Maxx Crosby: Raiders DE battles sobriety as an NFL athlete

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has faced battles both on and off the field. The 23-year-old has some permanent reminders of his struggles tattooed on his arms.

A tattoo on his right forearm reads “3-11-20,” which marks the first day of Crosby’s sobriety. On his left hand he has a tattoo of the symbol of sobriety, which reminds him of the pledge he made to beat his addiction.

“It’s something I see all the time,” Maxx Crosby said this week during the VegasNation Takeaways podcast. “Like, no matter what situation I’m in, whatever I’m doing, if I want to pick up a drink, if I want to pick up and do whatever, I own this. The first thing I see is the day I got sober. For me, that’s just like a little reminder. … Without my sobriety, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Crosby indulged in the life of a NFL star

Maxx Crosby had a standout rookie campaign recording 10 sacks after being selected in the fourth round by the then Oakland Raiders.

Once the season ended, Crosby’s troubles began. The six-foot-five, 255 lbs defender started to party and drink in excess until he finally hit rock bottom.

He decided that if he wanted to live his dream of becoming an NFL star and be a leader on the team, he had to stop drinking.

“I have one chance to be in the NFL,” Crosby said. “I have one chance of living a life. You never know when your last day on earth is going to be. So for me, it got to a point where it was like, almost scary for me because I just didn’t feel good. And I knew I wasn’t going in the right direction, so I needed help. It was the best thing I ever did.”

Crosby sought help

Las Vegas star tight end Darren Waller, who has battled his own drug issues in the past, helped his friend and teammate Crosby get sober.

“I’m about to be 16 months sober, and it’s like the best feeling on earth,” Crosby said. “It’s something I like to talk about because I really hope it can help somebody else out there because I know having a teammate like Darren Waller and seeing other guys that really are vocal talk about the real life issues, that made me become more vulnerable.”

2020 NFL season

The Raiders defensive end started all 16 games for the Las Vegas franchise last season. Crosby registered seven sacks, 39 tackles and one pass defended.

He’s excited about the potential the Raiders squad has for the upcoming 2021 NFL season.

“I feel like now I’ve established myself not just off the field but on the field as well,” he said. “And I could really step up into that leadership role because that’s where I feel most comfortable.”