SE: ‘Being a Pro:’ Matthew McCrane Looks Back on Wild Ride of First NFL Season
Jan 22, 2019 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Matthew McCrane was on a golf course — the 18th green, more specifically — in Texas on Thursday, December 27, when his cell phone rang. Normally against golf etiquette, McCrane never could afford to turn his cell phone on silent, something his playing partners — his father, uncle, grandfather and a few friends — understood.
As the phone rang, McCrane noticed he had the number saved, but it wasn't a friend or former teammate. It was the Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager, Kevin Colbert.
K-State's all-time leader in career field goals made knew what the call was likely about. He had tried out for the Steelers earlier in the season. So, the then-free agent let out a celebratory "Steelers!" proclamation to his group before answering.
When McCrane picked up, he heard what he expected.
"(Colbert) said, 'Can you fly out in a couple of hours?'" recalled McCrane, who was on a plane to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania not long after.
Three days after that, McCrane was back in an NFL uniform, for the third different team in his rookie season.
He went 3-for-3 on field goals, hitting from 39, 47 and 35 yards out in a 16-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. His last make, with 2:00 left, proved to be the game-winner — his second of the year. It kept the Steelers' playoffs hopes alive for a few more minutes until Baltimore held on for a win against Cleveland, thus eliminating Pittsburgh.
For McCrane, however, it capped a whirlwind first season in the NFL. He called it a "crazy ride," one he was thankful to finish out on a high note. But even his last game, he said, opened his eyes to what he could do better and what he has to do going forward.
Above all else: Be a pro... always.
"I wasn't being a pro," McCrane said. "That's what I learned the most out of the whole thing. Whether you're on a team or not, you have to be a pro. You have to treat it like you're in the National Football League on a team, even when you're not, because you'll get a call and fly out in two hours. That's what happened."
Before getting the phone call from Colbert, McCrane expected to ride out December as a free agent. As the end of the regular season neared, job opportunities for kickers became few and far between. Therefore, McCrane went about three weeks without kicking a football. It felt like a much-needed break after he had been kicking and training since his senior year at K-State started in August of 2017.
This time off showed, McCrane pointed out, on his kickoffs with Pittsburgh. He was not getting the ball as deep as expected and as he proved he could do for every team before. He heard about it from fans and coaches.
Let's just say the message sank in.
"Whenever we finished up and didn't make the playoffs, I made a conscious decision and said, 'If I'm with a team or I'm not with a team, I have to be a professional,'" he said. "You have to train like a pro. You have to act like you're in it, even when you're not."
What exactly goes into being a professional kicker? Well, several things would be the short answer. McCrane's rookie season included many of them.
Dealing with ups and downs might be a good place to start.
McCrane signed with the Arizona Cardinals in April but was cut in late August after the preseason. It's worth nothing he went 4-for-4 for the Cardinals in the preseason, including 2-for-2 from 50-plus yards out. Still, he was out as the Cardinals had veteran kicker Phil Dawson.
Next, he had a tryout with the New York Jets, but nothing came of it. Before Week 4, he signed with the Oakland Raiders. He spent four weeks (three games and a bye week) with them, earned the nickname "Little Giant" from running back Marshawn Lynch, and went 5-of-9 on field goals that included misses from 48, 47, 50 and 57 yards. McCrane was released after Week 7.
On October 26, McCrane signed to Arizona's practice squad as insurance for lingering health injuries to Dawson. A few days later, he was released again. In a three-day span in Week 11, he signed with the Cardinals once more, was placed on the active roster to fill in for the injured Dawson, made all three extra point attempts in the game and was cut the following Monday.
"It was a good intro into the National Football League. You learn that it is not for long. You have to do your job, you have to make your kicks, and with some teams I did that and with some teams I didn't," he said. "So, I learned, playing with three teams in the NFL, the importance of staying ready for the call, ready for the workout and staying in shape, most of all."
The process of being cut went about the same each time, McCrane said.
First, a call came from player personnel to deliver the decision, followed by exit meetings with certain coaches. Finally, a termination contract got sent to his Manhattan home, where he and his fiancé, Megan, still live. He got three of those deliveries from the Cardinals alone. He did not shred them, either.
"I have that on my wall in my room as motivation for me," McCrane said.
The first-year journey also put him in some unusual situations, at least to him.
He had no car almost the entire time away from home, though he eventually bought one in Arizona, only to have to drive it back to Manhattan after being cut.
Since he had no idea or promise of how long he might be with teams, he lived in extended-stay hotels in Phoenix, Oakland and Pittsburgh for weeks on end. He dined on room service more times than he can remember.
He kept a small, carry-on suitcase packed with the same items — a suit, collared shirt, workout T-shirts and shorts, tennis shoes and cleats — by his front door in Manhattan.
"They don't like you checking bags. You want to be quick as you can coming off the plane to come to practice," he said. "So, I'm carrying a small carry-on suitcase with six to eight pairs of clothes, and that lasted me from August to December."
When he left Manhattan for a tryout or after being signed, McCrane said he would tell Megan: "I'll see you in four or five months at the end of the season, or I'll see you in the next couple of days when I fly home."
McCrane said he understands it all comes with the territory. Getting signed to, at minimum, $480,000 non-guaranteed contracts makes each player's margin for error extremely slim. It's even more so for kickers, who rarely have back-ups on a roster or even the practice squad.
"You're getting paid an amount that you'll never be able to make in your lifetime again. You have to go into it understanding that it is a risk," McCrane said, who's due to get married in March in he and his wife's home state of Texas. "It's tough on Megan and I, our relationship, taking care of the dog, taking care of home matters and a house that we're redoing and all those things that you just have to place on hold and know — if it's for two, three, four, five, six years, however long you play in the NFL — it's a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
"So, you just let it ride, you go with the flow and, if they call, you say, 'Yes, sir. I'm ready.' And you fly out."
As tough as it was at times, McCrane said he had a number of people help him along the way.
To start, he soaked up as much information as he could from the many experienced kickers he came across during his first season, whether it be at tryouts or with teams. These included Nick Novak, Kai Forbath, Chandler Catanzaro, Roberto Aguayo, Sam Ficken, Chris Boswell and Dawson.
McCrane said he's also become even more thankful for his K-State connections.
In between flights for tryouts or to join a team, he worked out at the Vanier Family Football Complex and kicked at the football team's indoor facility. He also trained one-on-one with assistant K-State strength and conditioning coach Evan Rapp, who put together a regimen specifically built for kickers.
"I've been extremely grateful having them let me use their facility, use their indoor," McCrane said. "It makes it a lot easier."
McCrane even felt the K-State love outside of Manhattan. Every team he signed with included a former Wildcat.
Jeff Rodgers, Arizona's special teams coordinator, spent the 2008 season in the same position at K-State.
In Oakland, McCrane got to work with Jordy Nelson and Emmanuel Lamur. McCrane said he often lifted with Nelson on the team's off day.
In Pittsburgh, McCrane was reunited with a former teammate in B.J. Finney. Finney and his wife, Amanda, took McCrane out to eat the first night he got there and brought him over to their home to hang out. McCrane returned the favor by signing his jersey for Finney to keep.
"(It) said, 'I appreciate you for being a big brother,' because that's what he was," McCrane said of Finney. "The family part goes outside of the four or five years that you're here. I was taken care of everywhere that I went, by Jordy, by B.J., by Emmanuel. They really embraced that family atmosphere that K-State has always personified. To see that has been really cool, especially with me not knowing what the heck is going on or how long I'm going to be there."
As for his stay in Pittsburgh, McCrane signed a two-year deal with the Steelers, initially. This means he has one year left on his contract, an indicator they might keep him on the 90-man roster during this offseason to compete with Boswell, Pittsburgh's starter since 2015.
"I was lucky they decided to keep me this offseason to compete. It's still a competition," McCrane said, knowing full well how good he has to be to win it. "You're not going to be perfect, but in the NFL you have to be as close to perfect as possible or else you won't be there next week."
Matthew McCrane was on a golf course — the 18th green, more specifically — in Texas on Thursday, December 27, when his cell phone rang. Normally against golf etiquette, McCrane never could afford to turn his cell phone on silent, something his playing partners — his father, uncle, grandfather and a few friends — understood.
As the phone rang, McCrane noticed he had the number saved, but it wasn't a friend or former teammate. It was the Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager, Kevin Colbert.
K-State's all-time leader in career field goals made knew what the call was likely about. He had tried out for the Steelers earlier in the season. So, the then-free agent let out a celebratory "Steelers!" proclamation to his group before answering.
When McCrane picked up, he heard what he expected.
"(Colbert) said, 'Can you fly out in a couple of hours?'" recalled McCrane, who was on a plane to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania not long after.
Three days after that, McCrane was back in an NFL uniform, for the third different team in his rookie season.
He went 3-for-3 on field goals, hitting from 39, 47 and 35 yards out in a 16-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. His last make, with 2:00 left, proved to be the game-winner — his second of the year. It kept the Steelers' playoffs hopes alive for a few more minutes until Baltimore held on for a win against Cleveland, thus eliminating Pittsburgh.
For McCrane, however, it capped a whirlwind first season in the NFL. He called it a "crazy ride," one he was thankful to finish out on a high note. But even his last game, he said, opened his eyes to what he could do better and what he has to do going forward.
Above all else: Be a pro... always.
"I wasn't being a pro," McCrane said. "That's what I learned the most out of the whole thing. Whether you're on a team or not, you have to be a pro. You have to treat it like you're in the National Football League on a team, even when you're not, because you'll get a call and fly out in two hours. That's what happened."
Before getting the phone call from Colbert, McCrane expected to ride out December as a free agent. As the end of the regular season neared, job opportunities for kickers became few and far between. Therefore, McCrane went about three weeks without kicking a football. It felt like a much-needed break after he had been kicking and training since his senior year at K-State started in August of 2017.
This time off showed, McCrane pointed out, on his kickoffs with Pittsburgh. He was not getting the ball as deep as expected and as he proved he could do for every team before. He heard about it from fans and coaches.
Let's just say the message sank in.
"Whenever we finished up and didn't make the playoffs, I made a conscious decision and said, 'If I'm with a team or I'm not with a team, I have to be a professional,'" he said. "You have to train like a pro. You have to act like you're in it, even when you're not."
What exactly goes into being a professional kicker? Well, several things would be the short answer. McCrane's rookie season included many of them.
Dealing with ups and downs might be a good place to start.
McCrane signed with the Arizona Cardinals in April but was cut in late August after the preseason. It's worth nothing he went 4-for-4 for the Cardinals in the preseason, including 2-for-2 from 50-plus yards out. Still, he was out as the Cardinals had veteran kicker Phil Dawson.
Next, he had a tryout with the New York Jets, but nothing came of it. Before Week 4, he signed with the Oakland Raiders. He spent four weeks (three games and a bye week) with them, earned the nickname "Little Giant" from running back Marshawn Lynch, and went 5-of-9 on field goals that included misses from 48, 47, 50 and 57 yards. McCrane was released after Week 7.
On October 26, McCrane signed to Arizona's practice squad as insurance for lingering health injuries to Dawson. A few days later, he was released again. In a three-day span in Week 11, he signed with the Cardinals once more, was placed on the active roster to fill in for the injured Dawson, made all three extra point attempts in the game and was cut the following Monday.
"It was a good intro into the National Football League. You learn that it is not for long. You have to do your job, you have to make your kicks, and with some teams I did that and with some teams I didn't," he said. "So, I learned, playing with three teams in the NFL, the importance of staying ready for the call, ready for the workout and staying in shape, most of all."
The process of being cut went about the same each time, McCrane said.
First, a call came from player personnel to deliver the decision, followed by exit meetings with certain coaches. Finally, a termination contract got sent to his Manhattan home, where he and his fiancé, Megan, still live. He got three of those deliveries from the Cardinals alone. He did not shred them, either.
"I have that on my wall in my room as motivation for me," McCrane said.
The first-year journey also put him in some unusual situations, at least to him.
He had no car almost the entire time away from home, though he eventually bought one in Arizona, only to have to drive it back to Manhattan after being cut.
Since he had no idea or promise of how long he might be with teams, he lived in extended-stay hotels in Phoenix, Oakland and Pittsburgh for weeks on end. He dined on room service more times than he can remember.
He kept a small, carry-on suitcase packed with the same items — a suit, collared shirt, workout T-shirts and shorts, tennis shoes and cleats — by his front door in Manhattan.
"They don't like you checking bags. You want to be quick as you can coming off the plane to come to practice," he said. "So, I'm carrying a small carry-on suitcase with six to eight pairs of clothes, and that lasted me from August to December."
When he left Manhattan for a tryout or after being signed, McCrane said he would tell Megan: "I'll see you in four or five months at the end of the season, or I'll see you in the next couple of days when I fly home."
McCrane said he understands it all comes with the territory. Getting signed to, at minimum, $480,000 non-guaranteed contracts makes each player's margin for error extremely slim. It's even more so for kickers, who rarely have back-ups on a roster or even the practice squad.
"You're getting paid an amount that you'll never be able to make in your lifetime again. You have to go into it understanding that it is a risk," McCrane said, who's due to get married in March in he and his wife's home state of Texas. "It's tough on Megan and I, our relationship, taking care of the dog, taking care of home matters and a house that we're redoing and all those things that you just have to place on hold and know — if it's for two, three, four, five, six years, however long you play in the NFL — it's a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
"So, you just let it ride, you go with the flow and, if they call, you say, 'Yes, sir. I'm ready.' And you fly out."
As tough as it was at times, McCrane said he had a number of people help him along the way.
To start, he soaked up as much information as he could from the many experienced kickers he came across during his first season, whether it be at tryouts or with teams. These included Nick Novak, Kai Forbath, Chandler Catanzaro, Roberto Aguayo, Sam Ficken, Chris Boswell and Dawson.
McCrane said he's also become even more thankful for his K-State connections.
In between flights for tryouts or to join a team, he worked out at the Vanier Family Football Complex and kicked at the football team's indoor facility. He also trained one-on-one with assistant K-State strength and conditioning coach Evan Rapp, who put together a regimen specifically built for kickers.
"I've been extremely grateful having them let me use their facility, use their indoor," McCrane said. "It makes it a lot easier."
McCrane even felt the K-State love outside of Manhattan. Every team he signed with included a former Wildcat.
Jeff Rodgers, Arizona's special teams coordinator, spent the 2008 season in the same position at K-State.
In Oakland, McCrane got to work with Jordy Nelson and Emmanuel Lamur. McCrane said he often lifted with Nelson on the team's off day.
In Pittsburgh, McCrane was reunited with a former teammate in B.J. Finney. Finney and his wife, Amanda, took McCrane out to eat the first night he got there and brought him over to their home to hang out. McCrane returned the favor by signing his jersey for Finney to keep.
"(It) said, 'I appreciate you for being a big brother,' because that's what he was," McCrane said of Finney. "The family part goes outside of the four or five years that you're here. I was taken care of everywhere that I went, by Jordy, by B.J., by Emmanuel. They really embraced that family atmosphere that K-State has always personified. To see that has been really cool, especially with me not knowing what the heck is going on or how long I'm going to be there."
As for his stay in Pittsburgh, McCrane signed a two-year deal with the Steelers, initially. This means he has one year left on his contract, an indicator they might keep him on the 90-man roster during this offseason to compete with Boswell, Pittsburgh's starter since 2015.
"I was lucky they decided to keep me this offseason to compete. It's still a competition," McCrane said, knowing full well how good he has to be to win it. "You're not going to be perfect, but in the NFL you have to be as close to perfect as possible or else you won't be there next week."
K-State FB | Welcome back Collin Klein
Monday, December 08
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Radio Interview
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Official Introductory Event
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Thank You Coach Klieman
Wednesday, December 03
