The Brothers Steltz try to make it two - two national championships in one family
December 5, 2007
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (15) is stopped by LSU defender Craig Steltz (16) during thier matchup earlier this season. (Bill Haber/AP)
Related news from the Web
Latest headlines by topic:
- Sports
- Dance
- NCAA Sports
- Tim Tebow
- NCAA Football Players
- Ohio State Buckeyes NCAA Football
- NCAA Football
- The Brothers
- Ohio State University NCAA
Powered by Topix.net
By Glenn Guilbeau
gguilbeau@gannett.com
BATON ROUGE  Many kids who grow up LSU fans and become fathers dream of having their son play football for the Tigers.
Keith Steltz' dream came true twice, and on Jan. 7 he could double his dream of dreams if his second son wins a national championship like his brother before him.
Kevin Steltz was the starting fullback for LSU on Jan. 4, 2004, when the Tigers beat Oklahoma to win the BCS national championship in the Louisiana Superdome  about 15 minutes from the Steltz home in Metairie. Craig Steltz will start at strong safety on Jan. 7 when the Tigers play Ohio State for the BCS national championship in the Superdome.
"Twice in a lifetime," Keith said Tuesday. "If we win it, we might write a book about it with that title. But we need to win it first. It's been a very unique and wonderful eight years in our lives, and it happened at a time when LSU had its best years."
Keith Steltz, a former quarterback and linebacker at East Jefferson High School in a Metairie, is a superintendent of a construction company. His wife Linda Steltz is a nurse. They have two sons who are as hard working.
"First of all, to just have one son play major college football is really unbelievable," Keith said. "To have two who get to play and start and maybe each win the national championship in your hometown, it's a blessing. So many things have to happen for this to happen. It's been a phenomenal time in our lives, and it's hard for us to explain how lucky and blessed we are."
Kevin and Craig have always been doing things together, and when they're not they're doing the same thing at different times.
"We were at playgrounds just about every day for 10 years when they were young," Keith said. "Kevin might score four touchdowns in the afternoon, and Craig would score four that night."
Kevin Steltz is 24 and played fullback and on special teams for the Tigers from 2002 through 2005 after red-shirting in 2001. He had a stellar career as a fullback and linebacker at Rummel High in Metairie, but since he was only in the 5-foot-8 range there were no scholarship offers from major colleges so he walked on and started at the bottom. He made a name for himself in the weight room and on the scout team by knocking star linebackers Trev Faulk and Bradie James to their knees and eventually began playing more and more and was awarded a scholarship.
Craig Steltz is 21 and the starting strong safety for the Tigers. He was named an All-Southeastern Conference defensive back on Tuesday and is a finalist for the Thorpe Award that goes to the best defensive back in the country. He and family will be in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday for the ceremony. At 6-2 and much faster than his brother, Craig was one of the most highly recruited defensive backs in the nation out of Rummel in 2004. Both were on the same LSU team in 2004 and 2005.
"It's a dream come true," Craig Steltz said. "Kevin had the opportunity to play in the Sugar Bowl and win a national championship. I had the opportunity to be at that game and watch it. It's a tremendous feeling now for me to have an opportunity to go back home and play in front of your family and friends and play in your hometown for a national title."
Kevin and his wife of six months Candice will be in the dome with Keith and Linda watching Craig. Four years before it was Craig as a senior at Rummel in that seat with his uncle Ricky Couget and Keith and Linda.
"This is icing on the cake," said Kevin Steltz, who works in medical sales. "For him to be able to watch me win the national championship, and now I get to do the same thing if they can pull it out. I'm so glad it worked out for him this way. We always thought it might. We couldn't ask for anything better."
And Craig did not think it was going to happen back on Nov. 23 when the Tigers were upset by unranked Arkansas 50-48 in triple overtime in Tiger Stadium.
"I did think it was over. A lot of guys did," Steltz said. "It was a different feeling walking around here. But we knew we still had a chance if we beat Tennessee. The other teams (Missouri and West Virginia) lost, and it all worked out. I thought it was something crazy and out of this world that had to happen. I'v never seen something crazy happen like this. It's tremendous, awesome. It's been a crazy season. And now me and my brother could be national champions."
On Jan. 7, Steltz will look in the Superdome stands behind the LSU bench and find his brother. This time Craig will be wearing the helmet.
"For some reason, I thought about this happening my freshman year here," Steltz said. "I remember just looking down the road and I said, 'Hey man, the big dance is going to be in New Orleans my senior year. There would be nothing more special - two brothers who could be national champions.'"
Uncle Ricky was the first to do the math four years ago.
"I told Craig after we beat Oklahoma, 'See you out here in four years,'" Couget said. "I've been saying that all along. It's the impossible dream. I mean, you can't script things like this."
http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071205/S PORTS0202/712050315
©Gannett Louisiana Newspapers
December 5, 2007
