Karl Kremser
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Salzwedel, Soviet occupation zone of Germany
| No. 15 | |||||||||||
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| Position | Placekicker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | 3 August 1945 Salzwedel, Soviet occupation zone of Germany | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Levittown (PA) Woodrow Wilson | ||||||||||
| College | |||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1969: 5th round, 128th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career NFL/AFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Karl Friedrich Kremser | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1960–1964 | Woodrow Wilson High School | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1964–1966 | Army Cadets | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1970–1975 | Palm Springs Junior High | ||
| 1975–1977 | Miami Killian High School | ||
| 1977–1979 | Davidson Wildcats | ||
| 1980–2007 | FIU Panthers | ||
Karl Friedrich Kremser (born 3 August 1945) is a German American former football placekicker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and retired college soccer coach from Florida International University. He played college soccer for the United States Military Academy and college football for the University of Tennessee. He was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft.
Kremser was born in Salzwedel in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany shortly after the end of World War II to Reichsdeutsche parents born in Latvia. His father was drafted into the German Army and fought on the Russian front. While his father was in the army, Kremser's family fled to Germany, to avoid the incoming Red Army. Until his family emigrated to Seabrook Farms, New Jersey in 1952, Kremser lived in Germany as a war refugee. Seabrook Farms was a truck farming area and pioneer of the frozen vegetable industry, which gave factory jobs and immigration support in exchange for one year of work. After Kremser's father finished his contract at Seabrook Farms, he found a new job and relocated the family to Levittown, Pennsylvania. Kremser attended the local Woodrow Wilson High School, where he excelled in track and soccer, graduating in 1964.[1]
College career
Kremser was recruited by West Point for track, but also played soccer where he led the Black Knights to the final four of the 1965 NCAA Tournament. Unable to adjust to the cadet lifestyle, Kremser left after two years, in search of another school. After reading a Spring 1966 Sports Illustrated article about Richmond Flowers, Kremser wrote to University of Tennessee track and field coach Chuck Rohe. Coach Rohe wrote back and the two arranged to meet during an AAU event. Unable to offer Kremser a scholarship, Coach Rohe instead arranged a work-study place, and Kremser transferred in 1966.[1]
Since Tennessee did not have a soccer team, and inspired by Charlie and Pete Gogolak's innovative soccer-style placekicking, Kremser began practicing. Word spread about his talent, and he was encouraged to try out for spring football. Kremser was soon offered a full football scholarship, and may have been the first non-recruited dual sports athlete at Tennessee.[1] The highlight of his collegiate football career came with a 54-yard field goal that helped the Volunteers defeat Alabama, 10–9, in 1968.[2][3] The kick set a Southeastern Conference record for distance, and still ranks among the longest field goals in Tennessee history.[4]