National Football Foundation

Seldom does a player rise to the top of both the academic and athletic worlds as did Craig Krenzel.

A 3.75 GPA in molecular genetics proved his academic prowess, and his skills on the gridiron shined as he led Ohio State to its first national championship in 32 years after upsetting the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes in a double-overtime Fiesta Bowl thriller after the 2002 season.
 
A First-Team Academic All-American his senior season, CoSIDA named him the Academic All-American of the Year, and he claimed an NCAA Top Eight Award. The Sterling Heights, Mich., native recorded four quarters with a perfect 4.0 GPA as a junior, receiving The Sporting News Radio Socrates Academic Award.

A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Krenzel is also a three-time Ohio State Academic Achievement Award recipient, a six-time Dean’s List member and an 11-time Ohio State Exceptional Academic Award honoree.
 
An amazing 24-3 as a starter for the Buckeyes, Krenzel claimed the Archie Griffin Offensive Player of the Year award and Co-Most Valuable Player honors after the 2002 national championship season.
 
Krenzel added a second Fiesta Bowl MVP title after the 2003 season with a 35-28 victory over Kansas State. A four-year letterman and team captain his senior season, Krenzel compiled 4,493 career passing yards with a .568 career completion percentage.
 
Krenzel played two seasons in the NFL, including five starts for the Chicago Bears in 2004. After his NFL career, he joined former Buckeye quarterback and fellow Campbell Trophy^® winner Bobby Hoying at Crawford Hoying Real Estate.
 
In 2008, he founded his own insurance company, and he is now a principal with the Arthur Krenzel Lett Insurance Group.