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When we picked up Antonio Cromartie, many of us were very excited, some of us were less so. He has some minor off-field options, but for a 3rd round selection that could turn to a 2nd round selection, it was an intelligent gamble to make. It seems the Jets and Cromartie just meshed from the very first moment, the Jets advanced some of his salary so he could pay his child support, which also enabled him to concentrate on football. From that day, Cromartie has continued to grow, recapturing his pro bowl form and becoming actively involved in community projects. If you read this interview today, and go back and read an interview with him from 3 years ago, the difference is startling.
So head over to read the full interview, well worth a read. However here are some small snippets.
TD: Switching gears, your name has been in the news in the past, some might say for the wrong reasons. How do you respond to your critics?
AC: I get a lot of questions, especially in New York, all of the time. It’s part of the game. It’s part of life. When you’re an athlete and in the public eye, it seems like everyone is going to have an opinion about you. It’s something you sign up for. No one is perfect. Not me. Not anyone. My goal is to be the best person I can be. You can’t look back and live with regret. You have to move forward. That’s what I’m doing right now.
TD: Moving forward then, training camp with coach Rex Ryan and the Jets starts sooner rather than later. Ready to get back to work?
AC: I can’t wait. It’s about time. It’s going to be great being around my team again, especially Rex. He’s a defensive guy, like me. He knows our scheme like the back of his hand and is going to be more involved on that side of the ball this season.
Now that Revis has moved on to pastures new, having a healthy concentrated Cromartie is more important than ever before. His form (among 100 other reasons) made it more bearable to part with the best corner in the league. Hopefully Cromartie can pass on his knowledge to Dee Milliner and Kyle Wilson.