1 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Hey, Queen of the conn listeners, Jonathan Walton here with 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: a brand new podcast for you to listen to. It's 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: called The Quarterback and the con Artist. You thought the 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Irish Heiress was bad? Who will get a load of 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: this psychopath? Here now is episode one. This series deals 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: with troubling topics including suicide, drug overdosing, and dependent adult abuse. 7 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: If you or someone you know is struggling with depression 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: or suicidal thoughts, call her text nine to eighty eight 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: right now and speak with a counselor for free. 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 2: Dearly beloved and honored guests, we are gathered here today 11 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 2: to witness the coming. 12 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 3: Together with these TV. 13 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: It's ten am on December twenty second, twenty sixteen. Fifty 14 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: two year old Eric Kramer is standing with his forty 15 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: three year old bride, Courtney Baird, about to get married. 16 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: Marriage is a sacred institution. It's a tradition of partnership, 17 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 2: of trust, and of dependence on one another. 18 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: The setting is just beautiful at the picturesque Santa Barbara Courthouse, 19 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: a cavernous historic ninety year old building with Spanish Colonial 20 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: Revival architecture, terra cotta tiled floors, Baroque old world murals 21 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: on the walls, illuminated by gargantuan antique chandeliers. 22 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 2: Eric Kramer, do you take Courtney bar as your lovely 23 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 2: wedded wife? Will you honor and cherish her love, trust, 24 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 2: and commit to her through joy and pain, sickness and 25 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 2: health until death stayed part. 26 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: This is actually a civil ceremony, one of several civil 27 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: ceremonies scheduled at the courthouse today, But this wedding is 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: uniquely different from the rest. 29 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 2: Courtney Bear, do you take Eric Kramer as your lawfully 30 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 2: wedded husband? 31 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: You're actually witnessing a top secret event. No one in 32 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,959 Speaker 1: the groom's life knows this wedding is even taking place 33 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: today because the groom, Eric Kramer, a retired NFL quarterback 34 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: with millions of dollars in the bank, is suffering from 35 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: a severe traumatic brain injury. He's got the mental capacity 36 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: of a six year old. At this point, he should 37 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: not have the ability to consent to getting married. Yet 38 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: here he is saying, I do. 39 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 2: By the power of a shid in me by the 40 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,679 Speaker 2: State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. 41 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: You may kiss the bride, but. 42 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: The bride in this case is a conniving con artist, 43 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: and at this very moment, she's exploiting a gaping loophole 44 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: in the criminal justice system. 45 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 4: Courtney was stealing from him. 46 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 5: Oh she was milk and I'm for every cent he had. 47 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: What do you think she was thinking this marriage would 48 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: do for her? 49 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 4: This secret marriage was a way to keep taking his money. 50 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 6: It would give her immunity from any type of criminal 51 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 6: prosecution because they're married. 52 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 5: What's his hers? What's hers? 53 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: I'm Jonathan Walton and this is The Quarterback and the 54 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: con Artist, Episode one. She was a gold digger. I'm 55 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: not a football guy. I don't think I've ever seen 56 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: an entire football game from start to end. It's November 57 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. I'm sitting at a table now in 58 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: the Greater Los Angeles area home of retired NFL quarterback 59 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: Eric Kramer, confessing my object ignorance and my lack of 60 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: passion for the sport of football. Like football holds no 61 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: interest for me. But I just finished reading Eric Kramer's 62 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: book titled The Ultimate Comeback, and it blew my mind. 63 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: It starts out being about football, but then it turns 64 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: into this insane, sweeping tale with crazy twists and turns 65 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 1: not to mention the rise and fall of a sinister 66 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: con woman who infiltrates Eric's life and steals hundreds of 67 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: thousands of dollars from him. And I just can't help 68 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: but gush about the book now that I'm sitting in 69 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 1: front of the Eric Kramer himself. But your book, your 70 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: story is just so compelling and so dramatic and gut wrenching, 71 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: and it has a happy ending, right, It's inspiring, It 72 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,359 Speaker 1: has a hopeful ending. Why write it? What made you 73 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: think you could or should or would? Why did you? 74 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 3: It was something that I want. I wanted to do 75 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 3: initially for Griffin and Dylan, Eric's two sons. The feedback 76 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 3: I got from other people was unexpected. How other people 77 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 3: relate to what happened for me has happened to millions 78 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 3: of others. And I think that's what's become most gratifying 79 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 3: is it's gone beyond what I even thought it would be. 80 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: Eric Kramer rises to fame in the early nineteen nineties 81 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: as a celebrated quarterback. He plays for the New Orleans Saints, 82 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: the Atlanta Falcons, the Calgary Stampeders, the Detroit Lions, the 83 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: Chicago Bears, and the San Diego Chargers. But what's truly 84 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: fascinating about Eric Kramer's career is growing up, it didn't 85 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: really seem like he'd ever make it to the NFL. 86 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 5: We went to those little, tiny Catholic high schools Angenevi. 87 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,159 Speaker 5: Who's high school OUP in Panorama City. 88 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: That's Chris German, one of Eric's childhood friends. 89 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 6: We would carpool together, we played on the same team. 90 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 6: You know, we were just high school buddies, you know, 91 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 6: little knuckleheads rolling to school together. 92 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: And could you see back then that he was destined 93 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: for the NFL? Was that obvious? 94 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 3: No? 95 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: He was good. 96 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 6: He was a good athlete, definitely had the drive, you know, 97 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 6: and he was a good quarterback, but pro caliber not 98 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 6: so much. 99 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:28,679 Speaker 5: At the time. 100 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 6: And what changed, obviously his perseverance and his drive and 101 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 6: his vision and the people he surrounded him with. I mean, 102 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 6: you meet that guy, you know, he's he's got a drive, 103 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 6: just putting his nose to the grindstone and going for it, 104 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 6: and he's stuck with it, and you know, he made 105 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 6: it find it. 106 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: Eric Kramer is living proof that it doesn't really matter 107 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: what kind of hand your delt in life, you can 108 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: still end up winning the whole game. 109 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,559 Speaker 3: I worked hard at it. I physically train all the time, 110 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 3: I watched a ton of film. I was naturally very tight, 111 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 3: like non flexible, so then I stretched and I was 112 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 3: naturally very slow, so then I got faster just because 113 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 3: I ran. I was everything physically you wouldn't want to be, 114 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 3: but then decided to be something different. 115 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: I don't know anything about football, but I've read a 116 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: lot about you, and I've read a lot about what 117 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: other players and coaches have said about you publicly in 118 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: the press. I get the impression you weren't the fastest player, 119 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: you weren't the strongest player, you weren't the best performing player, 120 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: but you were the smartest player. You treated that football 121 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: field like a chessboard, and you planned your moves, and 122 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: you studied harder than anyone else. Is that a fair assessment? 123 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: Is that how you see yourself? Am I wrong? Am 124 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: I crazy? 125 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 3: I think that is right. I don't think you're wrong, 126 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 3: and I don't think you're crazy. Other than being the 127 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: most obviously talented physically or otherwise person, there are other 128 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 3: ways to do the job and get it done. Because 129 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 3: a lot of this, I don't care what sport it 130 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 3: is you're playing, or whatever it is you're doing in life. 131 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 3: It's not always filled with success. The process of getting 132 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 3: better is filled with falling down and then hopefully getting 133 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 3: back up and finding ways to get back up only 134 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 3: do it better next time. 135 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 7: We always struggled with talent, I mean the talent in 136 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 7: that division. It was Brett Farb and Reggie White and 137 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 7: Barry Sanders. 138 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: That's former NFL coach Dave Wantstad. He hand picks Eric Kramer. 139 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 7: Eric checked all the boxes that we were looking for. 140 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: To be starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears in nineteen 141 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: ninety four, and Eric goes on to win some big 142 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: games while playing for the Bears, especially against the venerated 143 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys. 144 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 7: I remember being in that locker room and winning that 145 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 7: game on national TV and just looking at the players, 146 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 7: and I remember specifically Eric, obviously because he was a quarterback, 147 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 7: saying we're going places. 148 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 5: We're going to make some noise this year. 149 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: And Eric credits part of his success as an NFL 150 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: quarterback to doctor Kevin Wildenhaus and the visualization technique he 151 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: showed Eric how to utilize to dial in his game. 152 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 3: He taught me about this sort of deep breathing and 153 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 3: meditation and sort of guided imagery where you could put 154 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 3: yourself somewhere in a relaxed state before you ever got there, 155 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 3: and you could start imagining what would happen, whether it 156 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 3: be during a game or not during a game, and 157 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 3: kind of sees the world as it's going to happen 158 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 3: before it happens, and then it can happen. 159 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: So while the fans are screaming and coaches are barking orders, 160 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: Eric gets quiet, goes inside himself and maps out what 161 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: to do next. 162 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 3: It was the calmest I'd ever been while things were happening. 163 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 3: So Kevin Wilbinhouse, he was the glove that all the 164 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 3: other fingers finally fit into. 165 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: Add to that, Eric Kramer has a drive and a 166 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: determination that goes far beyond most other athletes. For instance, 167 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety, when he gets dumped by his agent 168 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: after being cut from the team he was playing for 169 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: at the time, the Calgary Stampeders, Eric's future looks bleak 170 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: and his prospects are nonexistent. No agent wants to sign him, 171 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: and it really looks like his career in the NFL 172 00:10:55,679 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: is over. But instead of quit football and giving up 173 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: agents be damned. Eric actually picks up the phone himself 174 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: and makes calls to all twenty eight teams in the NFL, 175 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: offering them his services as quarterback. 176 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 3: I would call the main number and you know, asks 177 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 3: to speak to their I don't know, scouting department. Whoever 178 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 3: answered the phone was like, sure, we'll connect you with that. 179 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 3: You know, no one ever picked up, or if they did, 180 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 3: they're like, okay, thanks. There was kind of my last 181 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 3: ditch effort. 182 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: Really, and all those teams pretty much ignore Eric Kramer. 183 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 1: You can hardly blame them. That's just not how the 184 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: NFL works. You can't randomly call up a team and 185 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: tell them you're available and expect them to hire you. 186 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: And yet, out of the twenty eight phone calls Eric makes. 187 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 3: The Lions were the one team that called me back, and. 188 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety one, Eric becomes starting quarterback for the 189 00:11:58,920 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: Detroit Lion. 190 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 3: I mean it was just serendipitous, I guess, you know. 191 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 3: I mean, it's just somehow meant to be. I don't 192 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 3: know too many guys have called their way onto a team. 193 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: Another really fascinating moment in Eric's NFL career happens when 194 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: he's playing for the Chicago Bears. 195 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 3: It was I don't know, game four or five or 196 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:26,439 Speaker 3: something in nineteen ninety four, and I come out of 197 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 3: that game with a separated shoulder, right shoulder. 198 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,959 Speaker 1: And Eric is in tremendous pain as a right handed quarterback, 199 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: having a separated right shoulder means he can no longer 200 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: throw a football like at all. But Eric hires this 201 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: magical guru herbalist, guy who reportedly helps NFL great Joe 202 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: Montana Antenna beat Chaste. He throws on the right. 203 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 5: Oh what a thrill. 204 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: How's that bred heal his throwing arm after he was 205 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: badly injured. So Eric flies this herbalist out to Chicago 206 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: and he sets up shop in Eric's kitchen. He's got 207 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: all kinds of weird potions and powders and ingredients that 208 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: he's mixing up and it smells like the stench of death. 209 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 3: He's over the stove eventually cooking something in there. I 210 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 3: don't know. He tells me there's deer tendon and there's 211 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 3: other kind of stuff in here, and I was like, 212 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,439 Speaker 3: I didn't think twice about it. I'm like, all right, great, 213 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 3: and he's like, here, drink this. 214 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: The herbalist hands Eric a cup of this death smelling swill, 215 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: this deer tendon djure, and Eric gulps it down because 216 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: he's desperate to get his throwing arm back at this point, 217 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: and he'll try anything lo and behold. A couple hours later, 218 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: Eric's shoulder actually feels fine. The pain is gone. 219 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 3: I'm out in the backyard out throwing to him, and 220 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 3: it was feeling really good, literally throwing passes in the 221 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 3: backyard with a separated shoulder that now doesn't hurt. So 222 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 3: there was some time there that like, I be okay, 223 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 3: this is actually gonna work. I can go practice tomorrow. 224 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: So Eric goes to bed that night feeling great. But 225 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: the next morning he wakes up and kneels at the 226 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: altar of the porcelain God and barfs his guts out. 227 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 3: I throw everything up and I couldn't feel worse like sick. 228 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: And Eric's shoulder pain is back with a vengeance. 229 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 3: So so apparently it wasn't as magical as it may 230 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 3: have seen it first, my shoulder whatever a little glimmer 231 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 3: of hope I had, thinking I could play with this thing. 232 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 3: I could. 233 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: Eric Kramer endures a lot of stops and starts like that, 234 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: and a lot of highs and lows during his storied 235 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: thirteen year professional football career. Though it's not until he's 236 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: recovering from a traumatic brain injury that a tall, blonde 237 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: con artist she was a goalbigger named Courtney Baird. 238 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 8: Well, first of I don't call off Courtney to me. 239 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: Her name is Corny sinks her hooks into a severely 240 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: brain damaged Eric Kramer. 241 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 4: We're just looking for him to get better, get better, 242 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 4: get better. Do your treatment go in He was being 243 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 4: treated every day, five days a week. We would not 244 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 4: think that anybody would be coming in here and trying 245 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 4: to steal from him. That would just be cruel. 246 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: But to understand how a devious con woman can gain 247 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: access and control of a mentally infirmed Eric Kramer, you 248 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: have to understand the root cause of Eric's brain injury 249 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: and the clear and present danger of playing professional football. 250 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 9: This morning a devastating blow to the NFL. Ninety nine 251 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 9: percent of deceased players' brains examined in a new study 252 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 9: showed signs of CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to 253 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 9: repeated hits to the head. 254 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 3: This is much more common in football players than we 255 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 3: previously anticipated. 256 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: CTE or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a brain disease that 257 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: causes depression, anxiety, mood changes, memory loss, erratic behavior, and 258 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,359 Speaker 1: a host of other neurological disorders. 259 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 10: There's been a number of football players that have committed 260 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 10: suicide right that have had these brain injuries, and it's 261 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 10: been ascribed to this repeated head trauma. 262 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: In his line of work, I'm. 263 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 10: A head and neck surgeon, a maxillofacial trauma surgeon in Northridge, California. 264 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: Doctor Mark Kerner sees brain injury every single day. 265 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 10: CTE is neurotrauma, brain trauma that's from repeated injury to 266 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 10: the head, so repeated blows to the head, and it 267 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 10: was first described in football players by a pathologist. The 268 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 10: theory is is from repeated blows to the head as 269 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 10: football players get it causes this prolonged and profound brain 270 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 10: damage that was initially very difficult to diagnose but now 271 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 10: can be seen on autopsy. So it has some very 272 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 10: characteristic findings on pathology correlated with their pre death behavior. 273 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 10: And I'm a big, huge football fan. I watch it 274 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 10: every weekend. When you see these guys hit the turf 275 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 10: with their helmet, you know that's a blow too, And 276 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 10: even though they don't have quote unquote a concussion, I 277 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 10: mean they hit their heads pretty hard on this turf 278 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 10: or even on the grass, and you just like I 279 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 10: always cringe when I see that. So it's not only 280 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 10: just a blow to the head, but it's these swipes, 281 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 10: it's these hitting the ground hard, it's all these things. 282 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 10: And I think the helmets have improved dramatically. Even though 283 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 10: it doesn't reduce the severity of these injuries to zero, 284 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 10: we still see a lot of players get concussions. 285 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: And I've seen the imaging of the head getting hit 286 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 1: and just the brain just slashes around. It's like a 287 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: car accident in your head. 288 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,439 Speaker 10: Yeah, So exactly what's happening is the brain's encased in 289 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 10: a pretty tight cavity, and just like you said, as 290 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 10: it gets it goes hits from side to side, you 291 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 10: get shearing of neurons, and that sharing trauma not only 292 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 10: probably kills off some neurons, but creates sort of micro 293 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 10: scarring in the brain in different areas of the brain, 294 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 10: which results in the symptoms and the memory loss and 295 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 10: maybe even the depression and some of the other psychiatric 296 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 10: type diseases that comes with that, and the behavioral changes 297 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 10: and impulse control that football players who have been known 298 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 10: to suffer from have, and I think the NFL is 299 00:18:57,920 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 10: trying to deal with it. It's why they have the 300 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 10: new trauma specialists on the sidelines. And you know, it's 301 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,120 Speaker 10: basically from having repeated concussions, but. 302 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: The symptoms of CTE are many and they can really 303 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 1: wreak havoc in a person's life. 304 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 8: It's akin to like a personality disorder, and it's like 305 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 8: we're one second everything's fine, and then the next it's 306 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 8: it's not. It's like turbulent in that way. 307 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: That's twenty six year old Dylan Kramer, Eric's son. 308 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 8: My dad was my hero growing up, and I wanted 309 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 8: to be just like him. I always looked up to 310 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 8: him to the way that he went about doing things 311 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 8: that you know, he would set a goal and then 312 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 8: stick to it with a high level of discipline. 313 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 1: You really do look a lot like your dad, Yeah, 314 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,640 Speaker 1: a lot. You got you got the Eric Kramer face, Yeah, 315 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: I get that a lot. What's it like being the 316 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: son of an NFL quarterback? 317 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 8: You know, it's definitely an excuse to get picked first 318 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 8: in whatever sport they thought. 319 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: You're Eric Kramer's kid, you must be good yeah, and 320 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: they pick. Yeah. 321 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 8: So, like a year or two before high school, I 322 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 8: kind of gave up football and picked up lacrosse. And 323 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 8: I was really happy I did that at the time 324 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 8: because I was tired of dealing with all the expectations 325 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 8: and stuff to be good at football and whatnot. 326 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: Wow, you know, I never thought of that. Yeah, yeah, 327 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: I guess they do expect you because you're like this 328 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 1: big guy, you look like Eric Kramer. You must be 329 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: a good quarterback, or you must be good at football, 330 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 1: right right, exactly. So that's a lot of pressure. 331 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 8: Yeah, oh yeah, Well that doesn't make it clear. My 332 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 8: dad never put pressure on me to play football or 333 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 8: anything like that. I think he experienced that from his 334 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 8: family growing up, and he didn't want that for his kids. 335 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 8: So he did a great job of not doing that. 336 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: Like you were free to pursue anything, anyone, anything you 337 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:42,479 Speaker 1: want to be. He supported you anything. 338 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 8: For a little bit there, I wanted to be a pilot, 339 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 8: so on my birthdays he got me a flying lesson. 340 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: Like a pilot, like an airline pilot, or like a 341 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 1: jet fighter in the military in the US Air Force. 342 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 8: Like somehow, some way, we had gotten to go to 343 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 8: a legitimate flight simulator at some military base, but that 344 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 8: was almost autistic in a sense, like I knew every 345 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,919 Speaker 8: plane that was around, I knew like all their specifications, 346 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 8: all like everything like that. So I was really into it, 347 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 8: and he very much fostered that. 348 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: Dylan is just ten years old at that point, but 349 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 1: as the years pass, he notices drastic changes in his 350 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: dad's personality. Do you blame CTE for what happened to 351 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: your dad? Yeah? 352 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 8: Yeah, yeah, in a huge ass and I think it's 353 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 8: the biggest factor. 354 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 1: Can say, you can totally say huge ass dude in 355 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: a huge ass way. 356 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 8: In a huge ass way, that is easily the biggest 357 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 8: factor in my opinion. Yeah, because I think that affected 358 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 8: his ability to connect with people like his family, his son, 359 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 8: both sons, you know, and that was kind of a 360 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 8: hard thing for me to sort of grasp. I definitely 361 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 8: think he is the biggest contributor by far. I don't 362 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 8: think that he was aware of what was going on, 363 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,120 Speaker 8: I genuinely don't. I think he was trying an absolute 364 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 8: artist to figure it out, like going to a bunch 365 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 8: of different doctors and professional help and all that sort 366 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 8: of stuff, and you know, obviously nothing really works. 367 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 5: And. 368 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,479 Speaker 8: Yeah, I think he is a huge reason for that 369 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 8: for sure. 370 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,639 Speaker 1: And it was during the height of his NFL career 371 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: that Eric Kramer starts becoming sort of a different person. Listen, 372 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: head trauma is a hell of a thing, and in 373 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: Eric's life, violent hits to the head start young. Looking back, 374 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: it's hard to even calculate just how many times Eric 375 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: is either hit in the head by another player or 376 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 1: how many times his head actually hits the ground during a. 377 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 3: Tackle without having to go back and do all the resource. 378 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 3: I would say five hundred wouldn't seem like a lot. 379 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,439 Speaker 4: Well, you're also talking during practices as well. 380 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: That's on a Jurgen. She went to high school with 381 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: Eric and she's known him and watched him play since 382 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 1: they were both teenagers. 383 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 4: How many days of practice did you get in youth football, 384 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 4: high school and stuff, but in college too during practices 385 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 4: because you're trying, everyone's trying to make the team, so 386 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 4: you're going to try extra hard, harder, and you're going 387 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 4: to hit that ground. And that's why I always kept saying, 388 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 4: it wasn't the little concussions, it's that hits that when 389 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 4: he fell to the ground, your neck hitting the ground, 390 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:43,160 Speaker 4: your neck head hit the ground. I don't care if 391 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 4: you have that helmet or not. I would say it's 392 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 4: well over two three thousand. 393 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: Three thousand hits to the head over a person's lifetime 394 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: is inordinately damaging. 395 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 3: Not to mention, there's all kinds of ways for you 396 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,199 Speaker 3: heading to hit. It could be slammed on the ground, 397 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 3: it could be a helmet to helmet with somebody else. 398 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 3: It could be someone's nee to your head who's trying 399 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 3: to jump over you but don't quite get over you. 400 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,160 Speaker 3: There was only one time I was ever knocked out, 401 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 3: and that was in high school playing safety, and my 402 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 3: helmet while playing safety hit someone else on offense and 403 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 3: I got knocked out. So if you would have asked 404 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 3: me ten years ago how many concussions you had, I 405 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 3: said one. But knowing what we know now and what 406 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 3: constitutes a concussion, I would say many more than that. 407 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: And the cumulative effect of all those concussions and all 408 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 1: that brain trauma sneaks up on Eric Kramer one day. 409 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:47,159 Speaker 1: His brain just stops working right, and suddenly, for the 410 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: first time in his life, depression hits him hard, seemingly 411 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: out of nowhere. 412 00:24:54,960 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 3: Depression. When it seizes you, it by definition dry you inward. 413 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 3: It does the opposite of what you would think. It 414 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 3: kind of takes your whole perspective of this era of 415 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 3: view of your life and it shrinks it down into 416 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 3: the size of a key hole. And then sometimes there's 417 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 3: not much light in there. Now. 418 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: Eric Kramer has always been a fighter. He's always persevered 419 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,439 Speaker 1: through tough times, and he's always found victory on the 420 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:29,399 Speaker 1: other side. Remember, this is a guy who after his 421 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 1: team and his agent dump him and he has every 422 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: reason in the world to wallow and self defeat and pity. 423 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: He gets up, dusts himself off, and makes personal phone 424 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: calls to twenty eight different teams and actually gets picked 425 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: up by one of them. So Eric Kramer has a 426 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: documented history of pushing through hard times. But in nineteen 427 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: ninety four, when he's playing for the Chicago Bears, something 428 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: changes in Rik Kramer's brain. 429 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 3: I kind of lost this sense of I don't know 430 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 3: purpose is the right word. 431 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,679 Speaker 1: At this point. Eric has sustained thousands of hits to 432 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: the head over the years, playing football in high school 433 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: and college, then playing for the New Orleans Saints, the 434 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: Atlanta Falcons, the Calgary Stampeders, the Detroit Lions, and now 435 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: playing for the Chicago Bears. 436 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 3: It's a tough hill to climb, and now the whole 437 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 3: world's watching. If you're told to walk across a line, right, 438 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:39,120 Speaker 3: you can do that, no problem. But now you put 439 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 3: that line up five hundred feet in the air and 440 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 3: it's still the same line, but the consequence is all 441 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 3: different if you misstep. 442 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: Eric had a bad game playing for the Bears against 443 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: the Green Bay Packers, and he blamed himself for everything 444 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:05,479 Speaker 1: that went wrong in that game, and suddenly, through the 445 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: lens of depression, that loss eclipses everything else in his world, 446 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: and his outlook on life changes in that instant and 447 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,119 Speaker 1: things get really really dark. 448 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 3: I all of a sudden felt like, okay, here I 449 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 3: was scrapping, scratching and clawing just to even be here. Well, 450 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 3: now I am here, and now I'm not even holding 451 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 3: up my end of the bargain, and so coming in 452 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:38,239 Speaker 3: every day was just strange in that way, and it 453 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:43,159 Speaker 3: was hard for me to walk around with much confidence, 454 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 3: knowing that I was brought in here to do something 455 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 3: that I'm now no longer doing, and even one I 456 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 3: was doing it, I wasn't doing it all that well, 457 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 3: and so I think that's when it first sort of 458 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 3: struck me as that feeling of anxiousness, you know, like, 459 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 3: h do I have to look people in the eye 460 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 3: to day? And then eventually that led to me not 461 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 3: even want to get out of bed. And that's the 462 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 3: first experience I'd ever had with feeling that way. But 463 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 3: it doesn't go away. So it's not like, oh, it's 464 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 3: here today and then I'll sleep it off. He'll be 465 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 3: gone tomorrow. No, No, it's here for day and then another, 466 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 3: and then another in a week, and then another week. 467 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,679 Speaker 3: Maybe it's here for good and this is how I'm 468 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 3: going to go to the rest of my life. That's 469 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 3: the first time I'd ever experienced anything like that, And 470 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 3: so it was hard. It was just it was hard 471 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 3: to be anywhere. It was hard to be anywhere that 472 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 3: wasn't bad. Even bed didn't feel good, eating didn't feel good. Nothing, 473 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 3: no conversation. It's not like somebody could say, hey, Eric, 474 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 3: here's something to think about. This will make you feel better. Nope, 475 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 3: I didn't have me. 476 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: That was back in nineteen ninety four. Eric would start 477 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: battling depression on and off for the next twenty years, 478 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: sometimes through counseling and medication, Eric's depression gets better and 479 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: everything seems to be going okay. But a series of 480 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:25,719 Speaker 1: unforeseen tragic events pushes Eric Kramer to the brink, and 481 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 1: he finds himself sitting in a motel room the good 482 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 1: night in with a loaded gun pointing to his head. 483 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 4: The thought of him taking his life didn't even never 484 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 4: even cross my mind. 485 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: When Eric Kramer pulls the trigger that day back in 486 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: August of twenty fifteen, the bullet explodes out of that gun, 487 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: rips through his skull, and comes out the other end. 488 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: There's blood everywhere, on the wall, on the bed, on 489 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,479 Speaker 1: the nightstand. There are chunks of flesh and bones strown 490 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: all over. Parts of Eric Kramer's head are literally blown off. 491 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: But here's the thing. Eric shockingly survives, and that actually 492 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: creates a unique opportunity for a crafty con woman to 493 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: insert herself into Eric's life and rob him blind. 494 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 4: There's eighty pictures or so of her at the ATM 495 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 4: machine in a two month time. 496 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: Span with his ATM card. 497 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 4: His ATM card. 498 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: To check out the next episode, just search the Quarterback 499 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: and the con Artist anywhere you get your podcasts and 500 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: subscribe and click play. Episode two is streaming right now. 501 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.