PRORODEO Sports News - February 7, 2025

FEATURE

SECOND CHANCES FORMER CHAMP JACOBS CRAWLEY GIVEN ANOTHER SHOT AT RODEO

By Alex Dodd

J

acobs Crawley gave away his gear and fully invested in life after rodeo, follow ing a serious back injury

much I enjoyed bronc riding. I don’t care where it’s at; I’d be happy just getting on in a practice pen.” Crawley suffered a burst fracture of his T12 and sustained damage to his T11 and L1 vertebrae when he was pinned against the chute on June 25, 2023, at the Greeley (Colo.) Stam pede. He later underwent surgery to re pair and clean up the area, and the doctors thought his riding days were over. But eight months later, he start ed craving the thrill of riding bucking horses. “I didn’t feel like my back was ready because I’d play with my kids and still feel a sharp little catch (in my back) every now and then,” Crawley said. “So at that point, I said, ‘No more. I’m done. Whatever.’” After Crawley heard that getting on another bucking

“Every rodeo that I went to between my injury and this fall was as a spectator,” Crawley said. “I wasn’t trying to dissect anybody’s bronc ride, and I wasn’t trying to learn anything about bronc riding. As far as I was concerned, I was thinking more about the overall production of the rodeo from an association standpoint.” This past fall, Crawley planned to undergo another surgery to remove everything from his back to see if it would feel better. The doctors told him that he needed to keep the hardware in his back if he wanted to ride again. The itch to compete returned, so he decided to test the waters and called his friend, Tarleton State University rodeo head coach Mark Eakin, to go for a test ride. “I hadn’t set my saddle. I wasn’t ready, and I hadn’t done anything. It was just something I was going to do,” Crawley said. “I was completely prepared for that (ride) to be the last one. My legs were incredibly sore because I hadn’t ridden a bucking horse in forever, but my back was fine.” Crawley got on one more horse each week for the next five or six weeks, and his back held up. Then, he entered PRORODEO events, beginning with the Woodlawn Pro

in 2023. The 2015 PRCA Saddle Bronc World Champion’s return to rodeo looked bleak., but he progressed quicker than expected. A year and a half later, Crawley is back and enjoying early success, taking full advantage of his second chance to compete in the sport he loves. “It’s such an emotional deal because I was completely convinced that I was never getting on again,” Crawley said. “Then, my wife (Lauren) and I prayed about it, and she knew how

horse probably wasn’t in the cards, he started giving away his gear and focusing on his business ventures and role as the chairman of the PRCA Board of Directors. When he was on the road in his role at PRORODEO, Crawley focused on doing his job and enjoying the events.

16 ProRodeo Sports News