Lakeland's Kratz rejuvenates his career
May 4, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Lakeland ThunderBolts News Release
LAKELAND, Fla. â They were 1,175 miles apart. Shortly after kicker Steve Kratz had one of his finest games in Dayton, Ohio, Pete Garces was about ready to convert his second 61-yard field goal of the season.
Kratz, who at 34 years old, has had a revival of his career, nailed four of five field goals, which kept the Lakeland ThunderBolts in the National Indoor Football League game against the Warbirds.
It must have been a kickers Friday, because Garces connected on the 61-yarder against the Kissimmee Kreatures five seconds into the 2nd quarter. The former Idaho State booter had another 61 yarder in the Wyoming Cavalry's first home game of the season.
Dayton, Ohio, is at 350 feet above sea level, Casper, Wyoming, is at 5,348. Could Garces long 3-point conversions be called "altitude aided?"
"I've kicked at high altitudes before," said Kratz of the thin air in which the ball does go a bit further. "I was at the Reno (Nevada) NFL combines for kickers and with a 3-inch âT' (ball holder), I was hitting kickoffs 70 to 85 yards."
Gallant Effort By âBolts
Despite a seven-point overtime loss at Dayton, it was a gallant effort by Kratz, quarterback Michael Peeples and safety Lance Small.
Steve connected on field goals of 37, 37, 27 and 45 in that order when called upon by head coach Garett Hagin. His 16-point effort against Dayton could move him from 9th in the league to the top five with 39 total points.
"John Jefferson held for me and we had a good operation going," said Kratz who said his longest in a 4-year career at Kutztown University was 46 yards.
Following college, the Pennsylvania native signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills in 1993. "I got in four of the five preseason games that year and had a 48-yarder against Dallas," he said. "The Bills had Steve Christy and he was an all-pro kicker in 1992, so I knew no matter how well I performed, I wasn't going to stick."
Pro Career A Challenge
The head coach Marv Levy told Steve: "You had a great pre-season and if it had been any other time we would have kept you." After that experience, Kratz decided to take his fortunes indoor with the AFL's Miami Hooters. His totals were 16 of 22 on extra points and five of 18 for 31 points.
When the Bills were in the market again, thinking they would lose Christy to free agency, they invited Steve again to the 1995 preseason camp. "Again, they said I was the only kicker they were bringing in and nobody else."
A $5 million dollar deal for Christy brought Steve to his knees again. Through a number of other NFL works outs, Kratz said he found out that "promises aren't what they are" in professional football.
He's had other tryouts in the CFL and XFL and played a little semi-pro ball (1998) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where "they flew me in for all their games." The Harrisburg team, in the Eastern Football League, won three national semi-pro championships at the time. Injury,
Rehab Take Its Toll
"I tore up my hip back then and that seemed to be the problem," he said. "It never got better and it was painful."
Steve found out from an orthopedic surgeon his tendons in the hips were wound tighter than most people. His hips actually were off set were not lined up properly. "Tennis players have the same thing because they serve off the one foot. It off sets your hips."
Through extensive therapy, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Kratz was able to correct the problem. "It was a lot of stretching and I had a special brace. This went on for four months and I didn't play for nearly four years."
Through the six games Steve has been in for Lakeland, he has a total of 39 points on 12 extra points and has connected on 9 of 16 (.563).
The ThunderBolts entertain the Kissimmee Kreatures in a Mother's Day Special, Sunday, with kickoff at 4 p.m. With the purchase of any regular priced ticket, receive a ticket for Mother free.
Note: Kratz kicked in one game for the Tampa Bay Storm in 2003.
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