Maxx Crosby returns to Eastern Michigan to open Crosby Field

One of the most unique fields in college football is located in the small town of Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Eastern Michigan’s signature gray playing surface at Rynearson Stadium was given a makeover and a new name during the offseason, and a ceremony was held Friday night to unveil the new playing surface, officially called “Crosby Field.”

Crosby Field is named after none other than Eastern Michigan’s youngest star and current Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby. Crosby played for Eastern Michigan from 2015-18, was twice named First Team All-MAC and played a critical role in ending a 29-year bowl drought for the program.

Crosby visited Ypsilanti last June to be inducted as the 53rd member of Eastern Michigan’s Ring of Honor. A conversation between Crosby and athletic director Scott Wetherbee over breakfast during that visit about the condition of the turf at Rynearson Stadium sparked the renovation project this offseason. Crosby expressed a desire to keep the gray turf where it is and was also enthusiastic about the idea of ​​removing the surrounding track — which has been criticized over the years for its high school stadium-like feel.

Crosby and his wife Rachel presented a check for $1 million to Eastern Michigan as the lead donor for the project, and now the Crosby name is etched into the turf in Ypsilanti. Maxx did not want the field to be called “Maxx Crosby Field,” preferring instead to be called “Crosby Field” because his wife had made significant contributions throughout the renovation process and had been a positive influence on Maxx’s football career.

“Besides his success in football and his and Rachel’s contributions, we wanted to make sure his name would be associated with this field for a long time,” Wetherbee said at the ceremony. “For that reason — and I told him it was going to happen — we got three more gifts of $1 million. They wanted to do it because Maxx was on board.”

Those four donations last fall totaled $5.5 million and led to the renovation of Crosby Field. A significant portion of those funds were spent on building a new track for the track and field program after it was removed from Rynearson Stadium.

The 26-year-old defensive end returned to campus with Rachel and his family for Friday night’s ceremony, which was open to fans with tickets. Crosby recreated Eastern Michigan’s signature field entrance by tearing down a cinder block wall with a sledgehammer as part of the festivities. He was one of three speakers at the event, along with Wetherbee and head coach Chris Creighton.

Creighton’s impassioned speech emphasized the extraordinary progress Eastern Michigan has made since he arrived in December 2013. He recalled the days when Rynearson Stadium had no lights and the Eagles weren’t allowed to play night games and when 10-loss seasons were the norm. Creighton spoke at length about Eastern Michigan’s rise from rock bottom, mentioning a time when newspapers suggested the university cut football after a widely watched HBO program scrutinized the program’s funding.

The head coach then compared the program’s journey from rock bottom to that of Crosby, who entered rehab in 2020 due to a struggle with addiction. Creighton explained that Crosby represents Eastern Michigan football perfectly and has similarly recovered from a rock bottom to become a better version of himself.

“Tonight, when we unveil Crosby Field, it’s about Rachel and Maxx Crosby, who did it together, and it wasn’t easy,” Creighton said. “You are the epitome of who we are and what we want to be. God bless you guys. It’s a big deal.”

Crosby followed Creighton as the event’s final speaker, thanking the coach for giving him his only FBS offer when no one else believed in it. He also thanked Rachel for her unwavering support, as well as his family and the Eastern Michigan football community for shaping his successful football career.

“I wouldn’t be able to do this without this army around me,” Crosby said at the ceremony. “The best people in the world support me every day. I just want to say: I love you guys, thank you for coming, and Coach Creighton, without you giving me a chance, none of this would be possible.”

Crosby also signed autographs and took photos with the Eastern Michigan faithful who attended the event.

You can watch Wetherbee, Creighton and Crosby’s speeches during the ceremony on the Eastern Michigan Athletics YouTube channel: