Raiders' Maxx Crosby sends heart-warming message to school

Maxx Crosby is a tough guy when he's on the field with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he also has a heart.

The veteran defender grew up in Lapeer, Michigan, and hasn't forgotten his history. Now, Crosby has sent a personal message to the Lapeer Community Schools to show appreciation for the educators who helped shape him during his formative years. The message is also in honor of Teacher Appreciation Month.

In the message, Crosby named a handful of his elementary school teachers and shared that they had a strong early influence on his development.

Here's Crosby's video message to Lapeer Community Schools:

"What is up, y'all? It’s Maxx Crosby in the building. I want to give a big shoutout to Lapeer Community Schools. Everyone knows I’m from Lapeer. I love y'all. I miss y'all, and I appreciate y'all.

"Definitely going to be coming back soon, but big shoutout to all the teachers out there. I know it's teacher appreciation month. You guys are incredible. ... But truly, I appreciate y'all. Love y'all. You guys made a big impact. Thank you guys for helping me get to where I'm at, and everybody stay in school, keep working hard and go Raiders."

Maxx Crosby grew up in a small town in Michigan

Crosby was born in Lapeer in August 1997 and went to school there before moving to Colleyville, Texas, and finishing up his high school education there.

He famously played college football at Eastern Michigan University from 2015 to 2018 and was inducted into Eastern Michigan University's Ring of Honor in 2023.

Crosby was selected by the Oakland Raiders, now the Las Vegas Raiders, in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft as the 106th overall selection. He's one of those later picks that proved to be a goldmine and has risen to be one of the strongest edge-rushers in the league, currently at 69.5 career sacks, according to research from Pro Football Reference.

NFL.com ranked Crosby the No. 22 best player in the NFL in their August 2025 list ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Crosby signed a three-year $106.5 million contract extension with $91.5 million guaranteed and an average salary of $35.5 million per year with the Raiders in March 2025. He was supposed to be traded to the Baltimore Ravens during the offseason, but that deal fell through after he failed to pass his physical, and he's back with the Raiders.

So, even though Crosby is the big time, he hasn't forgotten his roots, and that's important.