Craig Krenzel

Craig Krenzel is a former college and professional football quarterback recognized for leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national championship in college football. Taking over the offense with limited experience at the start of the season, Krenzel guided the Buckeyes to a share of the Big Ten title and the program's first consensus national championship since 1968, finishing with a 14-0 record. Named the Offensive MVP of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Krenzel led Ohio State to a 31-24 double-overtime win over top-ranked Miami in the national championship game, highlighted by a crucial fourth-and-14 completion to Michael Jenkins in the first overtime.

Krenzel compiled a 24-3 record as a starter for the Buckeyes and earned the Archie Griffin Offensive Player of the Year award and Co-Most Valuable Player honors following the national championship season. He added a second Fiesta Bowl MVP title after a victory over Kansas State.

Krenzel graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in molecular genetics and a 3.75 GPA. He conducted research in an 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, the Sporting News Socrates Award, and the Draddy Trophy.

Krenzel was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Despite modest passing statistics, he won his first three starts at quarterback with the Bears, including a win over the San Francisco 49ers. His NFL career was shortened by injury, as he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.

After his football career, Krenzel transitioned into business and sports media. He became a radio commentator for WBNS 97.1 The FAN in Columbus, which broadcasts Ohio State Buckeyes football games. Krenzel is a partner at Arthur Krenzel Lett Insurance Group and co-founder of Kolb Krenzel, a custom home-building company. He is also a motivational and faith-based speaker, sharing insights on leadership, preparation, and perseverance drawn from his experiences in college football, the NFL, and beyond.