Maxx Crosby Donates $1 Million to Eastern Michigan Ahead of Monday Night Football Matchup in Detroit

Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby is preparing to face the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football and he returns to the state he played his college ball in, Crosby is donating $1 million to the athletic department of his alma mater Eastern Michigan.

Crosby, who was born in Michigan but went to high school in Texas, was inducted into Eastern Michigan's Ring of Honor this offseason, and he and his wife, former Eastern Michigan soccer player Rachel Crosby, donated to their alma mater Monday, and the school's football field will be named after Crosby beginning in 2024.

"First and foremost, Eastern Michigan University holds a very special place in my heart and I am incredibly grateful for the significant role my EMU experience has played in shaping my life as an athlete and as a man," Crosby said.

"Without the opportunity to attend EMU, I would not have met my wife, Rachel, who has given me the most beautiful gift imaginable in our daughter, Ella. Without EMU, I wouldn't have the lifelong friends that now serve as advisors and business partners. Without EMU, I may not have ever had the opportunity to achieve my dream of playing in the National Football League."

Crosby was a first-team All-MAC selection at Eastern Michigan, and holds the school's single-season sack record of 11 in the 2017 season.

After an All-Pro breakout season in 2021, the Raiders rewarded Crosby with a four-year, $94 million contract ahead of the 2022 season.

Monday's game against the Lions will be the first game in Detroit in Crosby's career. Crosby grew up a Lions fan and wanted Detroit to draft him in 2019. However, the Lions passed on an opportunity, and the Raiders selected Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

"I wouldn't say I was mad," Crosby told ESPN about Detroit not drafting him. "But I remember everything. ...Let's just leave it at that."