Mark Crawford

Photo by: Isaac Shubert

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Position:
P
Ht./Wt.:
6-4 / 230
Hometown:
Perth, Western Australia
Years in College / At Minnesota:
5 / 5
Remaining Eligibility Entering 2025 Season:
1 year
Letters:
4
Class:
Fifth Year

PRONUNCIATION

HONORS:
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (2024, 2023)
Academic All-Big Ten (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021)
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (1x in 2021)
CSC Academic All-District Team (2024, 2023)

OVERVIEW: Enrolled at Minnesota in January 2020 • played Australian Rule’s Football in the winter until he was 17 and then played cricket in the summer until he was 22 • right-footed punter is originally from Perth, Australia, but trained in Melbourne with Prokick Australia.

2024: Handled all punting duties • punted 52 times in 13 games for 2,260 yards • averaged 43.46 yards per punt • had eight punts of 50 yards or greater with a season long of 58 yards • recorded only one • 14 punts were fair caught and 19 were placed inside the 20-yard line • also served as team's primary holder and held on 28 field goal attempts (20 makes) and on 39 point-after attempts (38 makes) • rushed one time for 10 yards. Game-by-Game: Averaged 45.6 yards on five punts and placed two inside the 20 while also holding five times (3 FG, 2 PAT) against North Carolina • lone punt went for 46 yards against Rhode Island and also held nine times (3 FG, 6 PAT) • punted three times against Nevada and held six times (3 FG, 3 PAT) • punted seven times against Iowa and held two times (2 PAT) • punted four times and averaged 47.5 yards at Michigan and also held five times (3 PAT, 2 FG) • placed all three of his punts inside the 10-yard line and held four times (3 PAT, 1 FG) against USC • punted six times and held four (1 FG, 3 PAT) times at UCLA • placed two of three punts inside the 20-yard line and held eight times (2 FG, 6 PAT) • rushed one time for 10 yards, averaged 48.0 yards on three punts and held six times (2 PAT, 4 FG) at Illinois • placed three of six punts inside the 20 and held four times (2 PAT, 2 FG) at Rutgers • held five times (3 FG, 2 PAT) and punted three times against Penn State • held five times (2 FG, 3 PAT) and averaged 44 yards on six punts at Wisconsin, while placing three punts inside the 20-yard line • averaged 48.5 yards on two punts against Virginia Tech and also held five times (2 FG, 3 PAT).

2023 • SENIOR SEASON: Handled all punting duties • punted 65 times in 13 games for 2,762 yards • averaged 42.49 yards per punt • had 11 punts of 50 yards or greater with a season long of 56 yards • recorded only four touchbacks • 32 punts were fair caught and 25 were placed inside the 20-yard line • team ranked tied for 29th in the nation in punt return defense (5.00 average yards per return) • also served as team's primary holder • held on 27 field goal attempts (23 makes) and on 27 point-after attempts (27 makes). Game-by-Game: Punted four times against Nebraska and averaged 45.0 yards • did not attempt a punt, but did hold five times (3 FG, 2 PAT) against Eastern Michigan • punted six times for 255 yards and held three times (2 FG, 1 PAT) at North Carolina • punted seven times and held six (2 FG, 4 PAT) times at Northwestern • averaged 43.7 yards on three punts against Louisiana and also held five times (5 PAT) against Louisiana • punted seven times and averaged 44.0 yards against Michigan and also held twice (1 FG, 1 PAT) • punted nine times at Iowa and also held on four successful field goals • punted three times (placed two inside the 20) and held five times (3 FG, 2 PAT) against Michigan State • punted five times (place three inside the 20) and held five times (2 FG, 3 FG) against Illinois • averaged 43.2 yards on four punts at Purdue and also held seven times (3 PATs, 4 FGs) • punted seven times and held once (FG) at Ohio State • punted six times against Wisconsin and held twice (2 PATs) • punted four times against Bowling Green and also held four times (3 PATs, 1 FG).

2022 • JUNIOR SEASON: Handled all punting duties • punted 46 times in 13 games for 1,868 yards and an average of 40.6 yards • season long punt was 55 yards • placed 15 punts inside the 20-yard line and recorded only three touchbacks, while 21 punts were fair caught. • Gophers ranked 29th in the nation in punt return defense (4.73 average yards per return) • held 64 times (18 FG, 46 PAT). Game-by-Game: Placed his lone punt against New Mexico State inside the 20 and held six times (5 PAT, 1 FG) • held 10 times (8 PAT, 2 FG) and punted once for 46 yards against Western Illinois • punted once against Colorado and held seven times (7 PAT) • held six times (4 PAT, 2 FG) and did not attempt a punt at Michigan State • punted five times against Purdue and held three times (1 PAT, 2 FGs) • punted four times at Illinois and held two times (2 PAT) • averaged 45.2 yards on six punts at Penn State and also held three times (2 PAT, 1 FG) • punted four times against Rutgers and also held five times (4 PAT, 1 FG) • held four times (2 PAT, 2 FG) and punted six times – placing three inside the 20 – at Nebraska • placed two of five punts inside the 20-yard line and held five (4 PAT, 1 FG) times against Northwestern • held three times (1 PAT, 2 FG) and punted three times against Iowa • averaged 41.8 yards on four punts and held six times (2 PAT, 4 FG) at Wisconsin • averaged 43 yards on six punts against Syracuse, placed three inside the 20-yard line and connected on a 55-yarder; also held four times (4 PAT).

2021 • SOPHOMORE SEASON: Served as team's primary punter and holder • punted 47 times and averaged 41.72 yards • recorded six punts of 50-plus yards • placed 24 punts inside the 20-yard line and recorded only one touchback • opponents returned only 10 punts for 21 yards (2.1 average) • held 64 times (26 FG, 38 PAT). Game-by-Game: Held five times (1 FG, 4 PAT) and placed two of his three punts inside the 20-yard line against Ohio State • held five times (1 FG, 4 PAT) and placed two of his five punts inside the 20-yard line against Miami • recorded a punt of 57 yards at Colorado (averaged 43.2 yards on four punts) and also held seven times (3 FG, 4 PAT) • held four times (2 FG, 1 PAT) against Bowling Green and punted five times, placing two inside the 20-yard line • averaged 51.3 yards on six punts at Purdue, while recording a career-long 60-yarder twice and placed four punts inside the 20 (also held four times – 2 FG and 2 PAT – against the Boilers) • averaged 43.2 yards on four punts and held five times (1 FG, 4 PAT) against Nebraska • punted once for 47 yards against Maryland and held eight times (4 FG, 4 PAT) • punted one time for 46 yards at Northwestern and also held six times (2 FG, 4 PAT) • held twice (1 PAT, 1 FG) and averaged 44.8 yards and placed three of four punts inside the 20 against Illinois • punted four times at Iowa • placed three of his four punts inside the 20-yard line at Indiana and also held five times (5 PAT) • punted three times against Wisconsin and held five times (2 PAT, 3 FG) • punted three times against West Virginia and held four times (2 FG, 1 PAT).

2020 • FRESHMAN SEASON: Played in five games and averaged 37.8 yards on 17 punts • placed seven punts inside the 20-yard line. Game-by-Game: Made his Minnesota debut and punted one time for 30 yards at Illinois • placed two of his four punts inside the 20-yard line against Iowa • averaged 44 yards on two punts against Purdue • placed three of four punts inside the 20-yard line at Nebraska • averaged 36 yards on four punts at Wisconsin.

PERSONAL: Son of John and Pam Crawford • first member of his family to play American football.