Craig Krenzel Named 2003 Draddy Award Winner – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 10, 2003
NEW YORK, NY – During The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s 46th Annual Awards dinner, before a sold out crowd at the Waldorf-Astoria, it was announced that Craig Krenzel of The Ohio State University was the 2003 Draddy Award winner. Often referred to as the “Academic Heisman,” the Draddy Award is given to the nation’s top scholar-athlete and awards a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. Krenzel is one of 15 national scholar-athletes that were recognized.
Seldom does a player rise to the top of both the academic and athletic world like Craig Krenzel has. His 3.68 GPA in Molecular Genetics proves his academic prowess, and his leadership on the gridiron led Ohio State to their first National Championship in 32 years. Named 2003 Academic All-America of the Year, Krenzel received The Sporting News Socrates Academic Award and recorded a perfect 4.0 in four quarters. A three-time Academic All-BIG TEN Conference selection, he received the Ohio State Academic Achievement Award three times, Dean’s List recognition six times and the Ohio State Exceptional Academic Award 11 times.
Under center, Krenzel led the Buckeyes to a perfect 14-0 season including a victory over top-ranked and defending national champion Miami in the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, of which he was named Offensive MVP. A Second Team All-Conference pick, Krenzel compiled 2,478 yards of total offense in 2002, 5th best all-time at OSU. Named Archie Griffin Offensive Player of the Year and voted OSU’s Co-MVP for the 2002 season, he ranks eighth all-time with over 4,300 career passing yards. Named 2003 Team Captain, Krenzel is a frequent visitor to the James Cancer Hospital and Children’s Hospital. A speaker at numerous engagements, he also volunteers at a local food pantry, charity fundraisers and during Right To Read Week.
Past recipients of the award include: Brandon Roberts, Washington University in St. Louis (2002); Joaquin Gonzalez, University of Miami (2001); Kyle Vanden Bosch, University of Nebraska (2000); Chad Pennington, Marshall University (1999); Matt Stinchcomb, University of Georgia (1998); Peyton Manning, University of Tennessee (1997); Danny Wuerffel, University of Florida (1996); Bobby Hoying, Ohio State University (1995); Rob Zatechka, University of Nebraska (1994); Thomas Burns, University of Virginia (1993); Jim Hansen, University of Colorado (1992); Brad Culpepper, University of Florida (1991); Chris Howard, U.S. Air Force Academy (1990).
College football playing student-athletes must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), have shown superior academic application and performance, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated outstanding leadership and citizenship to be eligible for The National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Awards.
With 119 chapters and over 13,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in America’s young people. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., PLAY IT SMART, The NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of nearly $1 million for College and High School Scholar-Athletes.
