Ahead of the season, the Vegas Pro Bowler talks about his 5am offseason workouts, loving UFC, and how his sobriety has impacted his game.
August 3, 2023
Some pro athletes will say they don’t take a break in the offseason. Maxx Crosby lives that truth. He is up at 5AM every off-season day–weekdays and weekends–and at the Raiders facility by 6AM. Often, he arrives to find he has the strength coaching staff to himself, since no one else has arrived that early. Crosby has an entire team of strength, recovery, training and nutrition coaches who meet and collaborate on how to help him reach his max(x) potential. Every meal, every workout, every day’s focus is meticulously planned. One could argue that this dedication has made Crosby–who is entering his 5th NFL season–one of the best defenders in the league.
“I am so locked in and obsessive about who I am as a person,” Crosby says. “Rachel [his wife], at times, she’s like, ‘you are crazy.’ It’s almost like a superpower for me. I know how hard it is to do it at my level. No one wants to get up at 5AM every day in the offseason, but I’m doing it. I go into that building and it’s empty as hell. But I don’t look at it as, ‘Damn I have to be here.’ I’m like, ‘I am lucky to be here.’”
That mentality is working.
After being drafted in the fourth round out of Eastern Michigan in the 2019 Draft, Crosby has proven himself a defensive force in the league. His 81 pressures in 2022 was a career-best, as were his 12.5 sacks and 36 QB hits, and he led the league in tackles for loss; no player has more pressures (100) over the last two seasons. He was also the league’s only defensive lineman to play more than 1,000 defensive snaps in 2022. Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth told Pardon My Take in June that Crosby is the hardest guy to block in the league.
In February, playing in his second Pro Bowl, Crosby played on his home turf in Vegas and took home the AFC Defensive MVP award after an impressive stat line: five total tackles, three pass deflections, three tackles for loss and a game-high two sacks.
In October, the 25-year-old and his longtime girlfriend, Rachel, welcomed a baby girl, Ella Rose. Five months later, he and Rachel were married, and he celebrated his three-year sobriety anniversary.
But even with all the positive direction in his life, that elusive title awaits. After a 6-11 season last year, the Raiders signed a new QB—Jimmy Garoppolo—this year and several other new talents. Crosby, twice voted captain by his teammates, is now seen as a one of the team’s key veterans. And as he pointed out, the Raiders now play in a city of champions—and he wants to reach that pinnacle. “You see the Aces (WNBA) win a championship, you see the Knights (NHL) win a title. I take that shit personally. I want to be in that parade, I want to be standing there with a trophy in Las Vegas. I want to be a part of changing the whole narrative around the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Raiders in general. That’s why I work the way I work and lead the way I lead. I hold myself to the highest standard. And I want these guys to do it with me. I want to do it with the Raiders–they’re the team that took a chance on me.”
The Raiders are likely pretty happy about that choice. We caught up with Crosby ahead of training camp.
You literally have two ‘x’s on your name because of how big of a baby you were [11 lbs., 9 oz]. Was she also a giant baby?
[laughs] She was eight pounds, 4 oz. Pretty big, but nothing crazy. When it comes to arm and leg length, she’s above average to say the least. She’s growing really fast. She’s already crawling, standing up, she’ll be running around in the next couple weeks.
In the spring of 2021, you talked about your “no days off” mentality. That has certainly shown on the field. What has conditioning been like for you this off-season?
It’s been an incredible off-season. From a training aspect, I sat down with my nutrition guys, my strength staff, everyone I work with, to get ready for another off-season. We came up with a great plan. I got this from Kobe [Bryant]: I make agreements with myself. I’ll be in the building by this time, I will do all these different things: I will hit this speed on the field, work up to this, etc. These are the things I’m pushing for and working toward. I still have a few [offseason] weeks left, but I’ll just say this, it’s been an incredible off-season.
We started January 30th and I’ve been training ever since. I’ve had one week off. I finally got it, the week before last, where I could go home [to Texas] and decompress. It was weird. I’m so used to going, going, and focusing on improving. My coach was like, “Take the week, do your normal routine, eat what you are supposed to, do Normatec two hours a day, stretch before bed, etc.” But I wasn’t training. I really had to psych myself out, because I know just one speed. I am so obsessed with becoming the best version of myself and the best in the league, that I will do whatever it takes. And that also requires me to listen. So when coaches tell me to take the week off, it’s time to go home. Go relax. Then the last two weeks I’ve been back training on my regular schedule. I’m at [the Raiders] facility at 6AM, it’s empty, I’m getting after it.
Do you work with one particular trainer or a group of guys?
Rick Slate, he’s my guy, he’s an incredible strength coach, and he’s helped me in so many ways. Without that dude, I don’t know where I’d be as far as an athlete. He’s helping me maximize my potential in the weight room. We’ve created a super special bond and we are continuing to improve at a very fast rate. That dude is just dialed in, he’s so focused on the details.
Your off-season workouts also included an impromptu 10-mile run in Miami. Are you turning into a 6’5,” 250-lb distance runner?
[Laughs] I went to Miami [for a UFC event] and I’d already done my two full days of workouts and training. I had to do two more—a lift and a run. Thursday we did all this training inside with Dana’s trainer. For Friday, I was supposed to run 100s. So Hunter Campbell, Dana [White]’s right hand man, says the day before that he's got a 10-mile run in the AM and asks, "Who’s coming with me?" Everyone was like, "Hell no," and I looked at him, like, "What’s up, I’ll do it!" Everyone is looking at me, like, "You don’t want to do that." We woke up early Friday and ran on South Beach—5 miles down, 5 miles back. It was humid, hot as hell. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’ve never done anything like it. But I finished, even though the last few miles were difficult.
One of my off-season themes has been to be as uncomfortable as hell and put myself in uncharted territory. NFL Films wanted me to go and spar with someone at UFC, so I’m like, "Okay, I can find someone, but he’s a top-five middleweight." I hit up Sean Strickland. NFL Films was recording us beating the hell out of each other. I'm bleeding out of my nose, these people are like, "What is going on right now?" I didn't get knocked down. I fought three rounds, we were legitimately going at it. That’s what it’s about for me—new ways to find that 1% of myself. Don’t question, just do it, and we’ll see what happens.
What is it about UFC that you love?
I’ve been watching it since I was a kid. My dad showed me UFC. WWE was spoiled out the gate–my dad said, “This isn’t real, don't watch that shit.” My brother and I would watch UFC and I fell in love with it from an early age. What I love about it: it’s just one-on-one, you got nowhere to run, it’s just you and another man. Who will be the better man at that moment?
It applies directly to football, which is why I put it into my training: hand speed, cardio, especially at my size. I’m 260, but I can move really well for my size. I wanted to take another step in my cardio and speed. Being a pass rusher I have to use my hands every play. I’ve been doing boxing training the last two years and putting myself in uncomfortable territory. You see me in the facility, I’m in there sparring the air 90% of the time. I bring the D-line in every Wednesday, we’re getting after it every Wednesday.
My boxing training has been a direct translation to one of the things that has taken my game to the next level. It’s not necessarily like you’re doing moves that will apply directly to football, but when it comes to hand speed and timing and distance, you gotta train boxing to understand how that applies to football. Pass rush, having your counter, it’s the same as throwing a right and left hook. Chop and spin, it’s all gotta look the same, you gotta time it, you gotta identify what they’re trying to give you and process it fast.
It seems like you love being around UFC, which makes Vegas an ideal home.
Absolutely. When I got drafted by the Raiders, I knew they were going to Vegas after my rookie year. And I told everyone in my circle, “I am going to every fight.” That is my dream. I go to all the UFC events, and that’s not even just in Vegas. I try to go everywhere. I love the environment and the sport so much. It helps that I’m good friends with Dana White and Hunter Campbell. I love being around them—[they're] great mentors, and on top of it, I love the sport as well.
The past two years have definitely been your strongest to date. You finished last season with a league-leading 22 tackles for losses and a career best 12.5 sacks, 36 QB hits and 89 combined tackles. And you finished sixth in in AP Defensive Player of the Year Voting. Do you set specific number goals for yourself?
I don’t set goals as far as “I’ll get 10 sacks or this amount of TFLs.” I learned that from Von Miller, one of my best mentors. He was at A&M, he had a big season and then he was like, “I want to go 20 sacks this year.” Then he had four. My second year in college, I was like, “I want to get at least 7 sacks.” I got one and a half. I was like, what the hell.
So I am really about theme goals. I set one every off-season. Two years ago, going into my third season, it was 100-plus. I put it on my phone case on the back. 100-plus on the field, in the weight room. Everything with 100-plus effort. I wanted a 100-plus million contract, and I got close ($98.98 million). I wanted 100-plus pressures. And I got 100-plus pressures, the first guy to do it in the last seven years. It all came together.
Last year, it was the number one. I put a #1 on the back of my phone screen. I want to be #1 in everything: the warm-up line, stats, the top dog in everything I do. In the warm-up, I’ll finish before everyone. I led the league as a D-end in tackles, I set my all-time record, I was #1 in TFLs, I was 3rd in pressures, I was top 10 in sacks. This is how I will operate, this is how I will live every day. I have a new one this season, I’ll share that with you after the season.
You’re entering your fifth year in the league and everyone calls you a veteran. Do you feel like a veteran?
Yeah, for certain. I mean, I am young, which I think people forget. I’m 25. I’ve been through a lot in four years. I feel like I’ve lived three lives already. I have an old soul.
I have so much experience that now I’m in a role where this is my team. I take a lot of pride in that. I’m a two-time captain and I plan on being a third-time captain. I take a really big responsibility of being the best leader I can be. That was also one of my themes this off-season: I will tap into the next level of leadership. How can I be the best leader I can be? I am still growing.
I studied the Kobes, the Jordans, the Alis, and applying that to how I lead. I’m not just talking about it, I’m showing it. I take too much time to come out here and not be the best version of myself. It’s not guaranteed that I’m going to be the best. But I would be doing myself and my daughter a disservice if I tell her, “Work your hardest” if I’m then not doing it.
I take a lot of pride in everything I do. If I love something, if I am passionate about it, I will go all-out. I will put my work behind my words. To be voted unanimous captain—every guy voted for me—that’s something I take super seriously. I know they are looking at me. I want the world to know, you can do whatever you want in this world if you put the work in behind it. I had one [football] offer coming out of high school. I was a two-star recruit. I was a fourth-round [draft] pick. I have always had to fight. Even after I got paid, people were like, “Will he take a step back?”
I love when people doubt me. I see everything and I keep everything in my vault. I will go above and beyond to make sure not only that I prove them wrong, but also, for the people who believe in me, that I prove them right. That’s how I live. Most people can’t understand what it is. And most can’t do it all the time.
People often ask you about staying sober, especially how you do so while living in Sin City. But I am more curious about how the actual experience of being sober, and sharing your story of addiction, changes for you over time.
It’s an everyday battle. One day at a time. Over time, you learn how to live, evolve and grow. My first year of sobriety was the hardest year of my life. I was going into training camp out of rehab, and I knew I wasn’t my best. I was banged up: my shoulder was torn, my hand was broken. I took a step back my second year. There were no fans in the crowd, I’m taking heat, they’re like, “Bench Maxx.” I’m like, “What?” I was just trying to live life sober and figure it out, and I also gotta be one of the guys. It was a lot, but I didn’t quit. I didn’t give in, even when at my lowest. I am proud of myself and those moments because I knew it was not easy. People have been through and gone through worse. I was going through it, but I was not going to quit.
Going into that next season, I watched The Last Dance, and it changed my whole mind. That was going into my second year of sobriety. I started getting more comfortable with myself as a person: living in the moment and putting all the work in.
That’s why I am so locked in and obsessive about who I am as a person. I know how hard it is to do it at my level. If I take one step back, it’s super hard to re-climb that mountain…many people don’t understand it. Even Rachel at times, she’s like, “You are crazy.” It’s almost like a super power for me. I’m putting my addiction into positive things. I’m obsessed with being the best football player and the best dad. I’m over three years sober and my mind is at a whole different place. I never thought I could be super confident and happy and waking up and looking forward to getting better. I’m at a place right now where I didn’t think I’d be, mentally and physically, a few years ago.
It’s not easy. But life isn’t easy. I am just living my life with ten toes down, I literally take one step, put one foot in front of the other. I know I’m just getting started; I haven't peaked, I will just keep going.
You definitely seem to love fashion and jewelry. How would you describe your style?
It’s funny—I talk to my brother about this. He’s like Jason Kelce, I’m like Travis Kelce. We grew up in the same house, and we are totally different, but we totally understand each other. He’s more the preppy side; me, I like showing out.
I got this from my mom. She’s Serbian/Albanian, she grew up on the eastside of Detroit. She has all the swag and energy and confidence in the world. That’s something I love. I’m passionate about being the best dressed; I’ve always been into jewelry and music.
I can wear some crazy-ass outfits with wild designs and have nice watches, that’s who I am and what I love. Since I was little, I’ve always wanted to stand out and be the freshest guy. My mom wasn’t buying me new J’s as a kid. But as I grew older, I have the resources now to fully express who I am. I love tattoos, I love Rolex, Patex, APs—I have a big collection of watches. I have a big pendant of my daughter. That’s me expressing who I am. I love it. People ask me, where did you get this outfit? This bracelet? I’m like, ‘hell yeah, ‘that’s my shit. That is who I am.
I brought up [Travis] Kelce—he’s my rival. We go at it on the field. We’re supposed to hate each other. When we’re on the field, we do, but at the end of the day, we met each other and this dude is very similar to how I think. He likes stepping out of the box and being fresh... me and Travis clicked right out the gate. He’s different, he likes to have fun. Every time we see each other, it’s like I’ve known him for years. He’s someone I got inspiration from as far as style. He changed the game, now he’s doing big things. There’s a lot of guys I could talk about as far as inspiration. Some guys go ultra crazy—Russell Westbrook wears things I'd never wear, but I respect him because he owns it. Anyone who will just be themselves and not care what anyone else thinks.
You were inducted into Eastern Michigan’s Ring of Honor last week, the 53rd player in the school’s history. What did that mean for you?
It was incredible. My coach, Coach Creighton, contacted me and asked if I’d want to talk to the team. I said absolutely; I went back for the first time in two years. I got to have a conversation with him and talk to the guys and share my story. He surprised me at the end, he was like, ‘you came all the way out here, we’re going to honor you tonight and do your Ring Of Honor ceremony.’ They had all the guys there, I got my name up in the rafters. That was one of my big goals, being in that ring of honor. I have a lot of big goals in the long run that I’m working toward, and that was the first one.
It makes you put everything into perspective. I didn’t have a Plan B, ever. Even when I was in my addiction, in college, I never lost sight of that. I had such a deep belief in myself that I’d figure it out one day. It’s been a roller coaster of adversity, but I never gave up on myself. I never quit regardless of the circumstances. I had the honor to do what I’ve done. The odds of me doing this right now are very low, and I’m doing it.
That’s why I work harder today than I ever have in my life. That’s why I carry myself the way that I do. Everyone talks about the second contract in the league and that’s the goal, but I say, no, my third, fourth contract. I want to be a first-team All-Pro, voted to 10 Pro Bowls. David Goggins said [something like], “I’m in a place where most people don’t understand me.” You can only understand it if you see it every day. I do it every day. If I have to travel, I am not breaking my routine. I made that agreement with myself. It’s all about the details and the little things.