Question:The Kentucky coaches have had high hopes for you. Does that put any extra pressure on you this spring and summer?
Crawford:"I love that. That is what makes me wake up in the morning and want to come here and do this. They have high hopes and I don't want to let nobody down. I want to come here, stay after practice and work as hard as I can. I want to do it for myself, too, so I can get better and help me and the team by learning and picking up the techniques. The faster I pick it all up, the better it is for me and the team."
Question: Who has helped you the most here?
Crawford: "There are a lot of them who have helped me. Shane McCord is my mentor on my visit here, so I kept in contact with him. He helps me out a lot. Corey Peters, Collins Ukwu have helped me with my stance and where I put my hands. It's not so much my motor, as I just have to get to play defensive line like coach Petri wants me to play it. Once I get that down, I think I will be great."
Question:What is it like playing for coach Petri, who is not the easiest guy to please unless you are almost perfect?
Crawford: "I have adjusted to him. It was different at first. He was kind of laid back and calm. Then when I did something wrong, I wasn't sure if he was mad or not mad. But I have adjusted to him and his attitude and I know what he wants. I plan to give him what he wants so I can learn this and get better."
Question: How much do you watch seniors Corey Peters and Jeremy Jarmon to try and learn from them?
Crawford: "I watch Jarmon a lot. He does these techniques so well. I watch them both all I can. I try to mimic them because they are the older guys and me being a younger guy coming from junior college, I try to watch them because their technique is so good."
Question: Is it easier or harder for a junior college player to fit into a team?
Crawford: "I think it is way more easier for the junior college guys. I think sometimes guys may come in and may think they know everything out of high school. But it's easy here because the maturity level is so high. You are playing against big guys like Christian Johnson or Zipp Duncan here like you did in junior college already. Plus, in junior college you had a chance to get some classes out of the way while you matured more. Coming here as a freshman, I might not have gone to class like I was supposed to. After going to junior college, I go to class every day, keep up with my work and I approach my academics way more different than I might have if I had come here as a freshman."
Question: So junior college was good for you?
Crawford:"It was great for me. If I could do it over, I would do it again. I would not have said that in the beginning. I was upset when I got there. But after my experience there, getting my grades and getting some classes out of the way, my maturity level has really risen to help me handle things here at Kentucky. Now I can say, 'I am too mature to go do something like that. Let me go take care of business instead.'"
Question: What was the best selling point for Kentucky to you?
Crawford: "The SEC is basically what it was, and it is close to home (Indianapolis). I have a little girl on the way that is due April 23 and I want all my family to be able to come and see me and I want to make sure I can get back and do things as a father. And coach Petri. His resume is real good. I want to be the best, and he has coached the best. Nothing else fit like him. Nobody else's resume fit like coach Petri. I was willing to go a long ways to get to play for him and get better."
