Scotts Hill mourns death of assistant football coach Andrew Crossett

Andrew “Drew” Crossett had a way of connecting with people.

It didn’t matter what the person’s background was. He related to people in a way few could have.

That’s why his death early Saturday morning came as a shock to those who knew him.  

Crossett, 34, was pronounced dead at Jackson General Hospital. He leaves behind two kids and his wife, Olivia. The cause of death has not been confirmed.

Crossett's funeral is service is at 3 p.m. Thursday at Campbell Street Church of Christ with visitation from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Dress code is casual with jeans and flannel shirts.

Crossett was in his first year as the defensive coordinator at Scotts Hill.

He quickly connected with Lions coach Daniel Duncan, who is in his first season at the helm.

“He was my right-hand man,” Duncan said. “He a had a great relationship with our kids. He was impressive with the kind of relationship he had with the players in such a short amount of time. The administration adored him, loved him.”

A crowdfunding account has been started by North Side assistant coach Jarred Clayton to help Crossett’s family with medical and funeral expenses. As of Monday, more than half of the $30,000 goal had been raised, and more than 100 people had donated.

“Drew was a life-changer,” Clayton said. “If you were around him long enough, you would see that he was a hard worker. He didn’t do just what needed to be done. He went all in. This GoFundMe is just one simple way we can honor Drew and a way to help the unexpected burden put on Olivia.”

Campbell Street Church of Christ in Jackson is also raising money.

Crossett was previously an assistant coach at Jackson Christian. He arrived at the same time as current head coach Darby Palmer. The two clicked right away. Crossett went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of. Palmer said that was his best quality.

“The fact that he could build relationships with anybody, with kids, adults,” Palmer said. “We formed a bond through football and different things that we would do with football. He’s just easy to sit down and talk and listen to. And just really a good guy to be around.

“Everybody around him loved him.”

He mentored current Jackson Christian football player and junior Nick Simpson. It wasn’t just on the field, either. When Simpson needed an escape from school or football, he went to Crossett.  

“He could relate to a lot of stuff since we duck hunted together a few times and we spent a lot of time together outside of practice just kind of hanging out,” Simpson said. “He’s my best friend and he’s kind of an older brother to me.”

North Side football coach Donnie Nickey didn’t get to spend a ton of time with Crossett. Crossett was with the Indians during the spring.

“Man, it was just like I’ve known him my whole life,” Nickey said. “He was like part of my family.”

Scotts Hill had a team meeting Sunday night, a chance for coaches, players, and family members to share stories. One moment stood out to Duncan and exemplified the person Crossett was.

“When I said, 'Hey, raise your hand if you’ve been hugged by Crossett,'” Duncan said. “The entire team, some of the family members that were there all raised their hand. Ninety-nine percent of all the people there raised their hand. That’s a prime example of the impact he had and the love he had for people.”

Reach Luis Torres at ltorres1@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9638 and follow him on Twitter @LFTorresIII.