Terry Crews was born in Flint, Michigan, to Patricia and Terry Crews Sr. He received an art excellence scholarship to attend Western Michigan University, where he excelled academically and athletically, earning a full-ride athletic scholarship to play football.
At Western Michigan University, Crews was an All-Conference defensive end and a major contributor on the 1988 MAC champion WMU Broncos. His impressive college performance earned him recognition and rewards, including being drafted by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams in 1991.
Crews played six years in the NFL, representing the L.A. Rams, San Diego Chargers, Rhein Fire (NFL Europe-Germany),Washington Redskins, and Philadelphia Eagles. During his NFL career, he utilized his artistic talent by creating a line of NFL licensed lithographs for Sierra Sun Editions.
After retiring from the NFL in 1997, Crews transitioned to an acting career, moving to Los Angeles. His first significant break came in 1999 when he auditioned for the extreme sports show Battle Dome (1999),alongside other actor-athletes. Crews secured a series regular role, known as the urban warrior T-Money.
Terry Crews made his big-screen debut in The 6th Day (2000) and has since appeared in numerous films, including Serving Sara (2002),Friday After Next (2002),Deliver Us from Eva (2003),Malibu's Most Wanted (2003),Starsky & Hutch (2004),Soul Plane (2004),White Chicks (2004),and the Mike Judge film Idiocracy (2006).