Today, Gradkowski returns to his native Pittsburgh for a game against the Steelers in a city where his name still resonates with those who remember him as a high school legend.

Gradkowski’s NFL career is in its early stage, and he has a long way to go before people mention him among the likes of Johnny Unitas, George Blanda, Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Dan Marino.

Yet, back home, Gradkowski’s name carries as much significance as the aforementioned greats from western Pennsylvania — the so-called cradle of quarterbacks — for what he accomplished at Seton-La Salle High.

“Just to be mentioned with those guys is just kind of unbelievable,” Gradkowski said. “I don’t look at myself in the league of Dan Marino or Joe Montana. It’s neat to go home, because they always show you love.”

Gradkowski played in the esteemed Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League, which spawned Marino, Montana, Namath and Unitas. He shattered the conference and state passing records his senior season with 2,978 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Some of Gradkowski’s earliest recollections are of Marino, who starred at Central Catholic High and attended the University of Pittsburgh. Marino entered the NFL the year Gradkowski was born, 1983.

Kids from Pittsburgh hear all about the exploits quarterbacks reared in this area from the first time they pick up a football. Until he reached high school, Gradkowski donned the No. 13 Marino made famous and yearned to play quarterback.

The admiration from the locals, however, didn’t translate into nationwide recognition. Despite his high school success, Gradkowski was overlooked by the University of Pittsburgh and other high-profile programs. He jumped at his lone offer from a Division I school and bolted for Toledo.

“I never really wanted to stay home for college,” Gradkowski said. “Even if Pitt would have recruited me, I always wanted to get away to school, so maybe it was a good thing they never recruited me.”

Gradkowski enjoyed a record-breaking career at Toledo, throwing for 9,225 yards and 85 touchdowns. He completed 68.2 percent of his passes and also rushed for 1,018 yards.

Gradkowski was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft and started 11 games his rookie season. His coach, Jon Gruden, was smitten right away.

“This guy gets it done,” said Gruden, now a broadcaster on “Monday Night Football.” “He completes passes, and he’s very mobile. He’s an explosive guy. “… He’s a winner, and he’s a guy that has a charismatic flair to him. He’s a leader.”

Gradkowski said he expects as many as 100 friends, family members and well-wishers at today’s game. The trip home included a feast for numerous teammates at his mother’s house.

It won’t be the first time he has tested the allegiance of fans whose earliest memories include waving a Terrible Towel.

Today marks his third career start at Pittsburgh. This time, Gradkowski is better prepared for a game in the stadium where he watched games from the stands.

Last season, Gradkowski started against the Super Bowl-bound Steelers in the season finale, 26 days after he signed with the Cleveland Browns. He did so because of injuries to Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn and Ken Dorsey.

The results were predictable. Gradkowski completed 5 of 16 passes for 18 yards and a 1.0 passer rating in a 31-0 loss. The Steelers intercepted two of his passes and sacked him three times.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he expects to see a much more polished Gradkowski today.

“It was such different circumstances when he was in Cleveland a year ago,” Tomlin said last week. “When I watch him on tape, I see a guy that’s got very good accuracy and pretty good mobility, can release the ball from a variety of body positions and locations. It seems like he’s been a sparkplug for that offensive unit.”

http://www.mercurynews.com/

Published: May 8, 2006

TAMPA – Bruce Gradkowski was a third-grader playing on the fourth-grade basketball team when his ego got the best of him.

“I got a little cocky,” Gradkowski said.

A “whooping” by Dad took care of that, teaching Gradkowski a valuable lesson – don’t believe the hype, or more specifically, your own hype.

Lesson learned apparently, because as the Pittsburgh native grew up in the shadow of Pennsylvania greats such as Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Dan Marino, and eventually overshadowed them, in high school statistics anyway, Gradkowski grew more humbled.

“Coming out, I never worried about the stats or who to compare myself to,” said Gradkowski, who threw for 2,978 yards at Seton-LaSalle High School, more than Namath, Montana and Marino. “They always [drew comparisons to] Dan Marino, Joe Montana and Joe Namath, but those guys are on a whole new level. Just to be mentioned with them is an honor, but I know personally, I’m not near where I need to be in respect to them.”

Despite those gaudy numbers, Gradkowski didn’t catch the eye of college recruiters.

He put up big numbers everywhere, except for size.

At barely 6-foot-1, Gradkowski doesn’t stand as tall as the prototypical quarterback.

He believes that’s the main reason Toledo was the only Division I-A school to offer him a scholarship and why he lasted until the sixth round of the draft before the Bucs took him with the 194th pick.

“I think I’ve always been underestimated growing up,” he said. “When the draft came and I went in the sixth round, I said, ‘Hey, I’ve been here before, it’s nothing new.’ All I ask for is that chance, that opportunity and Coach [Jon] Gruden has given it to me.”

The Bucs wrapped up their three-day rookie minicamp Sunday. Having called most of the plays at Toledo from the line of scrimmage, Gradkowski had to get used to calling them from the huddle, but what he showed in the short time left quite an impression on Gruden.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence he’s going to be a player,” Gruden said. “We’ve just got to temper our enthusiasm and bring him along, but he really shows a quick, accurate arm. He’s got really good mobility. And he’s got a charisma about him that quarterbacks I think have to have.

“He did well for himself these first three days.”

Gruden admits he and the coaching staff were “harsh” on Gradkowski, but the rookie welcomes the tough love. It’s how he was raised and why he believes he thrives under pressure.

“My dad pushed me hard as a kid,” Gradkowski said. “He was always on me, on me, on me, so it pushed me to do better and to work harder and try to be the best. When I come to [work with] coaches like Coach Gruden, that’s who I feel I learn the best under, when coaches are hard and they demand so much out of you.”

Gradkowski’s father, Bruce Sr., coached him until he reached high school. He was the one responsible for sticking his son at the quarterback position.

“I grew to love it and I love it to this day,” Gradkowski said. “I come out here and I love having command of the offense.”

For now, it’s not Gradkowski’s offense to command. He’s deep on the Bucs depth chart behind starter Chris Simms and backups Luke McCown and Tim Rattay.

“I’m humble to be a part of this right now,” Gradkowski said. “Growing up, this was my dream, to play in the NFL. I watched Dan Marino, he was my idol and I’ve watched some great quarterbacks come through Western Pennsylvania. It’s a dream and as you get older, it becomes a goal and now it’s a reality.

“I’m just happy to be a part of it and have my opportunity.”