Former Georgia LB Juwan Taylor testifies former teammate was involved in 2021 shooting

Former Georgia linebacker Juwan Taylor said former teammate Ahkil Nasir-Crumpton was involved in a 2021 shooting in Oconee County, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. Taylor testified Wednesday he kept it to himself for more than a year.

The shooting took place at a Racetrac in 2021. The clerk, 23-year-old Elijah Wood, was working a night shift when he was shot and killed by a man in a mask and an all-black outfit. Police identified Crumpton as the suspect in 2022.

Crumpton and Taylor lived in the same apartment together and were in the same car when police pulled them over while investigating a robbery in which they weren’t involved. Police then spoke with Taylor — a player development assistant at UGA — while he was working a pro day at Georgia. A captain from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department and an official from U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took him away from campus to talk privately.

When they asked about Crumpton’s involvement, he said he didn’t know anything. However, that wasn’t the case. The conversation went on for 24 minutes, according to court documents, and Taylor didn’t say anything about Crumpton’s involvement.

“I was scared. I didn’t know what to do,” Taylor said in his testimony, per the Banner-Herald.

As the conversation went along, both the ATF agent and the officer could tell Taylor might not be giving them the full story. They knew he wasn’t involved, but they were asking him about Crumpton. However, he went through the entire conversation without saying so.

“I can see your heart beating out of your chest,” Moore tells him. “It’s like you’re getting ready to go play football.”

Crumpton is currently on trial in federal court on charges of interference with commerce by attempted robbery and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, according to the Banner-Herald. Initially, he was charged with murder as part of a federal indictment, but the charge was dismissed. In addition, Crumpton also faces a murder indictment in Oconee County which still has not gone to trial.

He’s facing up to 30 years in prison if he’s convicted as part of the current trial in federal court, which resumes Thursday.

Crumpton played wide receiver at Georgia in 2017 and 2018, totaling 10 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown across 24 career games. Taylor played linebacker at UGA from 2015-18 and helps work with the linebackers in his current role with the Bulldogs.