Former Brownwood Lion's Kicker Gets NFL Tryout

WASHINGTON, D.C.— A former Brownwood kicker has received a tryout from an NFL team after time in the UFL.

Matt McCrane, a 2013 graduate of Brownwood High School, has gotten a tryout from the Washington Commanders after playing for the UFL’s D.C. Defenders. Entering the NFL in 2018, McCrane has spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Philidelphia Eagles since. He has played for the XFL’s New York Guardians and most recently, the D.C. Defenders.

While playing for Brownwood, McCrane went 41 of 44 on extra points and 7 of 12 on field goals and kicked the longest field goal in school history with a 52-yard boot. After his time with the Lions, he attended Kansas City for college from 2014 to 2017 and converted 133 of 134 extra points and 57 of 66 field goals. He missed one extra point his freshman year and was perfect from his sophomore to senior seasons.

While he didn’t get on the field with the Cardinals in 2018, he did get signed by the Raiders 24 days after his release from Arizona and went to work. In his NFL debut with Oakland, McCrane had four extra points and went three for five, including the game winner against the Cleveland Browns, in field goals.

McCrane was eventually released from the Raiders, went back to Arizona then on to Pittsburgh. He did see the field for both of those teams. He ended up with the Defenders and over two seasons went 28 of 36 with a long of 58 yards.

McCrane had his tryout on June 11, 2024 with the Commanders, who recently released veteran Brandon McManus after two flight attendants filed lawsuits against him for sexual assault when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars.