Harry Crider entered the Columbus East football program in the summer of 2013 as a relatively skinny wide receiver.
Eight years later, Crider is a 310-pound offensive lineman hoping to become the third player in East history to be selected in the NFL Draft. The draft begins with the first round on Thursday and continues with Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday and Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday in Cleveland.
“He came to us as a skill player,” former East coach Bob Gaddis said. “We moved him to tight end and linebacker, and then as a sophomore (offensive line) coach (David) Miller said, ‘Let’s try him at center.’ Harry didn’t bat an eye. He handled it very well. When he made that switch to becoming a lineman, he trained like a lineman. He put good weight on, and he made his body fit to that level.”
Crider ended up starting three years at center for the Olympians. He earned the Mr. Football Position Award for offensive linemen and the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award after leading East to the Class 5A state final as a senior in 2016.
The past four years, Crider has been a fixture on the Indiana University offensive line. He started at guard as a junior before moving to center his senior year, when he helped the Hoosiers to a 6-2 record and runner-up finish in the Big Ten East Division.
“The versatility is a really good thing to have going into the draft, having the ability to play a variety of positions,” Crider said. “NFL teams usually only dress about eight linemen on game day, so having that versatility to play both (center and guard) will help.”
The NCAA gave players an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Crider declared for the NFL Draft about a week after the season ended. He spent two months from mid-January through mid-March training in New Jersey before returning to Bloomington for IU’s pro day on April 2.
At pro day, Crider bench-pressed 225 pounds 31 times, had a 27-inch vertical leap and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.26 seconds.
“That time out in New Jersey was spent for this one day,” Crider said. “It was pretty crazy training for two months for an hour or two hours of work in one day. I was really happy with my performance. The conversations I’ve had with teams have certainly picked up since then as we get closer to draft day.”
Crider said he has heard from about a dozen NFL teams and had more in-depth conversations with five or six teams.
“It’s hard to know what to expect going into it,” Crider said. “The feedback has been good, but it will be interesting to see what is happening.”
Draft pundits are projecting Crider as either a late-round pick or a free-agent signing following the draft. The website Draftek.com has him ranked as the No. 14 center available.
“It would be a huge honor,” Crider said. “It’s something you dream of as a kid. You never know if you’re going to be in a position like this. You work through high school and college, and it’s crazy to think you’re in a position like this.”
Gaddis isn’t surprised Crider is in that position.
“Going up against the best in the country, he’s not going to surprise me if he makes it,” Gaddis said. “His intelligence and his work ethic is going to pay off, I think. I knew that it wouldn’t be because of a lack of effort or dreaming toward it.”
Crider has racked up awards both on and off the field this season. An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, he was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch list for the nation’s top center. He also was nominated for the Wuerffel Trophy and the Campbell Trophy, both of which recognize on- and off-the field accomplishments, and was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.
Earlier this month, Crider was selected for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s 2021 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which includes players who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.
“He continues to amaze me with what he accomplishes,” Gaddis said. “With that, he’s so humble and appreciative, it’s unbelievable. He’s just a class young man. I hope that someday, Harry really sits back and looks at what he’s accomplished.”
Crider graduated in December 2019 after only 2 1/2 years with a degree in criminal justice. He spent 2020 in graduate school and has been taking online classes this semester. He will receive a master’s in criminal justice and public safety in early May.
This week, Crider plans to watch the draft at the home of his parents, Bob and Elizabeth, with a few other family members.
“I probably won’t watch the entire first couple of days just to help with the nerves, but I’ll follow along,” Crider said. “The third day is going to be really hectic, and I’ll hope for something really great on Day 3.”
