About Crawford Ker

Crawford Ker, founder and president of Ker’s WingHouse® Bar & Grill grew up in Dunedin, Florida. During his high school years at Dunedin High School he was introduced to two things that would forever shape his future: the restaurant industry and football.

Most of his free time was spent working as a dishwasher in a local Italian restaurant where his father was the kitchen manager; only during his senior year did Crawford play football. During summer breaks he learned more about the restaurant industry, including cooking and waiting tables.

Throughout high school Crawford was an avid weight lifter. A neighbor remembers Crawford’s after school workout – pushing a pickup truck around the neighborhood. After high school Crawford decided to pursue his dream of playing football. He contacted the head coach at Arizona Western Junior College, who watched as Crawford excelled, becoming a Junior College All-American.

His outstanding performance as an offensive lineman attracted the University of Florida. While with the Florida Gators, Crawford earned All-American honors and was on the 1984 team that won the first Southeastern Conference Championship title for the school.

Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, he played six seasons and was voted to the team of the decade by the Dallas Cowboy Weekly.

He was later signed by the Denver Broncos and starred there in the 1991-1992 season, helping Denver go to the AFC Championship game.

After Denver he briefly played with the Detroit Lions before retiring in the Tampa Bay area.

In 1994 he opened the first Ker’s WingHouse® Bar & Grill in the Largo area of Tampa Bay. The restaurant was a hybrid between a wing joint and a sports bar with WingHouse Girls and bartenders, TVs at every turn, sports promotions and a game room.

With a lot of hard work and great teamwork from his staff, the first WingHouse® was a success. There are now locations throughout Florida, and the company plans to keep on growing. Look for a WingHouse® in your neighborhood soon!

“Running a restaurant is a little bit more like coaching,” Crawford said. “At the end of the day you are mentally tired, not physically tired. But it’s easier to recover from being physically tired.”