Dec. 3, 2002
Notre Dame, Ind. – Senior long snapper John Crowther today was named one of four recipients of a $5,000 scholarship by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Foundation. Crowther joins Texas Tech snapper Eric Bartee, Ohio State punter Andy Groom and Maryland center/guard Todd Wike in winning the award.
One member of each team that participated in the 2002 Kickoff Classic and the Pigskin Classic, the two preseason NACDA-sponsored football games, were honored. To be eligible, the student-athlete must be in his final year of eligibility and carry a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The letterwinner must use the scholarship toward postgraduate studies.
Crowther, from Edina, Minn., is currently enrolled in the MBA program within the Mendoza College of Business after graduating last May with a double major in finance and computer applications. Named a second-team Verizon Academic All-American on Monday, Crowther has a 3.7 grade-point average and has been named to the Dean’s List seven of eight semesters at Notre Dame. In 2001, he received the Knute Rockne Scholar-Athlete Award and in 2000 was the winner of the State Farm/Westwood One Student-Athlete of the Year Award.
Athletically, Crowther has served as the snapper on punts, field goals and extra points the past two seasons. He has been instrumental in the success of both punter Joey Hildbold, who was a semifinalist for the 2002 Ray Guy Award, and kicker Nicholas Setta, who was a Lou Groza Award nominee and set a Notre Dame and Kickoff Classic record with five field goals against Maryland to open the 2002 season. Setta also has converted 86 consecutive extra points, which is second-longest streak in school history.