Injury Cut Graduate’s Soccer Career Short, But Didn’t Slow Her Down

A.J. Crooks remembers the first time she tore her right ACL and meniscus, ligaments meant to keep the knee in place. She was about to graduate from high school in December 2018 before joining The University of Alabama on a soccer scholarship the following January. The Spokane, Washington, native was not going to let this injury get her down.

With her UA teammates rallying behind her, Crooks powered through recovery, becoming a true-freshman-starting goalkeeper during the 2019 season. She broke the school record of most overall wins, six, and most conference wins, five, as a freshman goalie.

Her coaches inspired her, and the athletic department motivated her, not just in athletics, but also in academics. She may have come to The University of Alabama as a student-athlete, but the University offered so much more than athletics.

“I knew coming to The University of Alabama was going to be good no matter what,” Crooks said. “I was going to be surrounded by great people — and that’s really what mattered most to me.”

In February 2020, Crooks took another injury, this time to her left knee, resulting in a ruptured patellar tendon. She knew the odds of being able to return to full capacity were 50/50, but she put her trust in her doctors, family, friends and faith. She ended up having two surgeries before the fall season and going through rehabilitation for nearly a year.

Knowing that she might not be an athlete forever, Crooks talked to her teammates, coaches and others for advice. As she started thinking about her future, she realized she would need to medically retire from soccer. It was a difficult decision, but one she took in stride.

“I went, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a nobody now at the University — I don’t play soccer so what’s my identity?’” she said. “And so, I really had to get out of that mindset quick before it turned into something where I depressed, which most people who know me know, I’m really not a sad person.”

Crooks soon found her new footing thanks to her determination, connections and a bit of luck. She stayed close to UA Athletics and was hired as a student worker for the women’s soccer team at the start of the 2021 season before a stroke of fate set her in an even more exciting trajectory.

“Two weeks into my job, the sports information director for soccer left, and the department was already short-staffed because of COVID. They said, ‘You know soccer, do you want to cover it?’” Crooks said. “I said yes and had a two-week crash course on how to be a sports information director. It was a whole learning experience. I felt very blessed and very lucky because not many people get this opportunity.”

With that opportunity, Crooks, who is majoring in public relations with a concentration in sports and entertainment communication management, became the first non-graduate student to ever hold a student information director position. In the role, she oversaw media availability, post-game recaps, statistics tracking and more for the women’s soccer team.

UA Sports Information Director Aaron Jordan said Crooks took her skillsets from both the field and the classroom to new levels.

“She is now focused on a career in sports public relations and communications and will earn her degree with honors in just three years despite the rigors of being a student-athlete while involved in many organizations around campus,” he said.

Upon graduation, Crooks will be pursuing her master’s degree in communications studies at the University of Montana, where she also will continue working in sports media with the university’s athletics department.