Tyrone Crawford's football career began in Windsor, Ont., some 12 years ago, where he played on a high-school squad that walked four blocks every afternoon to practise in the outfield of a community baseball diamond.

This Sunday, he'll suit up for the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers in the NFL's divisional playoffs. The 27-year-old Canadian defensive lineman will be among the Cowboys' key pass-rushers, barrelling toward the hottest quarterback of the moment, Aaron Rodgers.

Crawford, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive end, is in the fifth year of his NFL career. His journey from a little-recruited but freakishly athletic teen from a border city to a starting job for America's Team has been a unique one. He signed a $4.5-million (U.S.) contract extension in 2015 that made him the highest-paid Canadian to play professional football in North America at the time. Raised by a single mom, he's overcome many hurdles, from a detour through junior college before he could play at Boise State University, to a heart murmur discovered at the NFL combine, and a couple of injuries that required surgeries.

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This week the Cowboys get Crawford back from a two-game absence with a shoulder injury. He had 28 tackles and 4.5 sacks this season in 14 starts as Dallas battled to the NFC's top playoff seed. Playing for one of the most promising Cowboys' teams since the mid-1990s, it's not crazy to believe the big Canadian could reach the Super Bowl next month in Houston.

Growing up in Windsor, raised by his mother Tara alongside his younger brother Tarrence, Crawford played many sports, often as a way to keep busy while his mother was working. During his time at Catholic Central High School, he won three provincial gold medals in shot put and one in basketball. He was also a standout in javelin and discus. As a football player, he rarely left the field for the Comets, a squad light on players. He played in the slot and tight end, sometimes offensive line or running back. He also played defensive end and outside linebacker, and even returned kicks and punts.

"When they're that special, you've got to utilize their tools, and he was like a man among boys," said Jalil Khoury, still today the football coach at Catholic Central. "He could jump through the roof and he caught anything that was thrown to him."

"He was bigger and stronger than anyone else. He never seemed to mind practising on a baseball field – I think he would have practised on the road if he had to."

Crawford was friends with another star player at the high school – Michael Atkinson, who is today a defensive tackle for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Their school had no football field, so they lumbered four blocks in their equipment to practise in the grassy outfield of a community baseball diamond, simply imagining yard markers, end zones and uprights until game day, when they could go on the road or hold home games at a community football field.

The two boys dreamed of playing Division I college football in the United States. They dedicated to a strength and conditioning regimen but weren't sure how to get U.S. schools to notice them in Windsor, beyond editing together their own highlight tapes.

They garnered interest from a few schools, but it was Boise State University in Idaho who seemed most keen – a school they knew little about, except their signature blue field. Defensive co-ordinator Pete Kwiatkowski visited their humble practice field in Windsor.

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There was one catch though – Crawford didn't have all of the credits he would need to qualify academically for Boise State.

"We had the same skillset, but my dreams were less than his at the time because of the academics," recalled Crawford, reached by phone in Texas this week. "I had big dreams for him and hoped maybe I could follow him to Boise eventually but I had to take the long route to get there."

Atkinson headed straight for Idaho after graduating high school, and Crawford went to catch up on courses and play at a junior college, Bakersfield College in California. After two successful seasons there, lots more universities wanted him, but he chose Boise State.

"We kept in touch by phone a lot when he was at Bakersfield and I kept telling him, 'you're going to be here before you know it'," Atkinson said. "We built a strong bond and once he arrived at Boise, that bond seemed to filter down and make our whole defensive line stronger. He looked like a 30-year old man by the time he arrived at Boise so no one questioned his skills. They'd often say to us 'what do they feed you guys up there in Canada?'"

Crawford had 13.5 sacks and 76 total tackles over two seasons at Boise State, garnering him NFL attention. But during his physical at the NFL combine, it was discovered he had a heart murmur that he had known nothing about. Some teams may have been scared off by that news, but not the Cowboys. Doctors told Crawford it was easily manageable.

Dallas picked him in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft, 81st overall, trusting the doctors and loving Crawford's football instincts and his great pursuit.

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The years since haven't all been smooth. He tore his Achilles in 2013, had surgery and missed the season. He played most of the 2015 season with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, and then had surgery on that. Now his left shoulder is ailing – but it won't keep him from Sunday's playoff game.

Crawford often returns to Windsor and speaks at his old high school. He also runs a camp there called Windsor's Finest Football Academy, along with other area-born pro football players. Even though he's surrounded daily by posh football facilities in Texas and drives by some jaw-dropping high school football stadiums, he still has a deep appreciation and love for his own football upbringing.

"It was all we had in Windsor, but we always had a lot of fun playing – we felt a little like Rocky," Crawford said. "Football is the pride of Texas and I really appreciate that, but it gets real hot here sometimes, and I prefer playing in the cold."

Canadians to watch in the NFL playoffs

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

Offensive guard, Kansas City Chiefs

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The 6-foot-5, 321-pound native of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., is in his third season with Kansas City and the team's starting right guard. The Chiefs' sixth-round draft pick of 2014 makes frequent trips back to McGill, where he is continuing his medical school studies.

Louis-Philippe Ladouceur

Long snapper, Dallas Cowboys

The 35-year-old from Montreal has played 195 straight games and hasn't missed any of his 1,722 career snaps during that time. He joined the Cowboys in 2005 and is the team's third-longest tenured player behind quarterback Tony Romo and tight end Jason Witten.

Luke Willson

Tight end, Seattle Seahawks

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Hailing from LaSalle, Ont., the 26-year-old fourth-year NFLer is looking to make his third Super Bowl appearance. The 6-foot-5, 252-pound athlete, who also once played baseball for Canada's junior national team and went to spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays, made 15 catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns as a Seahawk this season.

Jon Ryan

Punter, Seattle Seahawks

The 35-year-old from Regina began his pro career in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, before heading to Green Bay in 2006. He has been punting for Seattle since 2008.

Christian Covington

Defensive lineman, Houston Texans

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The 6-foot-2, 305-pound native of Vancouver is 23 years old and made five starts and registered 26 tackles and a sack during his second season in Houston. His Dad, Grover Covington, a long-time Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive end, is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.