Carl was considered a risky pick, because he was such a raw baseball player. He has limited baseball instincts. And Nebraska wanted Crawford to be the next Tommie Frazier. Carl was an All-State option quarterback at Houston, Texas's Jefferson Davis High School, averaged 25.9 points a game in basketball, and was rated 18th on Baseball America's list of high school prospects entering the 1999 draft.

"It really wasn't a tough decision, because I wanted to be able to support my family," Carl said. "I was just about the same level at both sports, but I like baseball better."

Carl says that boxer George Foreman helped him work his way out of the tough Fifth Ward neighborhood in Houston.

"I remember seeing George Foreman in the neighborhood one day and saying, "I want a car like that.' That's what motivated me."

Rather than saying he is from Houston's Fifth Ward, Crawford prefers to say, "I'm from the north side of Houston, Texas, on Hardy Street, inside the loop."

His father, Steve Burns, was an intermittent factor in his life, never living under the same roof as his son. His mother, Leisha, worked as a home health aide for the elderly. While money was elusive, Carl found stability in sports, mostly football.

Crawford's youth baseball league lacked infrastructure and equipment. He wasn't taught the subtle shadings of positioning or pitch recognition or anticipation. An uncle, Jack Crawford, played Class-A baseball in the Angels organization and was the only person around Carl who knew what it took to succeed in the sport beyond high school. But Jack was more of an occasional resource than a daily influence. (Tim Keown-ESPN the Magazine-5/8/06)

In 1996, Crawford, at age 14 was working at his grandfather's barbecue joint, Burns BBQ. It is a house in a neighborhood. You order in what used to be the living room. The menu on the wall is handwritten. The rest of the first floor is the kitchen. If you want to eat here, you have to sit outside on a picnic table. But looks are deceiving. Taste the brisket and you'll wonder why anyone would want to leave this place.

Three generations of men in his family have worked here.

"It is one of the places that inspired me," Carl says. "You had to work so hard. It started the work ethic in me." (Matt Crossman-Sporting News-4/26/10)

One of Carl's favorite things to eat is his Dad's peach cobbler. "It's all homemade and it's real good," Carl says.

He has had the tattoos "Killer" and "Hola at me" on his biceps for several years.

On March 31, 2003, Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli were the first 21-year-old (or younger) players to start in an Opening Day lineup since Greg Luzinski (21) and Mike Anderson (20) of the Phillies in 1972.

Crawford understands that baseball is not that simple. He has a real good head on his shoulders and plays to win. Taking things lightly is not his style.

OFFSEASON WORKOUTS

During the off-season before 2003 spring training, Carl spent a month in Arizona at a specialized training center for professional athletes, working on his speed, lateral movement, and conditioning. Still, he couldn't escape the jabs about the state of the Rays, especially from other Major Leaguers there. "Guys made fun of me all the time,'' he said. "I hated that. On the inside, I'm like, 'Man, I'm ready to win.' That's what I think about a lot. I just want to find a way to win.''

The next off-season, Crawford went back to the famous Athletes' Performance in Arizona run by Mark Verstegen. He kept his weight at about 220 pounds, but increased his flexibility and reduced his body fat by 6 or 7 percent. 

During the offseason before 2006 spring training, Carl performed an exercise called the acceleration sled pull, in which he drags a sled bearing 90 pounds. The resistance forces him to use the correct running form, which helps his acceleration and speed.  (Bill Chastain-The Sporting News-December 16, 2005)

Carl's positive attitude and excellent work ethic have been major reasons he has improved in the Major Leagues so quickly.

Teammate Damon Hollins got Crawford hooked on a health food kick. The two are inseparable and always seem to be doing anything and everything to improve their abilities, from taking extra batting practice to watching what they digest.They can be seen in the clubhouse with a blender filled with a brackish colored concoction.

"Celery, parsley, ginger, carrots and apples," Crawford said. "We drink that every day, it gives us energy on a daily basis."

"[The juice] gives you a little energy," Hollins said. "It's all natural stuff.... I've been doing it for a couple of years. [Crawford] did it this offseason and liked it. Now he does it every day, and I do it every day, so I make sure I bring my boy some."

Crawford believes proper nutrition provides an additional edge.

"[Hollins] turned me on to that," Crawford said. "Guys drink Red Bull and a lot of stuff like that. Me and Damon, we just keep it simple. We keep it simple and drink vegetable juice, something that work for us."

And there's an added benefit according to Crawford: "Plus, it makes your skin look younger."

Drinking juice is just a part of Crawford's fitness regimen. He goes to the Athletes Peformance facility in Arizona during the offseason.

"I've learned a lot from going to that," Crawford said. "They taught me how to eat and take care of my body, and when to eat certain things and when not to. And then they put me on to the protein shakes.... I do a lot of that, too. I've learned how to take good care of my body over the last three years. And I just keep learning little stuff, like the juicer." (Bill Chastain-MLB.com-3/28/06)

Crawford is able to block out outside distractions before and during a game.

During the season, Carl lives in a million dollar, three-story condo on the water in St. Petersburg. He has a Bentley Continental GT and a super-charged Range Rover.

Crawford will say whatever blows through his mind. He is confident, cool, and relaxed.

Crawford showcases his talent on the playing fields of the Major League. And off the field, he is a self-proclaimed Madden NFL Football fanatic.

"I'm always the best," says Crawford of his Madden game-playing skills.

Carl began wearing wrist sleeves at the start of 2007 spring training. They help combat any wrist pain he might incur while swinging the bat. The Rays' left fielder has had trouble with his wrists in the past and plans to wear the sleeves throughout the season.

On March 24, 2007, Crawford received the Paul C. Smith Champion Award. Originally the Champion Award, the Tampa-St. Petersburg chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America officially renamed the award, which exemplifies the spirit of true professionalism on and off the field, after the late MLB.com reporter and former Tampa Tribune sports editor.

On April 15, 2007, Carl wore jersey No. 42 as Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day. Commissioner Bud Selig had retired Robinson's number but will lift the ban as Major League players remember Robinson's contribution to the game.

"I think it's a good tribute," Crawford said. "I'll wear it for a game."

Crawford said he doesn't know that much about Robinson, but he tries to learn more about the history of the game every year.

"I try to do my research on certain players ... embrace the history of the sport," Crawford said. "But I don't really know too much about him."

Crawford said he appreciates what Robinson went through to become the first black player in the Major Leagues.

"I understand what he went through as far as trying to break those walls down," Crawford said. "Because it's pretty much the same story of any other black person who was trying to overcome the obstacles back in those days. So I understand the basics of it. But as far as every little detail, I don't really know every detail. I want to know more."

Carl is low-key about his personal life, outside of hosting his young son, who lives with his Mom in Arizona.

"That's just the way I was brought up—don't put all your business out like that. I'm a baseball player, I'll talk all day about any kinds of sports, baseball, whatever you want to know. But when it comes to my family I feel like that ain't none of your business unless I want you to know," Carl said.

The shoes Crawford wears during a game? They are size 11 1/2 blue-and-white Nikes.

During the winter before 2009 spring training Carl made a significant change in his workout routine, teaming with a trainer, Lee Fiocchi, who specializes in hamstring strengthening and shifting his base from Arizona to Houston so he could work out on grass rather than turf, to which he has attributed some of the leg problems that forced him to limit his base-stealing and occasionally out of the lineup.

Crawford has credited those offseason workouts at Dynamite Sports Training in Houston for how good his legs felt during the 2009 season, especially those previously-troubling hammys.

Carl was named MVP of the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis, mostly for the superb game-saving catch he made. The glove he used was one given to him from Rays minor league OF Jon Weber, who watched the game on TV in a Charlotte, North Carolina motel room. He was happy for Crawford but also for his small part in history: "I'm lying in bed with my wife and kids, and I'm screaming, 'That's my glove! Crawford's using MY glove!!'"

They "traded" in the spring. Crawford said he was "being lazy" and didn't want to hassle with breaking in a new custom Rawlings glove, so he asked Weber, below, for his. Weber, 31, a thus-far career minor-leaguer, doesn't have a free-glove deal, and Carlos Pena had gotten him that one, but hey, this was Crawford, so sure. Crawford gave Weber some bats (which are better than the ones minor leaguers get) but figures the bill has gone up: "He'll probably want a little something extra now."

Weber, who doesn't use the Crawford glove, said more bats would be great: "Tell him to send me something." The whole thing, Weber said, has been fun. "Now I know my glove can make it to the big leagues," he said, "even if I can't." And if Crawford wants to donate the glove to the Hall of Fame, Weber said that's cool, too: "I'll take my son there one day to see it."

Crawford's distaste for losing extends beyond baseball—even to things like video games.

"That's coming from hating to lose at anytime," Carl said. "That competitive nature brought me a long way—hating to lose, wanting to beat the guy you're playing against and wanting to be somebody in life. Nobody knows the guy who's second."

Crawford's nephew, J. P. Crawford, also plays baseball.

From an almost-basketball wife to a football wife (to NFL star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco) and now a baseball player's girlfriend, Evelyn Lozada certainly has covered her bases.The reality show star got engaged to Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford over the 2013 holidays, according to People Magazine.

"We had been dating for a year, without everybody knowing about it," Carl said.

Lozada revealed that she and Crawford are expecting their first child, and she also said she wouldn'tr be opposed to getting married again. It seems that Crawford got the hint and popped the question with a 14.5-carat diamond ring on Christmas Day 2013.

"There were the gifts, the ring . . . normally it comes in a small box, but it came in a big box, so I kind of tricked her a little bit. I wanted it to be a surprise. I think everybody was (laughing)," he said.

And Carl did not travel with the team for two games in Australia, so he could attend the birth of his third child, a baby boy named Carl Leo Crawford, who was born on March 22, 2014 to his fiancée and him.

Carl has accrued numerous accolades during his baseball career, and he can now add Arizona Fall League Hall of Famer to the list.

The AFL announced the election of two members to its Hall of Fame, Crawford and Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday. Crawford, a four-time All-Star, is the youngest player in Major League history to reach 100 career home runs, 100 triples, and 400 stolen bases. He is the fourth player since 1900 with 1,500 hits and 400 stolen bases before turning 30.

Playing for the Maryvale Saguaros in 2001, Crawford was leading the AFL in hitting (.386) when he left to join Team USA for the 2001 World Cup in Chinese Taipei. During his stint in the AFL, Crawford appeared in 17 games, stealing nine bases.

"It gives you confidence," Crawford said of his experience in the AFL. "You're playing against the top players. If you had any uncertainty about your ability, you come in and play against the top guys and see where you're at. It's kind of a measuring tool to see where your skills are."

Crawford and Holliday will be inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in November. (Halsted - mlb.com - 7/20/14)

May 24, 2020:  Carl spoke out a week after a 25-year-old woman and a 5-year-old boy drowned in his backyard pool in Houston. 

“My Hearts (sic) Heavy,” Crawford wrote on Instagram.  “The tragic events that occurred at my home will be with me forever. I’m at a loss for words. I’ve struggled all week to manage my emotions and I keep thinking of the families of those who’ve passed and their grief, I know they have it the hardest. They are the first and last thing I think of these days. Please keep them in your prayers, I know they will always be in mine.”

Bethany Lartigue, a professional football player from Louisiana, dove into the pool to try to save Kasen Hersi, her brother previously told the Houston Chronicle.  Both were transported to Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital and declared dead.

“It has not processed yet,” Brandon Lartigue told the Chronicle last week. “We’re dealing with a lot of things right now because it’s unexpected — the death of someone who had a lot of promise in life.”

Lartique and Hersi were not related and neither was related to Crawford. (NY Daily News)

Carl was arrested in Texas on a domestic violence charge. The charge was designated as “assault fam/house mem impede breath circulate,” suggesting that Crawford allegedly choked someone. Crawford surrendered to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office on June 4, 2020. The alleged incident occurred in May 2020.  (Baer - NBCSports - 6/4/2020)

TRANSACTIONS

June 1999: The Devil Rays drafted Carl in the second round, out of Jefferson Davis High School in Houston. He signed with the Devil Rays on June 15 for a bonus of $1.245 million plus college. Crawford passed up a scholarship to the University of Nebraska, where he would have been an option quarterback. 

April 1, 2005: Crawford signed a a $15.25 million, four-year contract that could be worth up to $32.5 million over six seasons. He got a $500,000 signing bonus, $500,000 for 2005, $2.5 million in 2006, $4 million in 2007, and $5.25 million in 2008.

Tampa Bay has an $8.25 million option for 2009 with a $2.5 million buyout. If the Devil Rays exercise that option, the team gets a $10 million option for 2010 with a $1.25 million buyout. In addition, the contract includes escalators that could boost Crawford's salary to $11.5 million in the final year.

November 9, 2009: The Rays exercised their $10 million option on Carl.

December 8, 2010: On the last day of the Winter Meetings, the Red Sox shocked everyone and signed Crawford. He received a seven-year, $142 million contract.

August 25, 2012: The Red Sox sent RHP Josh Beckett, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, OF Carl Crawford, INF Nick Punto and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for 1B James Loney, INF Ivan DeJesus, Jr., RHP Allen Webster and two players to be named.

"If somebody wants to trade you, to get rid of you, it's time to move on," Crawford said of accepting the trade to the Dodgers. "Things didn't go as planned in Boston. I'm happy for a new start. I just didn't play well enough there, for whatever reason. It just didn't work. I didn't do my part."

Crawford said he should have listened to Dr. James Andrews' advice to have the elbow surgery earlier in the year, instead of waiting until Aug. 24, the day before the trade.

"I tried to push through with the Boston fans," he said. "A big deal is made about the money and I wanted to play for them. Maybe I should have taken care of myself. I felt pressure from the outside to play, in that atmosphere. You have surgery and you get looked at like you're being soft or try to take the money. I wanted to prove that wasn't the case and it probably cost me time from next year. It's one of the things I definitely learned from.

"There's no secret this was a tough year in Boston. I wouldn't want any player to go through. To get out of that situation is definitely sort of a relief."

He promised to "give the people of L.A. something to watch" when he does return.

Crawford has good bat speed, and a lot of power. But he focuses on hitting line drives instead of lifting the ball, so he doesn't hit many home runs.

He gets good extension once he gets the bat moving, with quick wrists. He has lightning-quick hands, but he doesn't get his bat started very well, so he can be jammed.

In 2003, Crawford hit .268 before the All Star break, and .297 after it. He also cut his strikeouts almost in half after the break.

On June 18, 2005, Crawford hit his 40th career triple in only his 434th Major League game. In the last 75 years, only six players have had more triples before the age of 24. Ahead of Crawford on that list are Garry Templeton, 52; Buddy Lewis, 51; Arky Vaughn, 50; Stan Musial, 44; Joe DiMaggio, 43; and Joe Medwick, 42.

Carl can bunt. If he ever learns to draw walks, he could be a strong leadoff man. And if he learns the strike zone better, he can win a batting title.

But Crawford doesn't cherish the idea of leading off. "I would like to hit second—anywhere besides leadoff. It's just that being the kind of aggressive hitter that I am, it's hard for me to take pitches and draw walks, and do things that a natural leadoff guy does," Carl said in 2005.

Carl can foul off really, really tough pitches. And he can even hit a pitcher's pitch to one of the gaps for a triple, leaving the pitcher going, 'How did he do that?' Crawford has an incredible ability to put the barrel of the bat on any pitch.

“He used it one day, practiced with it, and he said: ‘I love this. I like the way it feels. Can I use this?’” Weber said.

He puts a lot of pressure on the opposing defense, forcing mistakes.

IN GREAT COMPANY

In 2003, 2004, and 2006, Crawford won the American League stolen base crown. Carl's crowns are the most prestigious individual awards won in the Devil Ray franchise's six-year history.

When he led the loop in 2003, Crawford became the fourth youngest player ever to win a stolen base title. He follows Ty Cobb, who was 20 in 1907, Rickey Henderson, who was 21 in 1980, and Tim Raines, who was 22 in 1981.

September 24, 2006: Crawford tied a Major League record with his 15th triple of the season in the D-Rays' 11-4 win over the Yankees. Carl has now hit at least 15 triples in each of the last three seasons (2004-2006), a feat last accomplished in 1930.

Crawford led the AL in triples for the third time. And he was sixth in the AL in batting with runners in scoring position (.348) and tied for eighth in outfield assists with 10.

After suffering with nagging wrist injuries the past two seasons, the Devil Rays' trainers have employed a hot wax treatment on Carl's left hand as part of his workout routine.

"Once the wrist is hot, it just kind of heats it up and it loosens it up," Crawford said. "I've been doing it every day; it's been feeling good."

On April 13, 2007, one day after his aggressive baserunning resulted in a rally-killing double play and made all the sports news television shows, Crawford stroked an inside-the-park home run off Twins' ace Johan Santana in the Rays' 4-2 win.

It was the second inside-the-park homer in Carl's career.

August 10, 2008: Crawford went on the D.L. after injuring a ligament in his right hand on a check swing. Carl chose to have surgery on August 14.

He did, however, return in time to play in the Rays' first-ever playoffs.

January 17, 2012: Crawford underwent a basic debridement of some cartilage in his left wrist and missed part of spring training. It showed up when he started increasing his hitting activity during the offseason. He experienced soreness in his left wrist.

April 2012: Carl started the season on the D.L. when the healing process was slow in getting his wrist back to health.

And on April 26, 2012, Crawford was  diagnosed with an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his left elbow and was shut down from baseball activity. He received a Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injection and will be shut down from baseball activity during the initial phase of his treatment. Carl was reactivated July 16, 2012.

But he went back on the 60-day D.L. on August 21, 2012 when he underwent Tommy John surgery on August 23 to repair the "chronic" torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.