Speedy, versatile Samir Crosby puts team first for Greensburg Central Catholic

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, August 13, 2023 | 4:02 PM

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As he is preparing for a quick photo shoot in the bleachers at Centurions Stadium, Samir Crosby flashes a smile, then shifts to a mean mug, turning to face the camera each time with delight and gravitas.

“Want me to flex?” Crosby says, playfully clutching a football.

The sophomore from Greensburg Central Catholic also brings versatility to the field, like he showed last season during a breakthrough debut campaign for the Centurions.

Opponents, linebackers and defensive backs alike weren’t smiling much when Crosby was racing toward them with the football in his arms.

A wide receiver and free safety, Crosby grew up playing quarterback and was the backup last year to now-senior Tyree Turner. But he flashed a level of athleticism on offense and defense that made him worthy of a Division I college offer from UNLV.

He also attended prospect camps at Pitt, Clemson and Tennessee.

The general “athlete” label was made for the 5-foot-10, 160-pound speedster, who likely will make his presence known in a number of ways for the Centurions.

Last year, Crosby was second on the team in total yards and points, piling up 986 yards and scoring 72 points.

He had a team-high 27 receptions for 464 yards and five touchdowns, rushed 28 times for 296 yards and six scores, while also completing 6 of 9 passes for 152 yards and three TDs.

“It will be hard to top that,” Crosby said. “But I want to try. I want to keep improving.”

Crosby also was a menace on defense, canvasing the secondary with eight interceptions. He also is a kick returner.

“I wasn’t too happy with my defense,” he said. “I can be better.”

His film from last year seems like an infinite loop of game-changing plays. An interception here, a stiff-arm and juke there, a deep throw next and a big-gaining sneak to the outside to round it off.

“Film doesn’t lie,” GCC first-year coach JT Thompson said. “It’s hard to overlook what Samir does.

“On top of that, he is an unbelievable kid. He has a great head on his shoulders and a great work ethic. On the field, it is parallel to how he is as a person.”

With 1,000-yard senior running back Dasjon Craggette transferring to Geibel, Crosby’s role should be even more pivotal to GCC, which went 8-3 last season but lost in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs.

Thompson remembers seeing Crosby play for the Westmoreland Saints youth team a few years ago. He watched him play quarterback.

“It was flag, and I’m like, ‘Who’s that kid?’ ” Thompson said. “He’s got a cannon on him. He can really spin it.”

Crosby, who lives in Jeannette, has football in his blood. His five Sanders cousins — Gio Vonne, Jimmy, Imani, Noah and Majhi — all played or play football for Jeannette.

Another relative is Robert “Poogie” Kennedy, a former Jeannette standout who plays safety at North Carolina State.

“Sometimes, we play pick-up basketball at our church on Sundays,” Crosby said of Kennedy. “I remember going to watch him in Hershey.”

Crosby said he does not feel awkward or uncomfortable playing against Jeannette in football or basketball.

“It’s a rivalry, but, when I go back there, all my friends still talk to me and we hang out,” he said. “It’s not as big of a deal as people make it.”

Some might be surprised to know Crosby’s first sport was soccer. He gravitated to football, basketball and baseball, though, before joining the track and field team at GCC. Baseball is, well, out.

“I am 100 percent a football guy first,” he said. “I hope to play in college.

“I have a will to win. I get that from my mother (Tamica). She taught me to be that way. And I want to win. Team before me.”

Still, Crosby does not seem to force much in football or basketball, letting the game come to him, seemingly a step or a play ahead of everyone else.

While his mother is one of his role models, a teammate is another.

Turner, who managed the option offense with little issue last season, often threw screen passes to Crosby in open spaces.

The sophomore did the rest.

“I learn a lot from Tyree,” Crosby said. “He helps me in football and basketball.”

Crosby and Turner also are backcourt teammates in basketball, each providing scoring and assists to a talented lineup.

“He’s just such a mature kid,” GCC basketball coach Christian Hyland said of Crosby. “He is probably one of the best, if not the best, defenders we (the current staff) have had here.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.