CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Quavaris Crouch describes football as his rocket ship. A vehicle to get him to the stars.
At Harding University High School in Charlotte, he was a shooting star, one of the top college recruits in the country. Crouch helped lead the Rams to a historic state championship in 2017, its first since 1953.
Crouch – a running back with a rare blend of power and speed – ultimately played linebacker in college, hitting the field for major programs like Tennessee and Michigan State. College stardom and the NFL were in sight.
But then, Quavaris Crouch seemingly disappeared from the football world, not playing in either 2022 or 2023.
His once bright star on the field went out.
Many in Charlotte who saw that star shine bright wondered – what happened to Quavaris Crouch?
Turns out, you can find him back home, playing for Johnson C. Smith University, under the bright lights of his city.
“I feel like it’s beautiful," Crouch said. "I’ve always been a spiritual dude. It’s no coincidence God brought me back. He wrote the perfect story for me."
“He’s a humble young man," Golden Bulls coach Maurice Flowers said. "And he believes in coming in and putting in good work every day.”
Crouch is looking to continue his story for the Golden Bulls as part of Flowers’ ascending program. Not only will Crouch play linebacker, but he’s back where it all started, running the rock.
"I feel like it never really left me," he said. "For me it’s super exciting to get back to the position that made me who I am in a way.”
But if you think Flowers was getting a former Big 10 and SEC athlete and just sticking him on the field for half the games, you’d be mistaken.
"He will be playing both ways," Flowers said. "You’re going to see him on special teams. If I look around and he’s over there next to me, then he must just be getting a drink of water. He needs to stay on the football field. To watch his journey and then to watch him continue his journey with us, I’m just happy for him. There’s nothing like playing for your hometown school.”
Crouch admits he fell on hard times at Michigan State, leaving the team and finding a job in town, while taking community college classes. His football career was possibly over.
“A lot of growing pains," Crouch said. "Being young, making mistakes, and learning from them. And not having football. All my life I had football, so when I didn’t have it I struggled to find my identity."
At one point, Crouch tried to enroll at Charlotte to play for the 49ers but couldn't gain eligibility. That left Division II Johnson C. Smith as the place to author his final college football chapter.
“I honestly feel like the D2 football players have a little bit more grit in them," he said, "because they don’t have everything.”
One thing Crouch wants now besides a CIAA Championship, is his degree.
“Especially from an HBCU would be super special," he said. "After football, I want to be a youth pastor or coach,because a youth pastor inspired my life.”
While he will play both ways, you can see in the smile Crouch carries. There’s nothing to him like carrying the football.
"It ain’t nothing like running the ball and scoring a touchdown, let’s be honest," he said.
It's something he still hopes to be able to do in the NFL.
"I think I’ve got a good chance of still achieving all of my dreams and goals and aspirations at the next level," he said. "I think I’ll be able to do something special and leave my mark here, but I think this is going to be bigger than football."
JCSU opens its season Sunday night against Tuskegee University at the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama.
Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.