Maxx Crosby Lands Cool Side Hustle At Eastern Michigan University

The adage about game recognizing game has been proven time and again, and Eastern Michigan's football program is counting on it in landing Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby to an intriguing new job that begins, well, now.

Crosby on Monday was named Assistant General Manager of the EMU football program, athletic director Scott Wetherbee and coach Chris Creighton announced.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 13: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders warms-up prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Allegiant Stadium on October 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

Crosby To Help Evaluate And Manage 

Crosby's new side hustle will have him assisting with studying, and evaluating high school and transfer portal prospects. He'll also help manage the team’s NIL revenue sharing budget. He will also serve as a special assistant to Wetherbee on fundraising, alumni relations, and student-athlete support.

Sounds like Crosby is going to be pretty busy when he's not, you know, chasing NFL quarterbacks for the Raiders.

"Maxx Crosby’s return to EMU in this leadership role is a transformative moment for our football program," Wetherbee said in a statement. "His passion, vision, and generosity are inspiring, and the Maxx Match is a powerful example of that. 

"By personally matching every gift through the end of May, Maxx is challenging all of us to step up and invest in something bigger than ourselves. With him on board, we’re building a better football program and a stronger future for EMU Athletics."

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 08: (L-R) Maxx Crosby and Rachel Crosby attend the 13th Annual NFL Honors at Resorts World Theatre on February 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Big Investment By Maxx Crosby

Yeah, about that Maxx Match thing:

Crosby, a fourth-round pick out of EMU in the 2019 draft, launched the fundraising challenge in which he will personally match all donations to EMU Football, up to $100,000, made before the end of May. 

This is no joke, as Crosby and his wife Rachel made a $1 million donation to EMU football in 2023.

Crosby and EMU seem to be fostering a relationship that cannot be easily broken. The program is renaming the weakside defensive end position on the depth chart from "LEO" to "MAXX."

And the team’s top edge rusher will now wear jersey No. 92 —Crosby’s iconic number—as a tribute to his legacy and impact on the program.

"He has already positively impacted our program, and now we’re taking it to another level," Creighton said in a statement. "His passion for mentoring and developing our players is inspiring."

Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts (4) is taken down by Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Maxx Crosby (92) during the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. Georgia Southern defeated Eastern Michigan 23-21. Jc Camellia 31

Crosby Could Be Setting Up Future Work

A couple of thoughts:

It's unclear how much Crosby is getting paid for this work. It's unclear if he's getting anything at all.

He probably doesn't need the money as Crosby signed a $106.5 million deal with the Raiders that temporarily made him the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback. He's since been surpassed by Myles Garrett and Ja'Marr Chase.

But what we're going to find out is how keen Crosby's eye for talent might be and how convincing he can be in getting that talent and also some funds to commit to his school.

It's probably a labor of love for Crosby right now. 

But if he's excellent at it, who knows? 

He might be setting himself up for a future in an NFL or college personnel department. Ozzie Newsome, John Lynch and others transitioned from NFL careers to general manager jobs.

(Anyone who wants to donate to the MAXX Match program should call 734-487-0264).