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Ex-LSU star Steltz works his way back
April 25, 2008
By Glenn Guilbeau
gguilbeau@gannett.com
BATON ROUGE  Craig Steltz is just about back where he was, which was making a bone jarring tackle right out of the tackling textbook. Unfortunately, the last one he made fractured one of his bones.
Steltz is nearing full recovery from a hairline fracture of his scapula, or shoulder blade, in the national championship game last Jan. 7.
"It was just a head-on tackle like I've made a thousand times," Steltz said this week. "It just happened. I guess it hit in the perfect spot to hurt it."
Steltz stopped Ohio State running back Brandon Saine after a 22-yard completion at the LSU 21 with the game tied 10-10 midway in the second quarter. He tried to play the next play, which was a third-and-3 from the LSU 21.
"I couldn't even lift my arm," he said.
Still, the defense held. After an incompletion on third down, Ricky Jean-Francois blocked a field goal. LSU took over and scored three unanswered touchdowns for a 31-10 lead and was off to a 38-24 victory for the national title. Steltz, a first team Walter Camp and ESPN All-American and Thorpe Award finalist, had to do something he has rarely done. He had to watch the rest of the game.
"I'd never been hurt in college enough to miss a game," Steltz said. "I never missed a whole game in high school either. It was hard. But I had an opportunity to play in two quarters of the national championship game, and I played in the 13 games before that. I grew up wanting to play for LSU in the national championship game, and I did. So it wasn't that bad."
Steltz remained in pain for weeks though, barely able to lift his arm. He had to miss the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which is ideal for mid-round draft hopefuls to improve their stock. He could not work out at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Finally, his shoulder healed without surgery. He impressed NFL personnel at LSU's Pro Day last month.
"It's almost all the way back," Steltz said. "The only thing is I need is to get the muscle stronger. It wasn't displaced so it didn't need surgery. I'm ready to go."
Steltz was worried right after the injury, but in the end he will likely not hurt his draft position. He was considered a fourth or fifth rounder before the injury and is still in that range.
"I'm expecting to be a Sunday pick," he said. "The third, fourth or fifth round. That'll be great. It'll be exciting."
Steltz was scheduled to be honored this morning at his alma mater Rummel High School in Metairie, where his No. 10 jersey for the Raiders will become the first retired number in the 40-plus years of the school. He is also the first All-American out of Rummel and will be the highest draft choice.
"He's a very tough kid," NFL draft expert Mike Detillier said. "He'll come up and knock you into next week. And he's a leader. It said a lot about him that he was voted a team captain at LSU last year because he had not started a lot before his senior year."
Steltz, who waited behind starting safety Jessie Daniels for most of his career before 2007, led LSU in tackles in 2007 with 97, including 66 solos. He had 16 tackles each against Florida and Arkansas. He also was No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference and No. 8 nationally with six interceptions.
"He's not great in man coverage because he doesn't have great speed," Detillier said. "But he's smart. He's alert. He understands the passing game. He would be great on a zone coverage team like Tampa, Denver, Indianapolis, Chicago, New England. Those teams play a lot of coverages, and he would fit in there very well. He's got to get stronger, but the injury has really not dropped him. I know the scouts like how he catches the ball."
Steltz has visited the Baltimore Ravens and had talks with the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears, among others.
"I'm ready to get going," Steltz, who usually can't stand not doing anything. "It was hard when I was hurt because for a long time, I couldn't work out. It's time."
