Post by CrimsonPhantom on Aug 18, 2012 9:00:21 GMT -7
By Jack Nixon
Las Cruces Bulletin
Kelsey Crooks earned friendship and respect
When I heard that Kelsey Crooks had died, the first thing I thought of was a conversation I had with him and David Bonney poolside in Miami. Bonney was a men’s basketball walk-on, and we were in South Florida to play Florida International. The two were updating me on the current (2002) phrases used by young people of the day, since “23 Skiddoo” was a little dated.
It wasn’t a meeting with a deep introspective view of the world, it was about music and girls and whose pro team was better, etc.
I have had several other memories come back since, like the fact that Crooks always wore an old Cubs hat that looked like it had been chewed up by someone’s Pekingese or our differing musical tastes.
That poolside conversation remained with me because it was just three guys having fun – not separated by age or perceived status within the athletic department.
Crooks was easy to talk to, regardless of the subject. He never declined giving an interview and always gave you some good material even in less than favorable circumstances.
By the time he was a junior, he had established himself as a legitimate Division I starter at small forward. He was a prototype for that position. He could knock down a three in the course of running the offense, he had the quickness and agility to guard players his size, and when he had a bigger man to mark his quickness normally led to turnovers for the Aggie cause.
The one clear game memory was in the Pan American Center, the Aggies were leading by a point and had Chris Jackson at the line for a one-and-one. Six seconds remained, and the Aggies needed this game against North Texas.
Jackson missed, but Crooks skied to spear the offensive rebound and dribbled out the final seconds, sealing the victory. It clearly was the play of the game, but was just one of several things Crooks did during his Aggie career to help his team win.
He played his upper division ball for a pair of Aggie Hall of Famers. At Oñate High School, his coach was Richard Robinson, and at NM State, Lou Henson was his mentor.
He came from a family with an Aggie athletic history – his dad, Jack, played football for the Crimson and White in the early 1970s.
Now at 31 years old he is gone, reminding us of how quickly life’s candle burns down.
You can pay your tribute to Crooks at a memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug.
25, at Oñate High School.
Crooks earned his bachelor’s degree at NM State and earned the friendship and respect of everyone he came in contact with.