Former Dallas Carter standout Michael Crabtree played his first collegiate game at SMU's Gerald Ford Stadium.
Crabtree was back inside that venue on Saturday, hosting a football camp for youths.
"This is where I'm from and I feel like I should've been doing this," the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver said. "I really never had guys from the city do stuff like this. I wanted to make a change. I want the kids to have an opportunity to be like that. I see myself in a lot of these kids."
The two-time Biletnikoff Award winner caught 12 passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns in that game on the SMU campus in 2007, leading Texas Tech to a 49-9 victory.
This season, Crabtree's 49ers open the season at AT&T Stadium. It will be the first time in Crabtree's six NFL seasons that he'll play the Cowboys in Texas.
"It's going to be great," Crabtree said. "Coming back home, I got like 70 people coming to the game. I'm going hard. It will be the most exciting time for me. I don't want to get too over hyped.
"It's always good to have your whole family come see you play live. It's so hard to travel. It's so hard for them to come to my home games. Now that we're at home, we can make something happen."
Crabtree worked at Texas Stadium as a youth, selling hot dogs and drinks to raise money for his little league team. After games, he would race down to the sidelines to get towels and gloves from the players. Crabtree would then wear them in his games.
He acknowledges that those memories will likely come back when he walks into AT&T Stadium on Sept. 7.
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"All the memories are coming back," Crabtree said. "All the times I watched the Cowboys on TV, it's coming back. It was all Cowboys. But now it's all about the Niners. We're going to make it happen."
Crabtree is friends with Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant. The two shot a commercial together earlier this year. Like Bryant, Crabtree is entering the final year of his contract. And like Bryant, he's giving similar responses to questions about his NFL future.
"It's all ball," Crabtree said when asked about his contract situation. "Business is going to handle itself. It's all football."
Crabtree also said he hasn't been communicating with any Cowboys players, including Bryant, about the season opener.
"I ain't talking to any of them cats," Crabtree said. "They off the social list. I got to keep my distance. When we playing, it's me against you."
