The Pittsburgh Steelers were a stop on the road for ultimate journeyman quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. During his 11 seasons in the NFL, he played for six different teams, including every AFC North team but the Baltimore Ravens. Recently, he spoke about his time playing in the pros and the differences in culture among the teams.
During an appearance on the Sir Yacht podcast, he was interviewed by "Sir Yacht" whose real name is Joey Kinsley. Kinsley and Gradkowski chronicled his career starting at the beginning with Kinsley wanting to know if he was a Steelers fan since he grew up there.
Gradkowski is a Pittsburgh native having attended Seton-La Salle Catholic School in Mt. Lebanon. He played college football at the University of Toledo. He told Kinsley that he was really a football fan and even more than that, a quarterback fan. Gradkowski said his idol was Dan Marino, the legendary quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, who is also a Pittsburgh native. Kinsley wondered how he was feeling as the NFL Draft went along. Did he think he might get selected by the Steelers and how did his family feel about it? Gradkowski said the waiting was hard.
"It doesn't happen in the fourth round, the fifth round comes by and the Steelers take Omar Jacobs out of Bowling Green. I got my family running up and down cussing the Steelers out. Then the sixth round comes and the Bengals are on the clock and I'm like, 'Oh, I don't want to go to Cincinnati.'"
Gradkowski said next thing he knew, John Gruden was on the phone, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to let him know they were selecting him. He stayed in Tampa until he was waived in 2008. He was picked up by the St. Louis Rams and did a brief stint with them before he was cut. Then he moved to the AFC North and found that the culture of his next team was lacking.
Former Steelers QB Bruce Gradkowski Said He Was Shocked By The Cleveland Browns Attitude
Gradkowski suffered a hamstring injury and was rehabbing it during the months preceding being signed by the Cleveland Browns. He got a call midseason to come and work out for Cleveland. He said he knew this was his chance, so he did everything he could to get his hamstring feeling good.
He ended up only being in Cleveland for a little over a month, just long enough for a cup of coffee said Gradkowski. He was their fourth-string quarterback and did not expect to see much playing time. Gradkowski told Kinsley that he is a naturally upbeat person, regardless of the circumstances or challenges. He always tries to bring positivity, but that wasn't welcomed in Cleveland.
"I'm fired up to be back, I'm excited, I'm happy, but it's not a good season for the Browns, they're not winning. I always bring positive energy and I'm running around at practice getting guys fired up and one of the coaches pulled me aside and goes, 'Hey, you look like you're just happy to be here.' Am I not allowed to smile while I'm practicing?"
Kinsley notes that he feels this is a cultural problem in Cleveland and Gradkowski agrees. He said he wasn't just being foolish for the sake of being foolish, he was taking practice seriously, working as hard as he could. He was just grateful to have a job playing the game he loves.
"That was where I kind of noticed somethings wrong here," said Gradkowski.
Gradkowski said he might not have done himself any favors when he did finally get to play. It was the end of the season and they were playing the Steelers, who were headed to the Super Bowl. He said again he was all fired up, excited to get a chance.
The atmosphere in the Browns locker room before the game is funereal. They know they are done, he said the writing is on the wall for their head coach Romeo Crennel. He said guys were already shipping their cars back home. Now they are prepping to take the field against the best team in the AFC and it is dead quiet in the locker room.
"No one really wants to go out there. It's quiet, no one's really breaking it, so I break the team down like, 'LET'S GO!' And then I go out and have the worst quarterback rating of all-time in the NFL."
To be fair, he might have been the second worst. Gradkowski left the Browns and went to the then-Oakland Raiders where he was able to exact some revenge against the Steelers. The Raiders always present a challenge, it is such an old rivalry. In 2009, Gradkowski was starting for Oakland. They beat the Steelers Week 13, 27-24 in a shootout. He was 20 for 33 for 308 yards and three touchdowns, including one in the final seconds to win the game.
After a stop with the Cincinnati Bengals, he ultimately ended his career in Pittsburgh backing up Ben Roethlisberger, but barely took any snaps due to injuries. He said that being able to work with someone as talented as Roethlisberger was an amazing experience. He said Roethlisberger would make fun of him for always being so upbeat.
"Witnessing up close and personal how talented Ben is, he'd have a day off and he'd come back and just shred the defense and make these amazing throws. He's one of the most talented guys I've been around."
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