For the past six years, Doug Kramer has spent the majority of his time in or around Memorial Stadium. As the Illini's starting center since 2017, Kramer has played 39 games with the team, dedicating nearly every day of his college life to Illinois football.
But living on the football field isn't something new to Kramer, nor is it a bother. It satisfies a dream he's had since he was old enough to watch sports — when his bedroom, and really anything he owned, was bright orange or when his flag football team was named "The Illini."
Both of his parents — Lisa and Doug Kramer Sr. — graduated from Illinois in the early '90s and were active alumni, taking their kids to any Illini football or basketball game they could, from the Rose Bowl to the Sugar Bowl to the 2005 National Championship game.
"Just coming around here, as a kid, I loved it," Kramer said. "Both my parents went here, so they loved it. You know, I was rolling around on the (football) field as like a four-year-old. From that point on, I knew I just I always wanted to come here."
Because Lisa had a connection to one of the staff members in the early 2000's, her kids always got to play on the field after the games. She, too, remembers Doug rolling around on the field or just running up and down it.
Lisa also remembers the tough times that came with her son being obsessed with the Illini.
"We always would have the games on. Doug was totally into it," Lisa said. "Like when he says he'd cry when the team lost. That's no joke. He was into it."
After years of playing flag football, Kramer first played tackle football in 5th grade while also staying involved in other sports. But after his freshman year of high school, he let go of everything else and solely focused on football.
By his junior year, he started to get attention from colleges and the offers began to trickle in. But the dream was still to be an Illini. So, he locked in and made the necessary improvements to be able to play at the Power-5 level, especially in the Big Ten at Illinois.
Offer after offer came through during his senior season, but there was still nothing from Illinois. As decision time was nearing, Kramer was still holding out hope for his dream school.
"I think he had over 17 offers to play college football for free and he came to me one day and was like, I think I just want to walk on at Illinois," Lisa said. "Which worked out obviously, he didn't walk on. It worked out in the end, but it was just like, that's the power of positive thinking. Like, 'I'm going to Illinois.'"
Finally, in January 2016, Kramer received his dream offer and committed to the Illini, the very last school to offer him a full scholarship. While his parents obviously remember him being excited, by the time he accepted the offer, he already had new dreams.
"He knew that that was just the beginning," Kramer Sr. said. "So, I think he just kind of resets his dreams and goals as it happens. Once he got the offer, then he started thinking about contributing and playing and being a big part of the team. So, he was excited, but I think he knew it was going to happen deep down."
Kramer's new goals have certainly been achieved as he's become an integral part of the Illini offense and is now a three-time captain of the team. Prior to missing the 2019 Redbox Bowl with an injury, Kramer had 27-straight starts. In 2019, PFF rated Kramer the No. 3 center among Power-5 teams.
While 2020 was a tough season for every college athlete, Kramer had to miss a few games due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols and a minor injury. But after returning for his final season, he earned several preseason honors and was named the No. 7 NFL Draft center prospect by Mel Kiper.
All of those achievements hold their own meaning to Kramer, but one of his goals coming into Illinois was just making his hometown and his family proud. And there's no doubt he's accomplished that as well.
"I think everyone that's from Illinois on the offensive line takes a ton of pride in it," Kramer said. "Just the whole team, everyone from Illinois, they recognize that they're representing their home state. Their parents, family members and loved ones can come to the games, they can watch. And that means a lot to a lot of people on this team, not just me. So yeah, it's super important. You got to take pride in the state you come from."
With Kramer being from Hinsdale, Ill., about a two-hour drive from Champaign, his parents have never missed a game he's played in. While the Kramer's have dedicated a good chunk of their time to Doug's football career, it's not something they'd be willing to miss.
Watching their son go from rolling around in Memorial Stadium to leading the Illini offense on the same field is priceless.
"Just to see him run out on the field, it's awesome," Kramer Sr. said. "There's really no special moment other than when you just see him running out and you know how important it is to him. And then at the end of the day to see him smiling and having fun. You see him smiling and that makes it all worth it."
