Erik Kramer

Erik Kramer is an American former football quarterback. He attended John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California. After attending Pierce College and playing as their quarterback, Kramer transferred to North Carolina State University. He was not drafted by an NFL team, but did see action in 1987, when he played for the Atlanta Falcons as a replacement player during the NFL players strike. He would then spend some time in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders. Kramer would return to the NFL in 1991, when he became a surprise starter for the Detroit Lions after injuries sidelined Rodney Peete. Kramer played in 13 games, led the Lions to a 12–4 record, their only playoff victory since 1962, and a trip to the NFC Championship Game.

After retiring from the NFL, Kramer went into sports broadcasting, covering the Detroit Lions as an in-studio analyst and then the Chicago Bears.

Kramer appeared as himself in an episode of Married... with Children, during which the series' protagonist, Al Bundy, sells his soul in order to lead the Bears to the Super Bowl.

On October 30, 2011, Kramer's 18-year-old son, Griffen, a senior at Thousand Oaks High School, was found dead at a friend's home from a heroin overdose. Sheriff’s investigators charged four people, including two juveniles, with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance.

On August 18, 2015, Kramer attempted suicide by renting a hotel room several miles away from his home and shooting himself in the head. Because of his inexperience with firearms, the shot failed to inflict a fatal wound and Kramer survived. According to Kramer's ex-wife, her husband has a "beautiful soul" but is not the same man she married due to head injuries suffered during his time as an NFL quarterback. Kramer attributed the suicide attempt to existing depression, made worse by Griffen's death and the deaths of both of his parents from cancer. The antidepressants Kramer had been taking to manage his depression were no longer effective nor were any other attempts to treat his condition. Kramer did not rule out that head injuries were a factor in his worsening mood but also noted that he lacked the ability to assess whether close family members truly loved him or knew he loved them even before his playing career.

In the months following the event, a woman named Cortney Baird convinced Kramer to marry her despite Kramer admittedly having the mental capacity of a preschooler at the time and the courts consented to the marriage. However, per legal documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Kramer said he "suffered a traumatic brain injury" after attempting suicide in 2015 that "left him with a lack of mental capacity to legally consent to marriage."

On June 13, 2018, Baird called police and reported Kramer had committed domestic violence. In February 2020, Los Angeles County dropped the domestic violence charges against Kramer but Baird was arrested and charged with 12 felonies, including counts of elder abuse, identity theft and forgery. In petitioning to have his marriage annulled, Kramer said Baird stole $50,000 from him before they were married. Kramer added that Baird "exerted undue influence upon me to convince me, given my weakened mental state, that her actions were not wrongful" before the couple got married in 2016. On January 28, 2019, a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles nullified the marriage.

Kramer eventually regained his mental faculties in 2020, describing the event as a "wak(ing) up." The extensive rehabilitation also cured Kramer of his long-existing depression to the point where he now, as of 2021, lives a largely normal life.

Erik has been on a mission to share his story and give hope to others with depression. Erik’s story is chronicled in detail in his best-selling book with journalist William Croyle, "The Ultimate Comeback: Surviving a Suicide Attempt, Conquering Depression and Living with a Purpose." The book was published on November 6, 2023 and is endorsed by nearly two dozen athletes, coaches and broadcasters, including Barry Sanders, Dave Wannstedt, Brent Musburger, Peter King, Laura Okmin and Dan Wetzel.