At Texas, he was known as "Little" Crawford and reportedly "taught the Yale system of play and stressed conditioning." Crawford led the 1895 Longhorns to a perfect 5–0 record, as the team outscored its opponents by a combined 96–0 margin After a Thanksgiving Day victory over San Antonio by a score of 38–0, Crawford reportedly left for Mexico to watch bullfights and then returned to his home in Nebraska.
"Little" Crawford was a coach known for his teaching style, emphasizing conditioning, and leading the 1895 Longhorns to an undefeated season with a dominant scoring margin.  He reportedly left for Mexico after a Thanksgiving Day victory over San Antonio and then returned to Nebraska.