Craig Krenzel
Encyclopedia
Craig Krenzel is a former college
and professional
American football
quarterback
. He is currently a radio commentator for WBNS 97.1 The FAN
in Columbus, which broadcasts the Ohio State Buckeyes
football games.
(Sterling Heights, Mich.), and was an excellent student and a letterman in football (3 yrs), basketball (2 yrs), and baseball (1 yr). In football, as a senior, Krenzel completed 60 percent of his passes and threw for 1,760 yards and 25 touchdowns, and won USA Today honorable mention All-America accolades that year.
was suspended from play due to an alcohol-related police charge late in the 2001 season, Krenzel earned the starting position against Michigan and led the Buckeyes to their first win in Ann Arbor since 1987. His most successful years were 2002, when he led Ohio State to the national championship
, and 2003. Krenzel's overall record with Ohio State is 24-3 as a starter.
Krenzel graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in molecular genetics
and a GPA of 3.75. He did research as part of a selective oncology
laboratory at the Ohio State University Medical Center
. Krenzel was named a First-Team Academic All-American and Academic All-American of the Year, and received three Academic All-Big Ten awards, the Today's Top VIII Award
, a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame post-graduate scholarship, Sporting News Socrates Award, and the Draddy Trophy
.
Krenzel's brother Brian was also talented in both academics and athletics, playing for the Duke Blue Devils football
team before graduating from the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
by the Chicago Bears
, for whom he played the 2004 season. Despite poor passing statistics, Krenzel won his first three starts at quarterback with the Bears, including a win over the San Francisco 49ers
, which was at the time starting Ken Dorsey
at quarterback, the same quarterback that started for the Miami Hurricanes
during the 2003 National Championship game. However, he lost his final two starts with the Bears and injured his ankle, ending his season. In 2005, he was cut by the Bears in the offseason and he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals
. He was the third string quarterback on the team behind Carson Palmer
and Jon Kitna
. He was released in May 2006 due to an elbow injury that he sustained that eventually required Tommy John surgery
. Craig has yet to play again in the NFL, though he has stated that he hopes for one more shot at football. He also shares the distinction of being a two-time Fiesta Bowl
MVP with fellow Ohio State Buckeye A. J. Hawk
.
. Craig is known for his bit
known as the "Mike Tomczak
Story".
Craig is also a spokesman for JD Equipment and has acted in several commercial spots.
Craig now is a partner of the Arthur Krenzel Lett Insurance Group in Columbus, Ohio and Winfield, West Virginia. Craig Lett, his partner, is the son of the Major League pitcher Jim Lett
of the Cincinnati Reds
.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and professional
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He is currently a radio commentator for WBNS 97.1 The FAN
WBNS-FM
WBNS-FM is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio airing a sports radio format.WBNS-FM features a combination of local programming and ESPN Radio programming, and is the flagship station for the Ohio State Buckeyes football and basketball radio networks...
in Columbus, which broadcasts the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
football games.
High school career
Krenzel attended Henry Ford II High SchoolHenry Ford II High School
Henry Ford II High School is a public high school located in northern Sterling Heights, Michigan. It is part of Utica Community Schools and has a population of about 2,000 students. Mr. Steven M. Beyer is the current principal, a replacement from Adlai E. Stevenson High School for Mr. Robert Monroe...
(Sterling Heights, Mich.), and was an excellent student and a letterman in football (3 yrs), basketball (2 yrs), and baseball (1 yr). In football, as a senior, Krenzel completed 60 percent of his passes and threw for 1,760 yards and 25 touchdowns, and won USA Today honorable mention All-America accolades that year.
College career
Krenzel played in college for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After quarterback Steve BellisariSteve Bellisari
Steve Bellisari is an Arena football quarterback who is currently a free agent in the Arena Football League. Bellisari is best known as an Ohio State University Buckeye from 1998 to 2001.-College career:...
was suspended from play due to an alcohol-related police charge late in the 2001 season, Krenzel earned the starting position against Michigan and led the Buckeyes to their first win in Ann Arbor since 1987. His most successful years were 2002, when he led Ohio State to the national championship
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
, and 2003. Krenzel's overall record with Ohio State is 24-3 as a starter.
Krenzel graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in molecular genetics
Molecular genetics
Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...
and a GPA of 3.75. He did research as part of a selective oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
laboratory at the Ohio State University Medical Center
Ohio State University Medical Center
The Ohio State University Medical Center is a multidisciplinary academic medical center located in Columbus, Ohio, on the main campus of The Ohio State University . In 2010, the Ohio State University Hospital was ranked one of "America's Best" by U.S. News & World Report in 11 specialties...
. Krenzel was named a First-Team Academic All-American and Academic All-American of the Year, and received three Academic All-Big Ten awards, the Today's Top VIII Award
Today's Top VIII Award
The Today's Top VIII Award is given each year by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to honor eight outstanding senior student-athletes of the preceding calendar year. From 1973 through 1985, this award was known as the Today's Top V Award or the Top Five Award and was given to honor five...
, a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame post-graduate scholarship, Sporting News Socrates Award, and the Draddy Trophy
Draddy Trophy
The William V. Campbell trophy, formerly the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, is a trophy awarded by the National Football Foundation that is given to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance...
.
Krenzel's brother Brian was also talented in both academics and athletics, playing for the Duke Blue Devils football
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
team before graduating from the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Professional career
Krenzel was drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, for whom he played the 2004 season. Despite poor passing statistics, Krenzel won his first three starts at quarterback with the Bears, including a win over the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, which was at the time starting Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
at quarterback, the same quarterback that started for the Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
during the 2003 National Championship game. However, he lost his final two starts with the Bears and injured his ankle, ending his season. In 2005, he was cut by the Bears in the offseason and he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. He was the third string quarterback on the team behind Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
and Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
. He was released in May 2006 due to an elbow injury that he sustained that eventually required Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
. Craig has yet to play again in the NFL, though he has stated that he hopes for one more shot at football. He also shares the distinction of being a two-time Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
MVP with fellow Ohio State Buckeye A. J. Hawk
A. J. Hawk
-Green Bay Packers:On April 29, 2006 Hawk was drafted in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was the 5th overall pick of the draft. He signed a 6-year contract with the Packers, worth $37.5 million, on July 28, 2006...
.
After the NFL
Krenzel now works as a commentator on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Craig is known for his bit
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
known as the "Mike Tomczak
Mike Tomczak
Michael John "Mike" Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers....
Story".
Craig is also a spokesman for JD Equipment and has acted in several commercial spots.
Craig now is a partner of the Arthur Krenzel Lett Insurance Group in Columbus, Ohio and Winfield, West Virginia. Craig Lett, his partner, is the son of the Major League pitcher Jim Lett
Jim Lett
James Curtis Lett is the bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals wearing #9.-Biography:...
of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.