Tae Crowder Ready to Fight for Stallions — Maybe Literally

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - March 11, 2026

By Steve Irvine

Getting ready for the quickly approaching UFL opener was not the only sporting event on Birmingham Stallions linebacker Tae Crowder’s mind last week. Getting the opportunity to step into the boxing ring was also a priority.

To fully understand, begin with a Logan Paul video, where the WWE performer and social media influencer said he would “throttle Myles Garrett” in a boxing match and offered any NFL player $1 million dollars if they could beat him in a fight. Paul got plenty of attention of current and former NFL players with former running back Le’Veon Bell gaining the most traction before Paul backed down citing his contract with the WWE. Before that happened, Crowder threw his name into the mix and the Stallions released a video on social media.

“It was just a lot going on, it kind of blew up on social media,” Crowder said with a laugh. “I mean, we kind of just talked about it at dinner and meetings and stuff like that. We just kind of decided as a team we can respond back. It'll be cool to respond back to it and put it out there publicly. So it was just a cool, cool experience, a cool thing.”

Football is Crowder’s chosen sport, obviously, but he spent some of his offseasons, both while playing in the NFL and UFL, in a boxing gym.

“This is one of those things that I’m naturally good at,” said Crowder, a 6-foot-1, 236-pound former University of Georgia standout. “But I also kind of enjoy the work. It’s a different workout. You know, (football players) are some of the most ultimate competitors. We were not really bothered (by Paul’s trash talk) but it was like ‘Okay, you can see how things really are out here.’  We can settle it in (the ring).”

His true focus, though, is on getting ready with his teammates for the Stallions season opener on the road against the Louisville Kings on March 27.

“Camp has been great, just taking everything day by day, working hard, building the keys to the team (and) chemistry,” Crowder said. “Just putting in a lot of work to make this championship run. It's always different, you know, just trying to get used to everybody and understanding how everybody does their thing. We’re just picking up on how the coaches want you to do certain things and just building the whole thing, building the team, so we can all become one family.”

Crowder and fellow Stallion return Kyahva Tezino are the cornerstones of a linebacker group that first-year head coach AJ McCarron described as “unbelievable.” Tezino has 139 tackles over the past two seasons with the Stallions. Crowder had 44 tackles, two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries in his first season with the Stallions.

“That's my brother,” Crowder said. “On and off the field, we talk football. On the field, we’re pushing each other to do everything in the right way and lead this team and lead this defense. It's great having somebody who wants to win just as much as you do. We push each other. He might say, ‘You might have more picks than me but I bet I force more fumbles than you.’ We just try to compete and also be there for each other at the same time.”

For Crowder, this camp has also provided an opportunity to reunite with Kevin Sherrer, who was Crowder’s position coach at the University of Georgia and with the New York Giants when Crowder entered the NFL. Sherrer is now the defensive coordinator for the Stallions.

“I was happy for him, just getting a job and seeing him back into coaching and stuff,” Crowder said. “I just feel like he deserved it. But it's just a blessing to be able to have somebody like that saw me when I was young and now he’s seeing me in my pro days. He's never changed. He's always been a hard coach. He wants you to succeed in this. He's going to always push you to your best. So that's like one of the things I do respect the most about Coach Sherrer. He doesn't treat me any different than any other player and I respect that the most.”

Perhaps Sherrer can help push Crowder back into the NFL, where he spent five seasons after being selected by the New York Giants with the final pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. With that selection comes the attention of being named Mr. Irrelevant.

“Man, it was crazy,” Crowder said. “Like at first, the first five rounds, you don't get picked and you’re kind of sitting there and taking calls from teams, just playing that waiting game. But, when I was picked up on the last pick, it was a blessing for my family. You would have thought I went first round with how happy everybody was. Just hear your name come out on the TV, especially coming from a small town (Pine Mountain, Ga.) where I come from was truly, truly a blessing.”

Crowder ended up with 232 tackles in his three seasons with the Giants with 130 of the tackles coming in 2021. He spent time with three teams over the next two seasons and joined the Stallions last year. Obviously, getting back to the NFL is the goal but Crowder is happy playing in the UFL.

“I'm thankful just to be able to have an opportunity to compete, to be able to still chase my dream,” said the 28-year-old Crowder. “Being at my age, I’ve played a lot of football. I’m blessed to do this as long as long as I've been able to. (I will play) as long as my body allows me, to be honest. I mean, I love football. I've been playing since I was four years old, so it's just one of those things that give me that rush, you know?”

If he gets the chance, maybe he’ll also step into the boxing ring.