Craig Krenzel to speak at The Valley Church on Superbowl Sunday

 

By Andy Monnin - The Valley Church

Craig Krenzel, No. 16, is pictured playing for The Ohio State University Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl against Miami.

SIDNEY — The Valley Church, 1400 Seidel Parkway in Piqua, is gearing up for a huge Super Bowl Sunday known as “Football Sunday,” on Feb. 13 at both the 9:15 and 11 a.m. services, which will feature Craig Krenzel, who led The Ohio State University to a national title as their quarterback during his time as a Buckeye.

“We’re having Football Sunday at The Valley right before the Super Bowl because a lot of people love football and a lot more just love the energy around the Super Bowl game. It inspires them, but I believe it can also awaken in them a desire for something more,” The Valley Church’s Lead Pastor Andy Monnin said in a press release.

“Football Sunday is a day to have fun, but also to use the metaphor of a sports contest to apply it to our journey toward God. Paul in his letters to the churches in the Bible often refers to the spiritual life as a race, a boxing match, or a military contest and so we focus that day on a game plan that will allow us to win in life, using what we know about football to help us,” Monnin continued.

Krenzel, who started two seasons in 2002-2003 at quarterback for The Ohio State University, led the Buckeyes to their first win on the road against the Michigan Wolverines since 1987. Krenzel was a two-time Fiesta Bowl MVP and helped OSU in 2002 to a perfect record of 14-0 and its first national title since the 1968 season, which culminated with him being named the team’s Archie Griffin Offensive Player of the Year and Co-MVP. During his time in Columbus, Krenzel compiled a 24-3 record.

After college, Krenzel was picked by the Chicago Bears in the 2004 NFL Draft in the fourth round. He spent one season with Chicago after winning his first three starts. He went on to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, but was released due to an elbow injury in 2006.

Off the field, Krenzel graduated with a molecular genetics degree and was three times named Academic All-Big Ten. He was also honored as a First Team Academic All-American and Academic All-American of the Year and won the Draddy Trophy (now called the William V. Campbell Trophy) and Socrates Award.

Following his playing days, Krenzel became a principal with Arthur Krenzel Lett Insurance Group. He has also appeared on 97.1 The Fan, a sports talk radio station in Columbus, Ohio and is a popular motivational and faith based speaker throughout the region.

Krenzel will share his journey with Jesus at The Valley and what football has taught him about the race we are all in.

Those attending the services on Football Sunday are being encouraged to wear their favorite team colors or team jersey. Before and after the services, there will be indoor tailgating including wings and hot dogs, sticker tattoos for the children as well as giveaways and the praise team will be kicking things up.

The event is open to the public and there is no charge.

Photos: The Ohio State Spring Game through the years

April 7, 2019 at 12:01 am

Scarlet Quarterback Craig Krenzel eyes the end zone in the 4th quarter of the spring game.

Ohio State’s Scarlet quarterback Craig Krenzel, 16, tries to out run the Gray defense, but Gray Tim Anderson, 54, gabs a hold of him during their spring game at The Ohio Stadium, April 27 2002.

This Alabama Quarterback Wants to Be Your Insurance Salesman

Ex-players like Jake Coker, who led the Crimson Tide to a national championship three years ago, join others who sell policies

By Brian Costa

Jan. 6, 2019 1:31 p.m. ET

One day three years ago, Jake Coker’s job attracted a television audience of more than 26 million. As the University of Alabama’s starting quarterback, he threw two touchdowns to help the Crimson Tide beat Clemson University in the national college football championship.

On Monday, when Alabama and Clemson meet again for the title, Mr. Coker will be performing in front of a smaller crowd—a few regional business owners in Alabama. He will try to make them fans of property and casualty insurance.

“If your building somehow gets destroyed,” Mr. Coker says, “you need to be covered.”

Alabama and Clemson, meeting in the College Football Playoff for the fourth year in a row, have dominated college football for so long that a prominent player from their first title game is now an insurance salesman. After his bid to make the National Football League fizzled, Mr. Coker joined what has become a league unto itself: former college football players who sell insurance.

Members include Craig Krenzel, the quarterback who led Ohio State to a national championship in 2002, and an array of prominent ex-players in the Southeast.

Among Mr. Coker’s local competitors in Mobile, Ala., is one of his college rivals, former Auburn football captain Reese Dismukes. His other regional foes include former Auburn quarterback Ben Leard and former Georgia stars David Greene and Matt Stinchcomb.

Most of them played quarterback. Nearly all of them sell the same particular type of insurance: commercial property and casualty, which covers damages such as fires and related liabilities.

“We compete against each other just like we did back in our playing days,” says Mr. Leard, a senior vice president at J. Smith Lanier & Co., a Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC company.

The insurance business has become such a well-known Plan B for aspiring NFL quarterbacks that some are relieved specifically to avoid it. Tom Brady, the New England Patriots star, once summed up his sentiment upon being drafted in 2000 by saying in an interview for a documentary: “I was so excited, I was like, ‘I don’t have to be an insurance salesman!’ ”

But most college players eventually need a regular day job. Many of them find it in the places where they remain local celebrities, sometimes working for alumni or supporters of the schools for which they played. And they find it in a line of work where their name recognition gives them a distinct advantage: They are the rare insurance salesmen whom total strangers are actually excited to meet.

“When you call somebody and you say your name, that light goes off and they know who they’re talking to,” Mr. Coker says. “It kind of gives them a blanket of trust.”

The league of quarterbacks-turned-insurance-salesmen spans the country. Tony Graziani, who helped lead Oregon to the 1996 Cotton Bowl title and spent four seasons in the NFL, sells property and casualty, along with health and life insurance in Bend, Ore. “Love it,” he says.

But it is particularly concentrated in areas where college football attracts religious devotion.

A few of the ex-quarterbacks say it is no coincidence they ended up on the same side of the business. They point to the competitiveness of sales, coupled with the problem-solving nature of commercial insurance. “It requires an analytical yet creative thought process, which to me takes you right back to the quarterback position,” says Mr. Krenzel, principal of Arthur Krenzel Lett Insurance Group in Dublin, Ohio, not far from the Ohio State University campus.

Ready to Sell You a Policy

These are some who have joined a league unto itself: former college football players who sell insurance.

Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel

But others in the business point to another factor. The people they are courting to buy property and casualty insurance are some of the most likely fans of area college football teams. And quarterbacks are among those teams’ most prominent players.

“There are a lot of business owners who are big Alabama football fans,” says Chris Boone, an executive with the agency that hired Mr. Coker, BXS Insurance Inc. “They would be naturally inclined to receive Jake for an appointment.”

Mr. Coker signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2016 but was cut during the preseason. Back in Alabama, a former university trustee who runs a stevedoring and cargo shipping company gave him his first job, Mr. Coker says. Ten months after the national championship game, Mr. Coker was spending his days loading timber onto trucks.

“You go from flying first class—you ask for something, you have it—and then you get away from that and you’re on your own,” he says.

It was through a friend who works at BXS that Mr. Coker landed his job there last summer. Other former players have leaned on connections with more direct university ties. Mr. Leard, the former Auburn quarterback who works not far from campus, was hired by the former CFO of his agency, who is a financial booster of the school’s athletics program.

As the former players have learned, their local fame hardly assures them of winning new business. In some instances, there can be a downside.

Mr. Greene, who set a National Collegiate Athletic Association record with 42 wins as quarterback of the Georgia Bulldogs from 2001 to 2004, sells commercial property and casualty insurance for Sterling Seacrest Partners in Atlanta. He says prospective clients’ interest isn’t always what it seems.

“Some people will say, ‘Hey, my grandson loves the Dawgs, so I really want to meet. Can you sign a ball for my grandson?’ ” Mr. Greene says. “But they really don’t have any intention of doing business with you.”

The night of the national championship game holds special significance for Mr. Coker, who is one of only two players in the past two decades to win a national title for two different schools. He was a backup on Florida State University’s 2013 championship team before transferring.

It is a big week for him this year, too. While Alabama and Clemson play on Monday night in Santa Clara, Calif., Mr. Coker says he will be on a weeklong trip to Birmingham, Ala., to meet with existing and prospective clients.

“I need to find a good spot to watch the game,” he says. “Hopefully, I’ll find a little bar with some Bama fans.”

Write to Brian Costa at brian.costa@wsj.com

NC Sports clients' plays among best in Ohio State history

September 8, 2012

From Bill Livingston's "Smith’s a catch among catches"

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A great catch defies gravity, boundaries and defenders' obstruction.

A great catch makes you accuse your eyes of lying.

A great catch can inspire a team, ignite a crowd and transform a player.

Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Devin Smith made a great catch last Saturday against Miami (Ohio). It earned a two-page photo spread in the current Sports Illustrated. It was the top catch in the first week of college football, according to ESPN. It might turn out to be the best of the season.

Big-game context, of course, is what Smith's one-handed, back-of-end zone, beyond-belief catch lacks. It was not against Michigan, the ancient rival, or Wisconsin, the new one.

"We really try to evaluate, 'Who can make a big play?' I ask the question all the time, 'Who can physically score the touchdown?' I didn't know Devin Smith could. I have not seen it. Now I know he can," said coach Urban Meyer. "I'm not talking about the one [by Smith last season] against Wisconsin, where the guy scrambles the run, catches it and falls down. I mean, go make a touchdown."

I've been covering Ohio State football since Chris Spielman was a freshman. Here are the rankings of the best Buckeyes catches I have ever seen:

1. Devin Smith vs. Miami (Ohio), 2012: There have been many bigger catches, in terms of context, but none that was more difficult (see http://tinyurl.com/9n7ggzw). One demand of a great catch can be reacting to an off-line throw. A great touchdown catch also beats a great nonscoring catch, in my view.

On Smith's snag, the ball seemed so clearly overthrown that the Miami defender, playing behind him, extended his arms to try to make the interception. But a twisting Smith leaped backward, caught the ball with one hand and -- now for the surreal part -- never steadied it against his body, including on the landing.

"I finally saw some still shots of it, and that as a good a catch as I've ever seen," Meyer said.

2. Cris Carter, 1985 Citrus Bowl against Brigham Young: The catch is in the first 20 seconds of this clip (see www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xu9SgfabTU). Said quarterback Jim Karsatos, "When I finally saw it on film, he was tiptoeing the sidelines, and he jumped up and caught the ball left-handed by the point of the football at least a yard out of bounds. Then he somehow levitated back in bounds to get both his feet in bounds. I swear to this day he actually levitated to get back in bounds. It just blew me away."

Carter will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. He had the best hands of any Ohio State player ever.

"One day, he caught a backhanded pass when it was 10 degrees outside, and everyone looked around like, 'What the heck was that?' " said Meyer, who was a graduate assistant when Carter played at OSU.

3. Anthony Gonzalez against Michigan, 2005: (See www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHjWpxcFWbE.)

Riding the shoulders of a Michigan defender, twisting to make the catch, then absorbing the hit and fall, Gonzalez's play was at least the equal of Troy Smith's play-extending, inside-out move against the Wolverines' pass rush. It made possible the Buckeyes' rally from a nine-point deficit with seven minutes to play.

4. Michael Jenkins' "Holy Buckeye" play against Purdue, 2002:

Notable for artistry, context and poise, with quarterback Craig Krenzel checking down from covered tight end Ben Hartsock to Jenkins, the play included a route adjustment by the other wideout, Chris Gamble. (See my discussion of the play at http://tinyurl.com/6vkqhfd). Although it kept the perfect season alive, it is downgraded slightly since Krenzel's throw into the wind was right on the money.

5. Mayfield's Mike Lanese against Michigan, 1984:



Lanese, a Rhodes Scholar, flew through the air to convert a third-and-11 on Mike Tomczak's off-target pass. The catch prolonged the drive that sent the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl. The catch is about 61/2 minutes into the clip (see www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FGynpv8xCo).

Or how about Terry Glenn's 75-yard score against Pittsburgh in 1995?
(See www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb-3Xvi591g.) Glenn was OSU's only Biletnikoff Award winner as college football's best wide receiver.

Or Jenkins' 45-yard snag in double-coverage to get OSU away from its own goal-line, enabling the Buckeyes to run out the clock in a 19-14 win at Wisconsin in 2002?

Or Chris Vance's catch (see www.youtube.com/watch?v=feBEFypINE8) at the end of a rout against Purdue in 2001? It lacked all big-moment context but still was remarkable.

Former Ohio State Quarterback Craig Krenzel Raises Money for Cancer Research

OSU Quarterback Helps to Raise Money

By Erica Brooks

May 30, 2012

Sports hero Craig Krenzel is helping J D Equipment raise money for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.

Krenzel was at J D Equipment on Northpointe Drive May 23rd to promote the sales of John Deere lawn mowers. A portion of each mower sold during 2012 will be donated to the Stefanie Spielman Fund. In 2011 they raised $26,000, this year they hope to raise more than $30,000.

"All you have to do is come out and buy a tractor and you're going to really be helping in the long-term hopefully save a number of lives," said Krenzel.

"I know the guys at J D jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer and to use their ability within the community and their equipment and portions of their proceeds to give directly to the Stefanie Spielman to continue to help fund these life-saving drugs and techniques and treatments," added Krenzel.

Krenzel considers it an honor and a privilege to have known Stefanie and will continue to honor her memory as best he can.

"I've been inspired by such an incredible person, to be a part of a cause that today has raised over $10 million for cancer research and the life-saving drugs and treatments it's been an honor and a blessing personally and I know that the folks at J D Equipment feel the same."

At this time J D Equipment has raised almost $14,000 for the fund. The final check will be presented to Chris Spielman by the owners of J D Equipment during the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer in February. You can watch the donation grow throughout the year on jdequipment.com

Ashland High School Football: Former OSU QB Krenzel passes along words of wisdom

Ashland High School multi-year letterman at Sponsor Banquet ft:John Bolin, Marquise Jones,Adam Wolbert, Jake Wolfe, Greg Galloway, Connor Hopton, Spencer Cooper. In the back row from left are BACKCoach Valentine, Brandon Nardo, Steve Mowry, Josh Duewel, Zach Bernhard, Derek Ward, Steven Gill, Craig Krenzel.

By LARRY STINE

August 15, 2011

Craig Krenzel's message to the Ashland High School football players on Arrow Pride Night 2011 in Ashland University's Myers Convocation Center was simple.

Enjoy yourself when you hit the field this fall and make sure you take time to stop and smell the grass you play on. Even if it's artificial turf, find some nearby green stuff and inhale the sweetness it has to offer.

Krenzel said it will also help you get ready for what lies ahead.

The quarterback who led Ohio State University to its first national championship in 34 years during the Buckeyes' 14-0 season, including a win over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2002 championship game in which he was named MVP, Krenzel was modest in his opening remarks.

"It's an honor for me to be here," Krenzel said. "For what I've heard and seen just this evening, you all don't realize how good you have it.

"I grew up about an hour north of Detroit and we had nothing like this. We did not have the community involvement and support behind a football team and program at the high school level but it's truly a blessing and an honor and I'm very humbled to be here."

Arrow Pride Night was reinstated many years ago by Ashland dentist Dr. Bill Ihrig, bringing together local sponsors who mentor with the Arrow football players.

It's that local support which Krenzel admired and said makes him get "jacked up" at this time of year.

So much so, when he got done mowing the grass a few nights ago, his wife caught him cleaning off the mower and grabbing a clump of grass and smelling it.

"When the weather cools off, that fescue, that bluegrass, it's got a different smell," Krenzel said. "It just smells like football and back in the good old days I use to walk into the 'Horseshoe' at OSU and pick up a handful of grass and smell it. I'd do it at every stadium we went to.

"But there's just so many senses the game brings to me and the greatest thing I want to encourage you guys to look at the game and what it's going to teach you about life as a whole," he added. "I look back on my career and I've been so blessed, so fortunate. But when I look back at the game, it's so amazing how football will prepare you for anything and everything life has to throw at you."

Krenzel said the first thing football taught him was how important it is to have a foundation.

In almost his first three full seasons, he held a "nice cozy warm spot on the bench, which was frustrating and humbling."

But he said when things are going bad, "It's the people, it's your beliefs, it's everything that picks you up. And, when things are going well, it's those same people and beliefs that will keep you humble and keep you grounded and keep you working hard and grinding to get better."

Before Krenzel spoke, former AHS football player Noel Watson gave a tribute to legendary Arrow Roosevelt Robinson, who in most local circles is considered the best football player ever to don the orange and black, if not also the best-ever overall athlete, as he also played basketball and baseball.

Robinson passed away July 7 at the age of 64.

Watson noted how Robinson, 45 years after the fact, still holds four AHS football records, including rushing yards in a single season (1,963 in 1964); career rushing yards (4,085 from 1963-65); career touchdowns (56); and total career points (408).

Arrow Pride Night emcee Ev DeVaul pointed out Robinson set those marks playing nine-game seasons.

AHS head coach Scott Valentine introduced his coaching staff, thanked the sponsors for their commitment to the program and noted how through hard work, Krenzel persevered in his career.

Krenzel earned his first start as QB for the Buckeyes in 2001 against the Michigan Wolverines in a 26-20 Ohio State triumph in Ann Arbor.

It was the first win for OSU in Ann Arbor in 14 years.

The grass likely smelled pretty sweet for the former Buckeye that season, and in the next, when he brought the national crown back to Columbus.

NC Sports Clients Ginn, Smith, Krenzel among best of Tressel era

By Adam Stang

March 14, 2011

So who are the best players of the Jim Tressel era? Read on to find out.

Honorable Mention—DL Cameron Heyward, 2007-2010

Heyward earned a starting position on the defensive line in 2007 and hasn't looked back.

In the most important games, Heyward came up big. Against Penn State in 2009, he made 11 tackles—three for loss—and two sacks in a dominating performance. In this year's Sugar Bowl, Heyward had 1.5 sacks and arguably deserved to be named MVP.

Heyward is considered a top defensive end prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft.

10. K Mike Nugent, 2001-2004

It seems odd that a kicker would make this kind of list but Nugent has earned his due.

First off, he broke or tied 22 records in his four-year career at Ohio State including most career points (356).

His senior season was particularly monstrous—he was an All-American, won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker and was named team MVP. That's right, the kicker was named MVP.

Nugent was drafted in the second round by the New York Jets, making him one of the highest drafted kickers in history.

9. WR Ted Ginn, 2004-2006

Ginn was one of the most exciting players to ever don an Ohio State jersey.

In his career, he returned six punts for touchdowns, a Big Ten record. In the 2007 National Championship Game, he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown but was unfortunately injured in the ensuing celebration and didn't return.

Ginn was such a prolific return man that he earned first-team All-American selections in 2004 and 2005 as a returner.

He was also an accomplished wide receiver who provided a legitimate deep threat. In his final two seasons, he caught 51 and 59 passes respectively.

8. RB Beanie Wells, 2006-2008

Wells was a rare power/speed combo back that made him a pleasure to watch.

After a solid freshman season in which he shared carries with Antonio Pittman, Wells exploded for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign.

Due to his performance, Wells was frequently named as a preseason Heisman candidate. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury the first game and missed the next three. Despite that, he still managed to rumble for 1,197 yards and eight touchdowns, earning team MVP honors.

7. CB Malcolm Jenkins, 2005-2008

During his career, Jenkins racked up numerous accolades—three-time All-Big Ten, second-team All-American and first-team All-American. He also won the Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back.

Due to his outstanding play, Jenkins was considered a shutdown corner.

Jenkins would be higher on this list but as a member of Ohio State teams that lost three consecutive bowl games, he carries the stigma of being unable to win the big game.

6. LB James Laurinaitis, 2005-2008

Laurinaitis played at the same time as Malcolm Jenkins and they teamed up to form an intimidating defensive duo.

During his career, he was a three-time All-American, Dick Butkus Award winner as the nation's most outstanding linebacker and Bronco Nagurski Award winner as the nation's best defensive player among others.

Laurinaitis is one of the best linebackers in Ohio State history.

As with Jenkins, Laurinaitis will unfortunately carry the stigma of leading defenses that were trounced in consecutive national championship game appearances.

5. LB A.J. Hawk, 2002-2005

Hawk was the best linebacker of the Jim Tressel era.

He was a beast on the field, making 394 tackles despite starting only three seasons.

He was All-Big Ten every year as a starter and won the Lombardi Award as the nation's best college football lineman or linebacker.

Hawk was so impressive that he was selected fifth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He is a solid contributor for them to this day.

4. QB Terrelle Pryor, 2008-Present

He isn't always pretty but Pryor gets the job done.

He has been criticized for supposedly not living up to his status as the nation's top football prospect.

Despite the criticism, Pryor has been extremely successful, boasting a 31-4 record as the starter. Against Michigan, he is a perfect 3-0. In BCS Bowl games, he is 2-0 (Todd Boeckman started the 2009 Fiesta Bowl), ending a three year skid by beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl and ending Buckeye futility against the SEC by winning the Sugar Bowl over Arkansas.

Pryor has one season left and though it will be shortened due to suspension, he has the opportunity to add another win over Michigan and a third BCS Bowl victory to his resume.

3. S Mike Doss, 1999-2002

Doss played two seasons under Jim Tressel and so makes the list.

Doss was a three-time All-American, three-time All-Big Ten, two-time Thorpe Award finalist and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2002.

He was the leader of the 2002 Silver Bullets, the best defensive unit of the Tressel era. They yielded 13.1 points per contest, second best in college football that season.

In the 2003 National Championship Game against Miami, Doss made a key interception of Ken Dorsey that gave Ohio State the lead. He was named game MVP.

2. QB Troy Smith, 2003-2006

Smith did not come to Ohio State with much acclaim but left as a Heisman Trophy winner and Buckeye great.

Since he began taking snaps his sophomore season, he matured into the quarterback that threw 30 touchdowns in an outstanding 2006 campaign.

He was named team MVP, won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback and the Heisman Trophy with 86.7 percent of first place votes, a record that still stands.

Adam Rittenberg listed Smith as "Big Ten player of the decade."

Smith would be numero uno on this list if not for the whipping Ohio State received at the hands of Florida. In the 2007 National Championship Game, Smith was 4/14 for 35 yards as Ohio State lost 14-41.

1. QB Craig Krenzel, 2000-2003

In terms of statistics and accolades, Krenzel may be the worst player on this list.

In his career at Ohio State, Krenzel threw 28 touchdowns, a number Terrelle Pryor nearly matched in 2010 alone.

Krenzel's greatness was not in shiny statistics but in grit—he was smart, accurate and made plays when they were needed most.

Take Holy Buckeye for instance; down 3-6 with less than two minutes to play, Krenzel completed a 37-yard pass to Michael Jenkins on fourth down for a touchdown.

In the 2003 National Championship Game, Krenzel completed key fourth down conversions that saved the game for Ohio State. He was named co-MVP of the game along with Mike Doss.

In his career, Krenzel was 24-3 as starter.

Buckeye spirit reigns with alumni

By Bill Davis

October 20, 2010

MOUNT VERNON –– That noise you heard throughout Mount Vernon? It’s was Ohio State alumni shouting “O-H!”

The next thing you heard was someone else shouting “I-O!”

The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Knox County kicked off its third annual “Buckeye Spirit Event” on Tuesday with a rousing O-H-I-O chant, one that shook the walls of The Dan Emmett Conference Center.

It wasn’t just the chants. The OSU Marching Band performed their biggest hits. Buckeye cheerleaders mingled with the guests while Brutus Buckeye shook hands with the likes of Buckeyeman and the Jim Tressel look-alike.

“This event is a great boost for our community. We collect a lot of money for scholarships, both for freshmen and for upper-classmen,” President-elect Joyce Skocic said.

The event is the area’s largest fundraiser for Ohio State alumni. Last year the event raised well over $10,000. Organizers say this year’s event will likely exceed last year’s.

Craig Krenzel, the former OSU quarterback who led his team to a perfect 14-0 record and the 2002 National Championship, said in the keynote address that he loves taking part in Spirit Events around the country.

“It’s great that I can take part of something that affects someone’s life in a positive way,” Krenzel said of the fundraiser.

The event has grown each year, from a few dozen guests in 2008 to over 200 on Tuesday.

“This is a great boost for the kids. This club gives out four scholarships every year. We’re hoping we can increase that,” Past President Dave Daniels said.

A lot of the money comes from auctions. More than 90 Buckeye-related items were up for bid in both silent and live auction. Some attracted a lot of attention.

•an autographed basketball signed by Jerry Lucas,
•An autographed painting of Krenzel winning the 2002 championship,
•An OSU soda dispenser,
•A scarlet and gray bowtie, autographed by OSU President E. Gordon Gee,
•A lithograph signed by Hopalong Cassidy, Archie Griffin, Eddie George and Troy Smith,
•An E. Gordon Gee bobblehead, which started at $10 and ended up selling for $300.

“I collect them,” winning bidder Linda Fritz said. “I have the Heisman trophy winners, four different Woody Hayes, Jim Tressel. This one’s a natural fit.”

Plus the money goes to a good cause.

Organizers say this year could be the biggest fundraiser yet for the OSU Knox County Alumni Club.

“It’s great to be involved with the best fan base in the world. That’s what it means to be a Buckeye,” Krenzel said.

Krenzel to speak in Sylvania

BLADE STAFF

October 15, 2010

Former Ohio State University quarterback Craig Krenzel will appear at the Starlite Tailgate at the Starlite Plaza, 5700 Monroe St., in Sylvania prior to the OSU-Wisconsin game on Saturday.

Krenzel, who helped guide the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and national championship in 2002, will sign autographs from 1-3 p.m. at the Buckeye and More Store in the Plaza. Krenzel will also read to children for the Second and Seven Foundation, supporting children’s literacy.

Top 25 Buckeyes of the Decade: #13 Craig Krenzel

July 19, 2010

By Jim

The Buckeye Battle Cry will be counting down the Top 25 players of the past decade all spring/summer. Every Monday and Thursday, Jim will be announcing a new player. Our #1 player will be presented on Monday, August 30th. Three days later, the 2010 season officially begins.


Craig Krenzel (2002-2003)

Craig Krenzel is the quarterback that finally led Ohio State to the promised land, captaining the team to a national title in 2002 for the first time since 1968.

His unbelievable performances in the clutch made for some heart-attack inducing victories, but a win is a win, and Krenzel’s 24-3 record as a starter speaks for itself.

Krenzel was known as a “game manager,” meaning that he usually wasn’t going to win a game for you by himself, but he was always able to put the team in a position to win by moving the ball down the field when it mattered and avoiding costly turnovers.

Plays like “Holy Buckeye” and the 4th and 14 conversion in the first over time of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl show the when it was crunch time, Krenzel got the job done.

Despite Krenzel’s undeniable ability to perform in the clutch and the fact that his play was always gutsy, he was never flashy or exciting, which is almost certainly why he finds himself at #13 on this list rather than in the top 5.

Even though Krenzel’s reputation as a game manager will stick with him forever, his 4,493 career passing yards are the 9th most all-time at Ohio State and both of his seasons as a starter were top 15 for passing yards by a Buckeye. Throw in two Fiesta Bowl MVPs and if we re-did our voting for this countdown and I think I would bump Krenzel up a little bit higher on my list.

Krenzel was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. He went 3-2 as a starter as a rookie before sustaining a season ending ankle injury.

In 2005 he was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals and spent the year as the third string QB. An elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery ended his football career in 2006.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Krenzel’s work in the classroom. He graduated with a degree in molecular genetics and was an Academic All-American in 2003.

Krenzel is still active in the Columbus sports scene and can be heard from time to time on 97.1 The Fan as a commentator, mostly during football season.

For representing Ohio State with the utmost class and character in the classroom and on the field as a player and to this day, for leading Ohio State to the promised land in 2002 with ice in his veins, for two Fiesta Bowl MVPs, for a 24-3 record as a starter, and for putting up surprisingly good stats over his career for a “game manager,” Craig Krenzel is #13 on our list of the top 25 Buckeyes of the last decade.

NC Sports clients abound on All-Ohio State team

A quarter century of Buckeyes: Bill Livingston unveils his All-Ohio State team

By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer

December 26, 2009

BILL LIVINGSTON'S ALL-OHIO STATE TEAM (1984-2009).

Big-game performance was the tiebreaker in the picks. Some positions, like wide receiver, were so ridiculously crowded with great players that I decided to pick four and do away with a tight end. That also means only one tailback and no fullback.

Partly, that's because it's my team and my rules. Another part of my thinking is that I never saw tight end John Frank play in the early 1980s. But I just can't see Ricky Dudley taking up a spot that could go to one of the many wideouts who made your blood sing on Saturday afternoons.

QUARTERBACK: Glenville's Troy Smith (2003-06) over Joe Germaine (1996-98).

Smith, like Germaine, was the recipient of the last scholarship given in his recruiting class. Smith won the 2006 Heisman Trophy and Germaine was barely mentioned in 1998. But Smith was out of shape in both body and mind in the national championship game and laid an egg suitable for a giant's breakfast. His three victories over Michigan and his superb play in each game, as well as a big Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame and a stunning 54/13 TDs-to-interceptions ratio, made the difference.

Germaine might have been the better pure passer. He unjustly sat behind Stan Jackson until his senior year, along the way winning the 1997 Rose Bowl out of the bullpen. The 1998 team's loss, at home, to an ordinary Michigan State team, after holding a nine-point second-half lead, is just too much to ignore.

Honorable mention: Craig Krenzel (2000-03), Bobby Hoying (1993-95), Mike Tomczak (1981-84).

TAILBACK: Keith Byars (1982-85) over Eddie George (1992-95).

Say what?

George (1,927 yards, 24 TDs) won the 1995 Heisman Trophy, but he was overshadowed by Tim Biakabutuka in the staggering season-spoiling loss to Michigan. George had critical fumbles that cost OSU the game against Illinois his freshman year. Until his sensational senior year, coaches carped that he left too many yards on the field by not seeing cutback lanes or getting to the hole in time.

Byars (1,764 yards, 22 TDs) had already lost the 1984 Heisman before Doug Flutie threw the Hail Mary pass to beat Bernie Kosar's last University of Miami team. That was simply because the diminutive Flutie represented the romance of college football. But I still remember Byars running for a TD after throwing a shoe in a shootout victory over Illinois. He did everything to win the Heisman except be the runt of the litter, like Flutie.

Honorable mention: Maurice Clarett (2002) because the national championship never happens without him, Euclid's Robert Smith (1990-92), Akron Garfield's "Beanie" Wells (2006-08), Akron Buchtel's Antonio Pittman (2004-06).

WIDE RECEIVERS: Tailback used to be the signature position at Ohio State. It just might be wide receiver now. It might be best that Woody never lived to see it.

Terry Glenn (1993-95) -- Ohio State's only Biletnikoff Award winner as college football's best receiver was a one-year wonder. But what a year, and what a wonder! He seemed to spend half the year in mid-air. Glenn had seven 100-yard games receiving in 1995 for 1,411 yards and 17 touchdowns. He had feet fit for "Dancing with the Stars," tight-roping the sideline for eye-popping catches. Along with Eddie George, Glenn, as Bobby Hoying's favorite target, gave OSU so much firepower, it was hard to believe they could lose -- until John Cooper worked his big-game magic against Michigan.

Cris Carter (1984-86) -- I'll always remember Carter's one-handed catch against Brigham Young in the 1985 Citrus Bowl. Unfortunately, by taking money from an agent, he sabotaged coach Earle Bruce's OSU career.

Joey Galloway (1991-94) -- Galloway (top four in yardage and receptions, second in TDs at OSU) was a consistent performer with speed enough to take Ohio State's passing game into the modern age.

David Boston (1996-98) -- The Texan scored 34 touchdowns and caught the pass -- after turning an Arizona State defender into a pretzel -- that won the 1997 Rose Bowl. Boston also set the school one-season record with 85 receptions in 1998.
Toughest omission: Michael Jenkins (2000-2003). Jenkins was one of the great clutch receivers in OSU history, witness his catch of the fourth-and-2, last-gasp bomb to beat Purdue in 2002 and his 17-yard reception in overtime on fourth-and-14 vs. the Miami Hurricanes in the national championship game.

Honorable mention: Santonio Holmes (2003-05), Dee Miller (1995-98).

OFFENSIVE LINE: I'm not hung up on positions here. I'm just picking five guys.

Orlando Pace overwhelmed nearly every defender he faced during his exemplary career with the Buckeyes.

Orlando Pace (1994-96) -- With two Lombardi Awards (best lineman or linebacker) and an Outland Trophy (best interior lineman), the giant tackle might be OSU's most gifted blocker since Jim Parker in the 1950s. I still see Pace, 60 yards downfield, bullying a helpless Rice safety on a long touchdown pass in 1996.

Korey Stringer (1992-94) -- The late tackle blocked for Robert Smith, who'd have won a Heisman if he had stayed for his senior year, and Eddie George. Enough said.

Jim Lachey (1981-84) -- Lachey became a Pro Bowl left tackle in the NFL with the Redskins, but he played guard at OSU and was platooned until his senior year at OSU. (Take a bow on that talent assessment, Earle.)

Nick Mangold (2002-05) is my center, over LeCharles Bentley. It has nothing to do with Bentley's star-crossed five minutes as a Browns snapper. Mangold didn't win the big centers' award (the Rimington) while Bentley did, but Mangold was on the goal-line offense as a true freshman in the championship game. He also was a bulwark on some very good teams.

St. Ignatius' LeCharles Bentley (1996-2001) -- Bentley played seven games at guard and one at tackle before moving to center for his junior and senior seasons.

Honorable mention: Jeff Uhlenhake (1985-88), Berea's Alex Stepanovich (2000-03), Rob Murphy (1996-98).

DEFENSIVE LINE: Will Smith (2000-2003) -- The leader of the ferocious front four of the 2002 national championship team, he recorded 10.5 sacks and set the tone for the upset of Miami with a bear-paw swat that floored Hurricanes quarterback Ken Dorsey for a loss on the very first play.

Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson (1992-93) -- Don't let the bust his NFL career became as the No. 1 overall pick dim what a force he was for the scarlet and gray. He had 23.5 tackles for a loss and was in the face of Louisville's Jeff Brohm, forcing a wild pass on the two-point try that would have beaten OSU in the 1992 opener.

Vernon Gholston (2004, 06-07) -- This pick is going to get me in trouble. Gholston was a late-bloomer, like Terry Glenn. In 2007, he found the can of spinach or something and turned into Popeye with a score to settle with Bluto. He exploded for 14 sacks, an OSU record, in his junior year, then turned pro. A disappointment in the NFL, Gholston tended to get his sacks at OSU in clusters, sacrificing consistency. But when he was rolling, few were ever more disruptive. He had an overwhelming game against Michigan in 2007, even victimizing the overall No. 1 pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Jake Long.

Mike Vrabel (1993-96) -- A top linebacker in the NFL, Vrabel racked up 36 sacks and 66 tackles for losses, both career OSU records, at defensive end. He had the one-season record for sacking and pillaging backfields until Gholston came along.

Honorable mention: Almost anyone who played alongside Will Smith on the 2002 front four -- Tim Anderson, Darrion Scott, Kenny Peterson (who delivered the game of his life in the championship game) -- and Quinn Pitcock (2003-06).

LINEBACKERS: Andy Katzenmoyer (1996-98) -- The 1997 Butkus Award-winner as the best college linebacker, Katzenmoyer wore Archie Griffin's No. 45 after it was un-retired and was simply a game-changer. He specialized in huge plays (18 tackles for loses, six interceptions) and huge hits. Pieces of Missouri quarterback Corby Jones' equipment and, indeed, body might still be airborne in Columbia, Mo., after Katzenmoyer teed him up in the open field.

Chris Spielman (1984-87) -- The all-time leader in solo tackles with 283, Spielman won the 1987 Lombardi Award. He was the first great Ohio State player I saw. Bruce put him in at the start of the second half in the 1984 opener "and I think he made about 26 tackles," said his assistant coach at the time, Jim Tressel. Spielman kept it up, week after week, season after season.

A.J. Hawk (2002-05) -- The 2005 Lombardi winner moved from so-so recruit to the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft. I still see him sacking Notre Dame's Brady Quinn on fourth-and-short in the red zone early in the Fiesta Bowl.

Toughest omission: James Laurinaitis (2005-08). This is another pick (actually, a non-pick) some fans will disagree with. He was a three-time All-American, but ... the Nagurski Award (best college defender) and Butkus Award winner, Laurinaitis was a coverage linebacker in a read-and-react scheme. That's an untraditional role, and it led to too many tackles too far downfield. He really only made one game-changing play, forcing a fumble against Texas near the goal-line in 2006.

Honorable mention: Bobby Carpenter (2002-05), Anthony Schlegel (2004-05), Pepper Johnson (1982-85), Elyria's Steve Tovar (1989-92), Elyria Catholic's Matt Wilhem (1999-2002).

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Another treasure trove position with lots of lockdown guys and big hitters.

Shawn Springs (1994-96) -- He never had an interception. Foes accorded him the ultimate respect by, Deion Sanders-like, seldom throwing at him. Springs reduced Arizona State's heralded Keith Poole to inconsequence in the Rose Bowl. Unfairly remembered for the slip that let Michigan's Tai Streets go all the way in the only loss of the 1996 season, Springs never pointed out that OSU still led, 9-7, at the time. But I will.

Antoine Winfield (1995-98) -- The Akron Garfield product won the 1998 Thorpe Award as the nation's top college DB. He was the most physical cornerback in the Big Ten a decade ago and now has the same distinction in the NFL.

Mike Doss (1999-2002) -- A three-time All-American, Doss gave OSU the lead against Miami with a pick and rambling return of a pass by the beleaguered Dorsey.

Chris Gamble (2001-03) -- Hard to see the 2002 national title happening without this three-way threat (he also played wide out and returned kicks) who was on the field for 107 plays against Miami. On his interception of a deep ball to an ostensibly open Purdue receiver in 2002, he covered so much ground, it is comparable to Willie Mays and the ball Vic Wertz hit in the 1954 World Series.

Honorable mention: Shaker Heights' Nate Clements (1998-2000), Glenville's Donte Whitner (2003-05), Malcolm Jenkins (2005-2008), Will Allen (200-03).

SPECIALISTS

Punter: Brecksville's Tom Tupa (1984-87) over B. J. Sander, who won the Ray Guy Award as college football's best punter in 2003. Tupa's 1984 (47.1) and 1987 (47.0) averages are the best in OSU history. At practice, it sounded like a small explosion when the ball met his foot.

Kicker: Mike Nugent (2001-04) -- All-time leader by a lot in field goals, he had a leg that could just deflate opponents.

Toughest omission: Josh Huston (2001, 2003-05). I will never forget his booming kickoffs forcing Minnesota to take the ball at its own 20 over and over again in a shootout Ohio State victory in 2005.

Kick returner: Glenville's Ted Ginn Jr. (2004-06) -- As the most dangerous return man in school history, his fingertip snag of a Michigan punt while he and Santonio Holmes played you-take-it, I-got-it and then his zig-zag return for 82 yards in 2004 could no more be plotted on a play diagram than the flight of a bumblebee. How much different might it have been if "friendly fire" didn't fell him after his kickoff return for a TD on the first play of the Florida debacle? Ginn was a huge part of the game plan that night.

Gary Walker Signs Rich Free Agent Deal

Roger Brown

Sunday, May 09, 2004

Beachwood-based football agent Neil Cornrich is smiling these days. One client, former Iowa safety Bob Sanders, was a high Round Two draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts (where another Cornrich player, tight end Dallas Clark, did well last season). A second rookie represented by Cornrich, former OSU quarterback Craig Krenzel, has been well-received as a Chicago Bears pick. And yet another Cornrich client, Houston Texans defensive lineman Gary Walker, recently signed a deal paying him more money than hyped pass rusher Warren Sapp, a seven-time Pro Bowler.