March 2, 2015
Maurice Crum Jr., a two-time University of Notre Dame football team captain, has been named a defensive graduate assistant football coach for the Fighting Irish.
Crum Jr. spent the last three years on the University of Kansas coaching staff in three different roles. He filled the Jayhawks’ director of high school relations position in 2014. Crum Jr. joined the Kansas staff in 2012 as a graduate assistant coach for the defense. In 2013 he served as the program’s assistant director of operations.
Crum Jr., who played linebacker at Notre Dame in 2005-08, played in 50 games during his Irish career, including 42 consecutive starts. He registered 306 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and eight sacks, while also recording nine pass breakups and seven forced fumbles. Crum Jr.’s 306 career tackles rank 11th in Notre Dame history.
Crum Jr. had arguably the most dominant individual defensive effort in school history. He was almost single-handedly responsible for leading Notre Dame to a 20-6 victory at UCLA on Oct. 6, 2007. Crum Jr. became the first Notre Dame player to force two fumbles, recover two fumbles and intercept two passes in the same game. He forced a school-record four turnovers, including a 34-yard fumble return for touchdown. Crum Jr. also added seven tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups against the Bruins.
Crum Jr. served as a team captain for both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, becoming just the 17th player in school history to accomplish the feat. He helped the Irish to a pair of Bowl Championship Series games, including the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and the 2007 Sugar Bowl.
Following his career at Notre Dame, Crum spent three years playing linebacker for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League (2009-11).
Crum Jr., a native of Tampa, Florida, graduated from Notre Dame in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He is married to the former Crysta Swayzer, who also graduated from Notre Dame in 2008. The couple has two sons, Maurice C. Crum III and Allen Xavier Crum.