* Nominated for 2010 Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team®
* 2010 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Preseason Team
* 2010 Phil Steele’s College Preview All-MVFC First Team
* 2009 All-MVFC Second Team
* 2009 Phil Steele’s College Preview All-MVFC Second Team
* 2009 All-MVFC Preseason Team Honorable Mention
* 2008-09 MVFC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award
* 2008-09 MVFC Honor Roll
Enters fall camp as the starting defensive tackle ... Part of impressive front wall for the NDSU defense ... Increased strength, size and quickness ... Started in 21 of 33 games played at NDSU ... Nominated for the 2010 Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team® ... Selected to the preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and Phil Steele’s College Preview All-MVFC first team ... 2009 SEASON (JUNIOR): Started in all 11 games ... Named to 2009 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference second team by vote of coaches and media ... In final conference statistics, tied for 2nd in fumbles recovered, tied for 5th in tackles for loss and tied for 9th in sacks ... Honorable mention on All-MVFC preseason team ... Named to Phil Steele’s College Preview All-MVFC second team ... Fourth on team with 50 tackles including 22 solos, 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks ... Recovered a pair of fumbles ... The 10.5 tackles for loss were tied for team-high ... Twice had a career-high nine tackles at South Dakota State (10-17-09) and vs. Youngstown State (11-21-09) ... Effort at SDSU included 2.5 tackles for loss ... Had 1.5 sacks vs. nationally-ranked UNI (10-10-09) and Youngstown State ... 2008 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Started in 10 of 11 games played Recorded a season-high eight tackles including a season best seven assisted tackles against Western Illinois (10-11-08) ... Credited with three solo tackles and a forced fumble at Wyoming (9-13-08) ... Notched a career-high two sacks at Missouri State (11-15-08) ... Part of defense that led NCAA Division I FCS in pass defense, and ranked 3rd in sacks, 5th in total defense and tackles for loss, 19th in scoring defense and 22nd in rush defense ... Finished with 32 tackles including 10 solos, six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks ... Added a blocked PAT against Austin Peay (8-28-08) ... Received MVFC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award ... Member of MVFC Honor Roll ... 2007 SEASON (FRESHMAN): Played in all 11 games including one start ... Credited with 30 tackles including 11 solos and 6.5 tackles for loss ... Added a pair of sacks including one at Central Michigan (9-22-07) ... Came up with a fumble recovery against Illinois State (11-3-07) ... Part of defensive unit that led the Great West in rushing defense, pass defense and total defense ... Recorded a season-high seven tackles against UC Davis (10-6-07) ... Made four tackles including a pair of tackles for loss in win over Minnesota (10-20-07) ... 2006 SEASON (REDSHIRT): Sat out the season as a redshirt in the Bison program ... HIGH SCHOOL: 2006 graduate of Stephen-Argyle Central High School ... Class salutatorian ... Three-year starter on the offensive and defensive line for Mark Kroulik at Stephen-Argyle High School ... Part of successful Storm football team that compiled a 52-1 record that included a 41-game winning streak ... From 2002-05, Stephen-Argyle won three Minnesota state 9-man championships and four section titles ... Named to the Associated Press all-state team and was the conference’s Most Valuable Lineman ... Two-time all-conference performer ... Honorable mention all-state as a junior ... Academic all-state in track & field ... Holds school records in both the shot put (52’ 11.5”) and discus (145’ 11”) ... Also an all-conference basketball player ... Four-year letterwinner in football, and earned three in basketball and two in track & field ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Earned state honors in choir and band ... Placed fourth at State Envirothon ... PERSONAL: Son of Richard and Cynthia Gratzek ... Has one brother, Kyle ... Majoring in ag systems management and ag economics ... Recipient of the Bob and Darlene Yaggie and (twice) Harvest Bowl Scholarships ... Worked for Bayer CropScience during 2009 summer as an associate scientest (chemical research) ... Active member of the Ag Systems Management and Ag Economic club.
Gratzek’s Career Bests
Solo Tackles: 5 vs. Youngstown State, 11-21-09; at South Dakota State, 10-17-09
Assisted Tackles: 7 vs. Western Illinois, 10-11-08
Tackles: 9 vs. Youngstown State, 11-21-09; at South Dakota State, 10-17-09
Tackles for Loss: 2.5 at South Dakota State, 10-17-09
Sacks: 2 at Missouri State, 11-15-08
DEFENSIVE POINT CHART
Season G UT AT TT FF FR P,BU-D INT BLK Pts. Sacks TFL
2007 11 11 19 30 0 1 1 0 0 164 2.0 6.5
2008 11 10 22 32 1 0 0 0 1 170 4.5 6.0
2009 11 22 28 50 0 2 0 0 0 282 3.0 10.5
Career 33 43 69 112 1 3 1 0 1 616 9.5 23.5
