Algernon Darius Crumpler (; born December 23, 1977) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for ten seasons. He was selected by the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Crumpler now works as an analyst for the

ACC Network ACC Network (ACCN) is an American multinational subscription-television channel owned and operated by ESPN Inc. Dedicated to coverage of the Atlantic Coast Conference, it was announced in July 2016 and launched on August 22, 2019. The channel ...

. Crumpler also played for the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

and

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

. He is a four-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

selection.

Early life

Crumpler attended New Hanover High School in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

and was a letterman in football and

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

. In football, he started as a tight end and as a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

, and as a senior, he was an All-Midwest 4-A Conference selection. In track & field, he was a three-time discus state champion, and won a state championship in

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

in 1996. He graduated from high school in 1996.

College career

After graduating from high school, Crumpler attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. During his last three seasons with the Tar Heels, Crumpler was named to the All- ACC first-team. As a sophomore, Crumpler caught 24 passes for a total of 278 yards, with four of those catches being touchdowns. In his junior season, Crumpler had 20 catches for 191 yards. His senior season concluded with him amassing 23 catches for 287 yards and one touchdown and he finished second in All-American voting.

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Atlanta Falcons

Crumpler was selected by the Falcons in the second round (35th overall) of the 2001 NFL draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

, on October 21, 2001. He finished his rookie season starting 12 of 16 games and totaling 25 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns. In 2002, Crumpler started 9 of 16 games, recording 36 receptions for 455 yards and five touchdowns. Crumpler earned his first

honor in

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, starting all 16 games for the Falcons, catching 44 passes for 552 yards, the most for a Falcons tight end since

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

; he also had three touchdowns. Crumpler played in and started 14 games for the Falcons in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, who advanced to the

NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...

. Crumpler finished the regular season with 48 receptions for 774 yards and six touchdowns and was elected to the

. In

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, Crumpler returned to start 16 games for the Falcons, setting career highs with 65 receptions for 877 yards, as well as five touchdowns. He was also named to his third-consecutive

. In 2006, Crumpler set a career-high with eight touchdowns, while also making 56 catches for 780 yards in 16 games started. Crumpler made 10 starts in 14 games in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

, in his first season without

Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Norfolk State Spartans football, Norfolk State University. He played quarterback in the National F ...

at quarterback. He finished the year with 42 receptions for 444 yards and five touchdowns. In December 2007, Crumpler was fined by the NFL for wearing black eye strips during a '' Monday Night Football'' which had the letters MV and the number 7 written on them in support of Vick, who was in prison at the time. On February 15, 2008, Crumpler was released by the Falcons.

Tennessee Titans

On March 2, 2008, Crumpler signed with the

. He made his debut with the team on September 7, 2008, against the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

. He started 15 games for the Titans in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, making 24 catches for 257 yards. In the Titans' Divisional Playoff game against the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

, Crumpler fumbled after a reception from Kerry Collins on the Ravens' 5-yard line, which helped the Ravens ultimately win the game over the top-seeded Titans. On August 9, 2009, in the Titans' first preseason game, Crumpler weighed approximately 300 pounds, gaining an estimated 30 pounds during the offseason. However, Crumpler played in all 16 games for the Titans in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, starting 14 and catching 27 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. He was also part of a blocking unit that aided Titans running back Chris Johnson in a 2,006-yard rushing season.

New England Patriots

On March 24, 2010, Crumpler signed with the

. After running back Kevin Faulk, an offensive captain, was lost for the season with a knee injury in Week 2, the team named Crumpler an offensive captain prior to their Week 6 game. The next day, head coach Bill Belichick lauded Crumpler's professionalism: Crumpler finished the 2010 season with six receptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games played (10 starts). On July 29, 2011, the Patriots announced that Crumpler had been released.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

He is the son of East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (1980) and North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2002) Carlester Crumpler Sr. and younger brother of former Seattle Seahawks and

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

tight end Carlester Crumpler. Alge is named after his father's favorite book, '' Flowers for Algernon''.

References

External links

New England Patriots bioTennessee Titans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crumpler, Alge 1977 births Living people Players of American football from Greenville, North Carolina American football tight ends National Conference Pro Bowl players North Carolina Tar Heels football players Atlanta Falcons players Tennessee Titans players New England Patriots players Players of American football from Wilmington, North Carolina New Hanover High School alumni 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen