But he also played football, becoming one of the top players in his high school. Cramer graduated in 2000 from Middleton High School.
“I was from a Big Ten family with both my parents going to the University of Wisconsin,” Cramer said. “I knew football could allow me to get into the schools I wanted.”
Among his targeted schools was Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He started out as an engineering major then switched to economics while continuing to excel at football.
“I really enjoyed taking psychology classes, so I ended up changing my major to psychology,” Cramer said. “My hope was to get my MBA and work as an athletic director.”
During Cramer’s junior year, he led all Division One tight ends in receptions. Scouts from the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals both wanted him to play football for them.
“I changed my trajectory and decided to give pro football a shot,” Cramer said. “This was a dream come true.”
Credit: ©2006 Donn Jones
Credit: ©2006 Donn Jones
After graduating from college in 2004, Cramer was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was subsequently cut from that team in August of that same year but signed with the New York Jets in September. He was waived on Sept. 4 and signed to the Tennessee Titans practice squad a few days later. But he was released from the team on Nov. 17.
Throughout this time, Cramer found himself struggling with anxiety.
The ups and downs of NFL football continued with a stint with the Carolina Panthers, the Miami Dolphins and a second and third stint with the Titans.
Credit: ©2006 Donn Jones
Credit: ©2006 Donn Jones
“Every time I got picked up, I needed to prove myself and my worth,” Cramer said. “I couldn’t handle what was being thrown at me.”
Cramer noticed one of his Panthers teammates, John Kasay, always seemed calm and peaceful. He asked Kasay about it.
“He (Kasay) opened his Bible, read a verse, and advised me not to be anxious but to present my request to God,” Cramer said. “I wanted that kind of peace.”
Cramer played his first football game as a Christian but fumbled and was cut the next day. He suddenly understood that it wasn’t about his own personal success but about his journey of trials and difficulties. He was learning how faith and football went together.
“The underbelly of the NFL is discipleship,” Cramer said. “It’s older men teaching younger men how to be athletes but also how to be men of faith, and good husbands and fathers.”
After his sixth NFL season, Cramer dislocated his shoulder, and his football career was effectively over.
“I started interning at a church and decided to go to seminary,” Cramer said. “I fell in love with the idea of leading a local church.”
After he graduated from seminary, Cramer became a pastor in Nashville, where he met his now wife, Kelsey. Cramer was hired by the Tennessee Titans as their chaplain and was in that position from 2015–2018.
The Cramers had four children but when Kelsey was pregnant with their fifth child, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2018.
“Kelsey sat me down and said I was a good father, husband, chaplain and pastor,” Cramer said. “But I couldn’t do all of that well so would have to choose two.”
After reflection and prayer, Cramer felt called to become a lead pastor. Kelsey, who is originally from Troy, wanted to move back to the local area but Cramer couldn’t find any open pastor positions.
“Kelsey encouraged me to think about starting my own church,” Cramer said. “We went to Dayton for a weekend, and I was networking with a group of pastors and one of them asked if I’d be interested in planting a new church.”
South Dayton Presbyterian Church in Kettering hired Cramer and he and his family moved to Springboro. Cramer’s research showed that the Springboro area was growing exponentially and there were many people moving in that didn’t have relationships with any church.
“We found a church (Springboro United Church of Christ) after a few months that allowed us to rent some space, and we started services there in 2022,” Cramer said. “By October of 2023, we had 80 people in our congregation.”
Today, Cramer is leading Kings Cross Community Church into the future by securing a building located at 250 W. Central Ave. in Springboro, which he is currently renovating.
And Cramer still loves sports. In fact, all five of his children, ranging in age from 6 to 13, are athletes. Cramer coaches Springboro football and enjoys spending time with the families and children in the community.
“I spent the first 35 years of my life struggling to be the best at something,” Cramer said. “I’m learning that my greatest gift to society is not to be great, but to help others and encourage them to be the best men and women they can be.”
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