressures and 10.5 sacks for minus 66 yards while starting all thirteen contests at left defensive end … Caused four fumbles and recovered another in the end zone for a touchdown … Also deflected three passes.

North Texas … Opened the season with four tackles (2 solos) … Head to Head Competition-OT#60-Jeremy Brown.

Ohio State … Had just one tackle, but it was good for a 1-yard sack of QB Troy Smith on third-&-9 from the OSU 20, forcing the Buckeyes to punt at the start of the fourth quarter … He had earlier pressured Smith into throwing an incomplete pass on third-&-10 early in the second quarter … Head to Head Competition-OT#74-Kirk Barton.

Rice … Credited with a season-high eight tackles (7 solos) with 1.5 sacks, two pressures, a career-high seven stops behind the line of scrimmage, a pass deflection, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a 52-7 triumph, picking up Player of the Game honors … Sacked QB Joel Armstrong for a 7-yard loss on a third-&-10 play at the Rice 7, causing a fumble that Crowder recovered in the end zone for a touchdown … Tackled Armstrong two more times behind the line of scrimmage and also leveled Quinton Smith twice for losses during the course of the day … Head to Head Competition-OT#68-Lute Barber.

Iowa State … One week after registering seven stops behind the line of scrimmage, Crowder picked up Big 12 Player of the Week accolades, as he totaled seven tackles (6 solos) with three pressures and a pair of sacks for minus 12 yards … Also batted a third-&-10 pass thrown by Bret Meyer after taking Stevie Hicks down for no gain on a run up the middle on the previous play during ISU's game-opening drive … Sacked Meyer for a 5-yard loss at the end of the third quarter and for minus 7 yards early in the fourth quarter … Head to Head Competition-OT#75-Aaron Brant.

Sam Houston State … Held to three tackles and one pressure … Head to Head Competition-OT#73-Lance Hancock.

Oklahoma … Registered six hits (5 assists) with a stop behind the line of scrimmage and two pressures … Head to Head Competition-OT#76-Brandon Baxton.

Baylor … Was in on seven tackles (6 solos), three sacks, four stops for minus 19 yards, two pressures and a pair of forced fumbles … Sacked Shawn Bell for a 5-yard loss early in the first quarter and sacked Bell again for minus 9 yards on third-&-3, causing a fumble that UT's Derek Lokey recovered at the Baylor 29, setting up Colt McCoy's 24-yard touchdown pass to Billy Pittman at the start of the second quarter … With 5:52 left in the game, Crowder again sacked Bell for a 6-yard loss, causing a fumble that UT's Robert Killebrew recovered at the Baylor 31, racing 31 yards with the ball for a touchdown … Head to Head Competition-OT#72-Jason Smith.

Nebraska … Posted four tackles (3 solos) with two sacks for minus 18 yards, a forced fumble, a pressure and two pass deflections … Sacked QB Zac Taylor for a 10-yard loss on third-&-7, forcing the Huskers to punt after their game-opening drive … Head to Head Competition-OT#70-Matt Slauson.

Texas Tech … Added three tackles and a pressure … Also sacked QB Graham Harrell for minus 12 yards at the TT 42 at the start of the second half … Head to Head Competition-OT#78-Gabe Hall.

Oklahoma State … Made three solo tackles with two pressures … Head to Head Competition-OT#76-Russell Okung.

Kansas State … Was in on seven tackles (5 solos) and a pressure … Also took down James Johnson for a 1-yard loss on a rushing attempt that started the fourth quarter action … Head to Head Competition-OT#77-Michael Frieson.

Texas A&M … Added four tackles (2 solos) and one pressure … Head to Head Competition-OT#54-Corey Clark.

Iowa (Alamo Bowl) … Closed out his career with three pressures and two solo tackles … Head to Head Competition-OT#71-Seth Olsen.

First-team All-Big 12 Conference selection by the league's coaches, earning second-team recognition from the Kansas City Star and honorable mention from the Associated Press … Started all thirteen games at left defensive end and was a member of the Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) watch list … Key member of a defense that ranked 10th nationally in total defense (302.9 ypg), eighth in scoring defense (16.4 ppg), eighth in passing defense (172.0 ypg) and 33rd in rushing defense (130.9 ypg) … Led the team with 20 quarterback pressures, while recording 50 tackles (31 solos) with three sacks for minus 20 yards and nine stops for losses of 28 yards … Caused one fumble, deflected two passes and intercepted another.

Posted four tackles, including a stop for a 1-yard loss and one pressure vs. Louisiana-Lafayette … Notched seven tackles, including two sacks and four stops behind the line of scrimmage, adding pressure in Texas' victory at Ohio State … Had four tackles and a stop for a loss vs. Rice … Made eight tackles, pressured the QB three times and forced a fumble at Missouri … Recorded two tackles and two pressures vs. Oklahoma … Posted three tackles and five pressures vs. Colorado … Notched three tackles, including a sack, to go along with an INT and two QB pressures vs. Texas Tech … Made five tackles, including a stop for a 1-yard loss vs. Oklahoma State … Recorded five tackles, two stops behind the line of scrimmage and two pressures at Baylor … Had four tackles, a stop for a 2-yard loss and three pressures vs. Kansas … Broke up a pass and had one pressure at Texas A&M … Had one tackle in Texas' Big 12 Championship victory over Colorado … Added four stops in Texas' 41-38 victory over Southern California for the National Championship.

Associated Press All-American honorable mention … Started all twelve games at left end, leading the team with 22 quarterback pressures and 4.5 sacks for minus 28 yards … Made 47 tackles (27 solos) with ten stops for losses of 40 yards … Recovered and caused one fumble … Also deflected three passes.

Registered six tackles and a stop for a loss vs. North Texas … Recorded five tackles and three pressures at Arkansas … Had three tackles and two pressures vs. Rice … Added four pressures vs. Baylor … Had four pressures and four tackles vs. Oklahoma … Posted four tackles and three pressures vs. Missouri … Added four tackles and a stop behind the line of scrimmage vs. Colorado … Collected five tackles, two pressures and a career-high three sacks vs. Oklahoma State … Tallied four tackles, three pressures and a sack at Kansas … Set his season-high in tackles with nine, including one sack and one pressure in the Texas A&M clash … Registered two tackles and deflected a pass vs. Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Third-team Freshman All-American selection by The Sporting News … Played in all thirteen games, starting the last nine at left defensive end following a season-ending injury to Bryan Pickryl … Shared UT's Outstanding Defensive Newcomer award … Recorded 35 tackles (21 solos), a 6-yard sack, three stops for losses of 10 yards and 14 quarterback pressures … Caused two fumbles, intercepted one pass and deflected five others.

Made the first start of his career vs. Kansas State and recorded three solo tackles and two pressures … had four tackles, two pressures and a pass batted down vs. Oklahoma … Made five tackles, including three for losses, along with two pressures and a forced fumble vs. Nebraska … Produced the first sack of his career and second forced fumble while notching three tackles and two pass break-ups at Texas A&M … Had the first interception of his career to go along with a season-high six tackles vs. Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

2005: Played most of the season with three dislocated fingers he suffered in fall camp.

Campus: 4.76 in the 40-yard dash … 440-pound bench press … 505-pound squat … 317-pound power clean … 31-inch vertical jump.

Attended John Tyler (Tyler, Tex.) High School, playing football for head coach Kelvin Ratliff … Excelled in both football and baseball, as he lettered three times for the football team, starting during his final two seasons at defensive end … Earned All-State Class 5A and All-District honors as a senior and was an honorable mention All-District choice as a junior … Registered 127 tackles, 22 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 14 sacks in his final two seasons … Posted 55 tackles, nine sacks, 12 stops for losses and a forced fumble as a senior … His top games were a 10-tackle, one-sack performance vs. Tyler Lee High and a three-sack effort vs. Lufkin High … Recorded eight stops, a sack and 10 quarterback pressures in a victory vs. Arlington Bowie High, as he made 72 tackles (26 solos), 10 stops for losses and five sacks as a junior … Saw limited action at tight end and moved up to the varsity for team's run to the 5A Division II Championship game as a sophomore … Added three letters in baseball (pitcher, first base), earning All-District honors after posting a better than .400 batting average as a senior … Also pitched a one-hitter.

Liberal Arts major … Active in UT's community service program, as well as in his home-town of Tyler … Born Timothy C. Crowder on 6/30/85 in Tyler, Texas.