Crist attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California. After not seeing any game action as a freshman in 2008, he completed 10 of 20 passes for 130 yards with a touchdown and interception as backup to Jimmy Clausen during his sophomore season in 2009. Crist completed 59.2 percent of his passes in 2010, passing for 2,033 yards, 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, before suffering a ruptured left patella tendon against Tulsa, ending his season.
He played in college at Notre Dame before transferring to the University of Kansas. As a senior in 2007 he threw for 2,178 yards with 16 touchdowns and one interception in 10 games, also adding 81 rushing attempts for 454 yards and four TDs. Notre Dame
During a game against Washington State he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament and it was announced that he would be out four to six months.
Despite the injury he became Notre Dame"s starting quarterback in 2010.
Crist had his best football season in his sophomore year at Notre Dame. On August 23, 2011, Brian Kelly named him the starting quarterback for the 2011 season, after saying the quarterback contest between Crist and Rees was "very close." At halftime of the 2011 season opener against the University of South Florida, Brian Kelly benched the ineffective Crist in favor of Tommy Rees.
The Fighting Irish went on to lose the game, and afterwards Kelly named Rees the new starting quarterback and named Crist the backup. Kansas
At the end of the 2011 season, Crist was benched once again and he announced that he was leaving Notre Dame to play for Kansas, reuniting him with former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.
Crist became immediately eligible since he completed undergraduate requirements.
Crist entered the 2012 season as the starting quarterback. Following a disappointing start to the campaign which had taken the Jayhawks out of bowl contention, Crist had increasingly lost playing time to accommodate redshirt freshman Michael Cummings. Kansas" 2012 football season ended with a game at West Virginia in which Crist played only a few snaps.
They led most of the first half versus Kansas State who at the time was #7 in the nation, nearly beat Texas at home who was a top 25 team at the time, and went into overtime and almost beat Texas Technical who was also a top 25 team at the time.
Baltimore Ravens
Crist was invited to the Kansas City Chiefs rookie minicamp. He was not offered a contract at the conclusion of the minicamp.
On May 15, 2013, Crist signed with the Baltimore Ravens. On June 4, 2013, he was released by the Baltimore Ravens.
On August 25, 2013, Crist re-signed with the Ravens as backup cover for Tyrod Taylor, who sustained a concussion in the Ravens" third preseason game.
On August 30, 2013, he was waived by the Ravens.
Many have stated that although Kansas only won one game out of twelve, it was still a successful year. The other side of the debate focuses on the Jayhawks failing to win a game after Labor Day stating that a significant reason for the poor season was the play of Crist who finished the season with the worst quarterback rating in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1A (ranked 116th out of 116 qualifying quarterbacks).
