Dad played football. Grandpa and two uncles did, too. But UW point guard is at home on the hardwood
It doesn’t take long to figure out David Crisp Sr. takes pride in his family’s athletic legacy.
The latest member of this group is his son, Washington Huskies point guard David Crisp. But there’s more.
David Crisp’s father, Ray Crisp Sr., was among the first African-American football players in Marshall’s history. David Sr. and his two brothers — George and Ray Jr. — also played for The Herd during the 1970s.
“I was a little surprised he wasn’t a football player,” David Sr. said. “My dad played at Marshall. Actually, (Basketball Hall of Fame member and Marshall alum) Hal Greer introduced my mom to my dad.”
Ray Crisp Sr., who was a lineman, enrolled in 1955. His career was short-lived. He quit football after suffering a substantial broken leg, according to The Herd Insider, a publication that covers Marshall.
He would send his three sons to the school in Huntington, West Va., and each of them made an impact.
Ray Jr. was a receiver and he played four seasons from 1975 through 1978. He finished with 86 career receptions, 1,364 yards and nine touchdowns.
George played defensive back for three seasons from 1978 through 1980.
David Sr. was a receiver and a running back and played four seasons from 1977 through 1980. Crisp Sr. had 308 career rushing yards and 94 receiving yards for two touchdowns.
“That’s one thing I really respect about my father,” Crisp said. “He never pressured me or made me feel uncomfortable with any decisions I made sports-wise. He was always like, ‘Do what makes you happy.’”
Crisp said he played football until he was in eighth grade. He played quarterback, receiver, running back and even a little bit of safety.
There were times in high school he came close to going out for the team but chose to stick with basketball.
“It was cold, for one, playing football outside,” said Crisp, who was listing his reasons for why basketball eventually won out. “And then, basketball was really fun. I really started understanding the game and coming into my own playing basketball.
“So, I figured, I might as well choose that one.”
Crisp said his dad has always been among his biggest supporters and once he saw his son’s potential, he really pushed for him to succeed.
The 6-foot guard burst onto the local basketball scene when he helped Clover Park to a Class 2A state championship.
Crisp transferred to state power Rainier Beach and led the Vikings to a state title alongside former UW teammate and San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray.
He spent a year at Brewster Academy (N.H.) and guided the school to the 2015 National Prep Championship.
A three-star prospect, he was the composite No. 4 player in Washington and the 32nd point guard in the nation.
He had offers from Creighton, Nebraska, Princeton and Texas A&M until signing with Washington.
“At a young age, I understood,” Crisp said of his family ties to Marshall. “I thought it was so cool he played with his brothers. ... My uncle with how he still had records, it was cool to know my dad and family was part of that.”
Crisp said he never got a chance to speak with his grandfather, who has since passed, about his experience at Marshall.
But his father has told him those stories.
Marshall, over the last 20 years, has increased its profile in the public spotlight. The football program grew in popularity due to having players like Byron Leftwich, Chad Pennington and Randy Moss, the newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, make an impact in the NFL.
The school was also the focus of the 2006 film “We Are Marshall” starring Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Mackie, Matthew Fox and Kate Mara.
‘We Are Marshall’ is about how the school revived its football program in the wake of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 players, 25 boosters, five coaches, tow athletic trainers, the school’s athletic director and the entire flight crew.
Crisp, who grew up hearing stories about the plane crash, said he was a child when the movie was released by remembers the impact it had on his family.
“It was crazy to me that it was a movie and it was coming out,” Crisp said. “Knowing we had close ties to that time and Marshall, it was a just real cool feeling.”
Ryan S. Clark: @ryan_s_clark
Huskies gameday
WASHINGTON (17-6, 7-3 PAC-12) vs. OREGON (15-8, 5-5)
7:15 p.m., Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Ore.
TV: FOX Sports 1 Radio: 1000-AM, 97.7-FM.
All-time series: UW, 189-113
PROJECTED STARTERS
Statistics for 2017-18:
WASHINGTON
1 David Crisp, G (6-0, jr.): 12.0 ppg, 3.1 apg.
5 Jaylen Nowell, G (6-4, fr.): 16.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg.
4 Matisse Thybulle, G (6-5, jr.): 10.8 ppg, 3.1 spg.
15 Noah Dickerson, F (6-8, jr.): 15.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg.
33 Sam Timmins, F (6-10, so.): 4.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg.
OREGON
3 Payton Pritchard, G (6-2, so.): 14.3 ppg, 4.5 apg.
5 Elijah Brown, G (6-3, jr.): 13.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg.
0 Troy Brown, F (6-7, fr.): 11.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg
22 MiKyle McIntosh, F (6-7, sr.): 9.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg.
13 Paul White, F (6-9, fr.): 10.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg.
Scouting report: Washington and Oregon are in at different ends of the spectrum. UW is coming off the most pivotal week of the year. It beat in-state rival Washington State, upset No. 25 Arizona State and thanks to Dominic Green’s last-second 3-pointer, it also pulled off an upset of No. 9 Arizona. The Huskies have won four in a row and are currently considered a team bound for the NCAA Tournament ... Oregon was on a three-game winning streak but was crushed in a 35-point loss at Stanford in its last game. The Ducks, like a number of teams this year, got off to a strong non-conference start only to struggle in the Pac-12. They’ve lost games to conference favorites like Arizona and USC. They even beat ASU and got a key win over UCLA. But the Ducks also have losses to Utah, Oregon State and now, Stanford. Between the Beavers, Cardinal and Utes, they have a combined record of 37-31.
Ryan S. Clark
This story was originally published February 8, 2018 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Dad played football. Grandpa and two uncles did, too. But UW point guard is at home on the hardwood."