Crowder gets the nod as QB1
Goose Crowder was officially named Troy’s starting quarterback on Wednesday by head coach Gerad Parker, but where did the junior first spread his wings?
Crowder grew up in Gardendale, Alabama, where he attended Gardendale High School.
While at Gardendale, Crowder was not shy to accolades. In 2019, he participated in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game while also earning all-region honors. His 2019 season even caught the eye of Sports Illustrated, which named him an all-American finalist.
Out of high school, Crowder was recruited to West Virginia by Sean Reagan, who was then the quarterbacks’ coach. While with the Mountaineers, he did not see much game action, sitting behind former Troy quarterback Jarret Doege and the Mountaineers current starter, Garrett Greene.
This led Crowder to explore options in the portal, and an opportunity to go to WVU head coach Neal Brown’s former team arose.
“[Reagan], and obviously Coach Brown, had a strong connection to Troy,” Crowder said. “I wanted to be closer to home and when I came here to visit it immediately felt like family to me.”
Crowder chose Troy as his next destination to pursue his football career. In his sophomore season he saw limited action sitting behind sixth year senior Gunnar Watson, but Crowder relished the opportunity to learn from the starter.
“Gunnar was a big routine guy,” Crowder said. “He taught me how to prepare, and seeing his worth ethic and how to approach the game helped me a lot.”
Crowder finished his sophomore year going 5-for-6 for 49 yards and one touchdown.
The offseason loomed around the corner, and most figured that Goose was in line to be the next starter, but other quarterbacks, Tucker Kilcrease and Matthew Caldwell, challenged that role. What helped Crowder rise to the top was having his former recruiter join the Trojans’ staff over the offseason.
“It’s been awesome,” Crowder said on Reagan joining the Trojans staff as offensive coordinator. “He’s the same coach that recruited me out of high school, so having that relationship with his family follow me to Troy is amazing.”
On August 14, Goose was named the starter with the phrase “Let the Goose Loose,” being coined by Troy Football’s X, formerly known as Twitter, account. Trojan social media erupted at the announcement, sparking enthusiasm and excitement among the fanbase.
Crowder knows the standard the fans hold the team to and is prepared to meet that.
“The expectation is to win games and to win the Sun Belt,” Crowder said. “I don’t think that’s any different this year.”
Troy opens the season August 31 at 6 p.m. against the Nevada Wolfpack. This will be Crowder’s first career collegiate start, a role he is ready to relish.
“I’ve always carried myself as the starter because you never know when your name is going to be called,” Crowder said. “Keep that preparation, and keep a clear mind heading into the game.”
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