State sports briefs

Former Hog center, Crawford, dies at 46

Elbert Crawford, the starting center on Arkansas’ 1988 and 1989 Southwest Conference championship football teams, died Thursday morning of an apparent heart attack. He was 46.

Crawford, who lived in Little Rock, had been working in the real estate business in recent years.

Word of Crawford’s death spread quickly among his Arkansas teammates.

“Everybody is in disbelief right now,” said James Rouse, who played tailback for the Razorbacks. “You don’t expect this to happen to one of us at our age.”

Crawford, who played all positions on the offensive line during his Arkansas career, was the All-SWC center in 1989 and one of the Razorbacks’ four co-captains.

“Elbert was a tremendous athlete, and so quick and skilled for a center,” said Tim Horton, Auburn’s running backs coach who was a receiver for the Razorbacks during Crawford’s playing days. “He had an incredible amount of toughness, too.

“He wasn’t afraid to stick his nose in there and mix it up with somebody.”

Crawford was an eighth-round NFL Draft pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 1990, but was cut. He signed with the New England Patriots, where he played two seasons and became a starter in 1991.

The Denver Broncos signed Crawford as a free agent after the 1991 season, but he suffered a heart attack in April of 1992 while working out the at the team headquarters.

While Crawford recovered from the heart attack, it ended his playing career. He became a player agent, working first with Stephens Sports Management.

Crawford later formed his own agency, but encountered financial difficulties and went bankrupt in 2000.

“I don’t know about all that, I just know Elbert was a great teammate,” said former Arkansas quarterback Greg Thomas. “I loved the guy.”

Crawford played defensive end at Hall High School before moving to the offensive line when he went to Arkansas.

“We butted heads in high school,” said Rouse, who played at Little Rock Parkview. “He was a really good defensive player.

“I liked it a lot better when Elbert was blocking for me at Arkansas than when he was tackling me.”

Ken Hatfield, Arkansas’ coach from 1984-1989, said the coaches knew Crawford was too talented not to be on the field, which resulted in his move from defense to offense.

“Elbert became as good a center as any team could want,” Hatfield said. “It’s very sad and shocking that we’ve lost him at such a young age.

“Boy, you just never now. That’s why you’ve got to appreciate every minute you’ve got.”

• Bob Holt

FOOTBALL Greenwood QB commits to Tulsa

Greenwood quarterback Jabe Burgess orally committed to the University of Tulsa on Thursday night.

Burgess, 6-2, 200 pounds, picked the Golden Hurricane over scholarship offers from Illinois and Arkansas State while drawing interest from Arkansas, LSU, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and others. His relationship with Coach Bill Blankenship and his son, defensive ends coach Adam Blankenship, helped convince him to end his recruiting.

“They were honestly really the first team that recruited me heavily,” said Burgess, who is a cousin to former Arkansas quarterback and Oakland Raider draft pick Tyler Wilson. “I just felt like it was the right time and feel really comfortable there especially the last couple of days because [of] what they told me.”

Burgess led the Bulldogs to the Class 6A state title in his first year as a starter while completing 219 of 296 passes for 3,128 yards, 36 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He felt wanted by the coaches at Tulsa.

“They wanted me as much as I wanted to play college football,” Burgess said. “I just thought that was just something special that I was the first choice kind of guy.”

Before finally committing and signing with Arkansas, Wilson was pledged to Tulsa before switching last in the recruiting process. Burgess said he’s done.

“I’m totally shutting it down at this point.” he said.

Oral commitments are nonbinding.

• Richard Davenport

OUTDOORS Combs leads Bassmaster Elite Series

Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, leads after the first day of the Bassmaster Elite Series West Point Lake Battle in La Grange, Ga.

Combs ended the day leading the tournament after weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces. He was four ounces in front of Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Ala., who turned in 15-10.

Among Arkansans, Mark Davis of Mount Ida is in 14th (9-12), Scott Rook of Little Rock is in 35th (7-15), while Mike McClelland of Bella Vista and Kevin Short of Mayflower are tied for 50th (7-4). Also, Stephen Browning of Hot Springs is in 85th (4-15).