Karl Kremser

[BillVol]

Not sure how this one got by me after all these years. I've long known about Karl Kremser, Tennessee's great barefoot place kicker who "missed" the long field goal that would have beaten Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Many people, including former Vol coach Doug Dickey, say the kick was good.

What I did not know, however, is that he was a fine high jumper for the Vol track and field team. He was 6-10 1/2 out of HS and finished second outdoors in the 1968 NCAAs at 7-1. Also was SEC champ indoors and outdoors in '68.

Man, I thought I had all the dual-sport athletes from the Chuck Rohe era down pat. Not so.

[tandfman]

That's ok, BillVol. I remember him ONLY as a high jumper. I'm not sure I ever knew that he played football as well--if I did know that, I've long forgotten it. But I do remember him as a T&F guy.

[dj]

Kremser went to Woodrow Wilson HS in Levittown, Pa., and graduated in 1964. He was state champ as a senior and led the state high school list in the high jump, but with a best of 6-6, which placed him 3rd on the PA all-time outdoor list.

He cleared 6-7 indoors that year to set a state indoor record, and was tied for 4th on the national indoor list. (Pretty good for a straddler who was 5-11.)

His teammate, Gary Steele, cleared 6-5 1/4 that year.

Kremser attended the U.S. Military Academy for one or two years before transferring to Tennessee. The 6-10 1/2 cited for him is probably his best mark at Army before coming to Tennessee. It certainly was not a high school mark.

He was born Aug. 3, 1945, in Salzwedel, East Germany

[BillVol]

http://outermonvolia.yuku.com/topic/10597?page=1

dj, thanks for the info and correction on Kremser. Another correction is that he was not a barefoot kicker, according to a post in the thread on Kremser above. This from an "alternative" UT msg board which is my favorite of all the Vol boards.

[Walt Murphy]

The facts are fuzzy, but I remember sitting in the balcony seats at NY's Armory when Kremser won the varsity section of the high jump at one of the many high school meets that were held there. But he wasn't the best high jumper that day, since Bill McClellon, who would become the first prep to clear 7-feet, jumped higher in the "novice" section, which was open to athletes who hadn't yet won a medal in varsity competition.