MA’s Alex Crider makes happy move from quarterback to wide receiver

MADISON – Madison Academy senior football player Alex Crider is easily one of the most gracious and understanding high school athletes that has graced the playing field at Bill Washington Stadium on the campus of the Class 4A private school. There’s not many times a starting quarterback for a high school team is redirected to play another position giving way to a teammate to take over the starting signal caller spot without a word of disapproval or distain. Under the directive of Mustang’s head coach Bob Godsey, Crider made the move heading into the current 2025 season without hesitation and complete agreement.

“I’m happy with the move to wide receiver and glad I switched as we have a good group of six receivers and we’re focused on winning,” said Crider.

In the 2024 season, Crider was starting quarterback for the first seven games on the campaign with the Mustangs sporting a 3-4 record. Just before the eighth game on the schedule, Crider was approached by seven-year head coach Godsey who told the young athlete he was going to be replaced by then freshman Charleston Owens who finished the season as starting quarterback regulating Crider to back up the remaining five games where the Mustangs would eventually fall in the second round of the post-season playoffs to West Morgan.

“I wasn’t having the best of time back there at quarterback and deep down inside me I wanted to switch as I felt uncomfortable at quarterback,” said Crider. “I felt like Charleston was prepared and he was a better fit. There is no rivalry between us.”

Spring practice came earlier this year for Crider and the entire team, and the 6-foot-2, 175-pound athlete made the move to wide receiver position and never looked back.

“We as a team needed him on the field somewhere. He and the rest of the team, which includes his closest friends, thought he would be a great fit at receiver,” said Godsey. “He is an extremely hard worker, has really good hands, runs good routes and is sneaky fast. He uses his length to his advantage very well and has become a dominant blocker. Most importantly, he loves this team and will do anything for it to be successful.”

The seventh ranked Mustangs have used Crider’s talents to near perfection with a team record of 4-1 at the season midway point. After a season-open loss to Mars Hill, the Mustangs have rolled off four consecutive victories outscoring their opponents in that four-game stretch 195-53. Crider has played both wide receiver and tight end with 14 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns with 12.5 yards per catch.

The son of Tim and Jenny Crider, who is also starting right midfielder on the Madison Academy soccer team and is skillful as a juggler, began playing flag football at age four and moved to tackle football at age 13. He made the varsity squad in his freshman season and became starting quarterback his junior campaign. Born in the state of Washington, his now retired U.S. Navy officer father carried the Crider family to locales across the globe with the last stop prior to the Madison area in Germany. Crider’s venture into his family began on a rocky road as he was placed in the infant ICU for seven days after birth complications and having a low heart rate. With his father on deployment, the young Crider and remainder of the family made a twoweek trip across country to the Madison area where they stayed with Crider’s grandparents. While making the trek from the Northwest Coast, the family was forced to make two stops to visit an emergency room due to the infant Crider having a low heart rate situation which had to be addressed.

Crider outgrew the heart rate issues and is now a true specimen of a healthy athlete who also carries a 3.8 grade point average and would like to attend Samford University once graduating high school with no plans to play collegiate football.

In his well-received move to receiver, the transfer included Crider having to develop as a catcher of footballs instead of throwing the pigskin. “Yes, there’s a different type of athleticism needed to be a wide receiver. Actually, I’m one of the slowest members of the receivers, but I know I make catches when needed. I like those pass plays in the 10-yard area of distance where I can then make good runs after catch. I can also block well, which is very important to our offense.”

The 17-year old should be an inspiration for every high school athlete has he’s a perfect example of the term, “there’s no me in team.”