
Broncos special teams coach dubs rookie one of the most talented prospects he's had
Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi on punter Jeremy Crawshaw: 'He's as talented of a prospect as I've ever had.' — Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) June 11, 2025
Punter hype? Punter hype!
After losing Riley Dixon to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during NFL free agency, the Denver Broncos used a sixth-round draft pick to select Australian punter Jeremy Crawshaw in April.
The international punter grew up playing rugby league and Australian rules football before training to kick in American football. After attending Nathan Chapman's ProKick Australia academy, Crawshaw played college football at Florida.
The 24-year-old punter impressed Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi this spring.
'Probably Jeremy the person," Rizzi said on June 11 when asked what impressed him about Crawshaw. "His maturity. It's not easy to come from another country and play a sport he had never played before. Think about that. Here's a guy that came from Australia, went to an SEC school, a top-level college program, [and] had a ton of success. His maturity level, he's kind of beyond his years if you will. That was when we were kind of evaluating all the punters in this draft, his name came up. I really feel like his intangibles, his off-the-field stuff was A-plus.
"Now, his talent level is tremendous as well. I really believe that at that position, at a specialist position, your demeanor might be just as important as your ability, because it's a one-play-and-done. You have to have the mentality of kind of a batter in baseball if you will, or a golfer. You have to go on to the next swing. I really like his level-headedness. I really like his maturity. I really like his approach. Getting to know him in the process was a big part of us drafting him, so that was pretty cool.'
That's extremely high praise from Rizzi, a high-profile coordinator who has coached in the NFL since 2009 and has experience as an associate head coach and interim head coach. Special teams players are often overlooked by fans, but Crawshaw appears to have been a huge addition for the Broncos this offseason.
Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NBC News
17 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trey Lance tosses 2 touchdown passes, leading the Chargers over the Lions 34-7 in Hall of Fame game
CANTON, Ohio — On his third team in his fifth season, Trey Lance played like a No. 3 overall pick. Lance threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Detroit Lions 34-7 in the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL's preseason Thursday night. 'Big night for Trey. Just played calm, cool, collected, ran the operation, threw the ball really well,' Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. The game opened with a moment of silence for the four people killed earlier this week by a shooter who was targeting league headquarters in New York. The gunman also wounded a league employee in the shooting Monday night. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told NBC he visited the employee for an hour on Wednesday and said the man was improving. There was increased security around Tom Benson Stadium and the Pro Football Hall of Fame village. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Penei Sewell and the rest of Detroit's star-studded offense didn't see any action against Los Angeles. Coach Dan Campbell's Lions, who went one-and-done in the playoffs last season after winning a franchise-record 15 games, also sat their top two draft picks. 'It's the first one out of the gate,' Campbell said. 'We turned it over five times and had zero takeaways. That's hard. Can't put the defense in that kind of a position. It's hard to get a rhythm when you turn the ball over.' Justin Herbert was among many of the Chargers starters rested by coach Harbaugh, who led the team to a six-win turnaround and a playoff berth in his first season. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton, a first-round pick, carried twice for 9 yards. The Chargers recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff at the Lions 28 and converted the short field into a 7-0 lead. Lance made a perfect touch pass on fourth-and-2 to Will Dissly, who caught a 5-yard touchdown over a defender's outstretched hand. 'I feel good. Some good. Some bad. Left some plays out there,' Lance said. After undrafted rookie cornerback Nikko Reed stepped in front of Kyle Allen's sideline pass and returned it 60 yards to the Lions 6, Kimani Vidal ran in from the 2 to make it 14-0. Allen threw another pick on the next possession to Tony Jefferson after driving the Lions to the Chargers 23. Craig Reynolds' 3-yard TD run cut Detroit's deficit in half. But Lance fired a 19-yard pass to Tucker Fisk to the Lions 19 and connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a 15-yard TD pass for a 21-7 halftime lead. Lance has started just five games in four NFL seasons after playing in only 19 games at North Dakota State. He spent just two seasons with the 49ers, who selected Brock Purdy with the last pick the same year they traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up to get Lance. After two years with Dallas, Lance joined the Chargers to compete with veteran Taylor Heinicke for the backup job. He completed 13 of 20 passes before giving way to rookie DJ Uiagalelei. 'I'm excited to play,' Lance said. 'Every place is different. Every coaching staff is different. Every team is different. It's been fun to be here. I've really enjoyed being here, just the joy the guys around the building have. It's a joyful place to be.' Allen and Hendon Hooker are battling for the Lions' backup job behind Goff. Allen was 9 of 14 with two picks. Hooker, a third-round pick in 2023, has thrown nine passes in his first two seasons. He also tossed an interception against the Chargers. 'You get caught in needing to see some of these guys getting put out there and want them loose and also want to win and play well. We didn't do it,' Campbell said. Detroit's sloppy special teams turned it over again in the third quarter. Jakobie Keeney-James dropped a punt inside the 10 and the Chargers recovered at the 5. But Los Angeles had to settle for Cameron Dicker's 23-yard field goal. The Chargers capped the scoring on Vidal's 2-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter. Hutchinson's return Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson told NBC in the second half he can't wait for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Hutchinson had 7 1/2 sacks in five games last season before he went down with a leg injury. Before the game, Hutchinson spent time signing autographs for Lions fans who made the trip. Preseason rust Dicker, who was 39 of 42 on field goals last year and 9 of 11 from 50 yards or beyond, hit the left upright on a 50-yard try. He made his next two field goals. Gold jackets Cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.


USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
Steelers countdown to kickoff — No. 37: a history of the number and who wore it best
The Steelers countdown to kickoff is here — and we're at 37 days until Pittsburgh faces off against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. In the spirit of the countdown, we're taking a look at the history of No. 37 and the players who wore it best. Current Steelers No. 37 wearer: DB Kyler McMichael McMichael is the current Steelers wearer of No. 37. Despite having yet to make his NFL regular season debut, McMichael has spent time with the Buccaneers, Bills, and Cardinals — mostly on practice squads. He joined the Steelers in July 2024 but didn't make the roster, instead signing a Reserve/Future contract this past January. McMichael faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster — but a strong showing in camp and preseason could crack the door open for a spot. Last five Steelers to wear No. 37: Best No. 37 in Steelers history: DB Carnell Lake One of the top defensive backs of the 1990s, Carnell Lake is the best Steeler to ever wear No. 37. Selected with the 34th pick in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft, Lake played 10 seasons in Pittsburgh from 1989 to 1998, starting every game of his Steel City tenure while playing safety and occasionally cornerback. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 1997 and 1999, and was named Second-Team All-Pro in 1992, 1994, and 1995. Throughout his Steelers career, Lake totaled 734 combined tackles, 21.5 sacks, 16 interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, and five defensive touchdowns. He was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team, and inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor for his elite play — cementing his legacy as one of the most consistent defenders in franchise history and arguably the best Steeler to ever wear No. 37. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.


USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Vols in Lions' backfield for Hall of Fame Game against Chargers
Los Angeles defeated Detroit, 34-7, Thursday in the 2025 Hall of Fame game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker completed 3-of-6 passing attempts for 18 yards and one interception. He also recorded nine rushing yards on three rushing attempts. The former Vol was sacked two times. Hooker was selected by Detroit in the third round (No. 68 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft. He did not play for the Lions in 2023 due to injury. In 2024, Hooker appeared in three games and completed 6-of-9 passing attempts for 62 passing yards. He also rushed for two yards on five attempts. Hooker played for the Vols from 2021-22 under head coach Josh Heupel after transferring from Virginia Tech. Hooker completed 435-of-632 passing attempts for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and five interceptions, while rushing for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns in 24 games at Tennessee. He was the SEC Player of the Year and a First-Team All-SEC standout in 2022. Former Tennessee running back Jabari Small also appeared in the Hall of Fame Game for the Lions. He totaled 35 rushing yards on 11 attempts. Small also totaled one reception for six yards. He played at Tennessee from 2020-23. More: Every Tennessee football player selected in 2025 NFL draft Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).