Chicago Bears Draft Craig Krenzel

QB Krenzel more than just another smart guy from OSU

A championship resume, great intangibles, good mobility and a world-class brain -- that's the formula the Bears found in their newest quarterback, fifth-round pick Craig Krenzel of Ohio State.

''He might be the smartest guy in the building,'' Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel said of Krenzel, who is majoring in molecular genetics.

The question Gabriel asked Krenzel before the Bears drafted him is one the player has heard throughout the offseason.

''I said, 'Do you want to be a doctor or a quarterback?' He said quarterback,'' Gabriel said. ''But then again I'm getting old, so maybe he's a quarterback for a few years, goes to med school and then I have a doctor and he'll owe me.''

Krenzel said the media made so much of his academic accomplishments and his dream of attending medical school like his older brother, Brian, that every team he interviewed with asked if he really wanted to play football.

''It's always been my No. 1 goal, my No. 1 aspiration and dream to play football in the NFL,'' Krenzel said. ''Medical school has always been a backup plan for me if football doesn't work out the way I wanted it to, just to have something that I enjoy, something that I know I could be successful at and something that I know I could do to help other people and affect other people.

''Someday when I'm done playing football -- hopefully it's not for a little while -- I'll probably entertain the thought of going back to school, even if it's 10, 12, 15 years from now, which is when I'm hoping it is.''

Not a bad backup plan for Krenzel or the Bears, who figure he showed enough mobility in his college career that he'd be a good option as a No. 3 quarterback. Given that the position represents an emergency situation when two guys already have been injured, it's important to have someone capable of running for his life.

Also, the presumption is that Krenzel is smart enough to learn the Bears' system while not getting a lot of repetitions in it since the major goal of the offseason and training camp is teaching the system to starter Rex Grossman. Krenzel earned his college degree last month and plans to marry his fiance, OSU senior Beth Barr, before the start of training camp.

Gabriel acknowledged Krenzel is a streaky passer who can struggle when his mechanics break down, but attributed that to the offensive system at Ohio State. Gabriel said Bears offensive coordinator Terry Shea became enamored with Krenzel at the Indianapolis scouting combine after observing how well he set up in the pocket and noting his overall footwork.

It didn't hurt that Krenzel went 26-3 as a starter and led Ohio State to the national championship in 2003.

''What else can you ask him to do -- he won big games when he had to win,'' Gabriel said. ''He's always come up with the big play when he's had to make the big play. They won a lot of close games with him at quarterback.''

Krenzel will be the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Rex Grossman and reserve Jonathan Quinn, who was signed in free agency. The Bears could add a veteran if someone like Kurt Warner becomes available and has a desire to play for the team. But the team is convinced Krenzel is a keeper with a chance to become more than a career backup.

''I see him as a guy that's going to come in as a third and work his way up to a two, and then if he's really good you're going to have to make a decision after four years because he'll be [un unrestricted free agent],'' Gabriel said. ''A lot of teams have success with guys like that. You develop a quarterback and then you trade him and get a high pick for him and then you bring in the next guy.''

Posted by Ron at April 26, 2004 08:24 AM