Everything about Steve Grogan totally explained
Steve James Grogan (
July 24,
1953 in
San Antonio, Texas) was an
American football quarterback for the
New England Patriots in the
National Football League from
1975 until
1990.
College career
After a standout prep career at Ottawa High School where he led his team to state titles in basketball and track and a state runner-up finish in football, Grogan spent his collegiate career at
Kansas State University. At Kansas State, he passed for 2,213 yards and ran for 585 yards to rank among the school's all-time passing and total offense leaders.
Pro career
Steve Grogan was selected in the fifth round (116th overall) in the
1975 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Sitting behind team star quarterback and former
Heisman Trophy winner
Jim Plunkett, head coach
Chuck Fairbanks replaced Plunkett with Grogan in mid-season. Grogan threw for 1,976 yards, 11 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Eventually, New England traded Plunkett to the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason for two first round draft picks; one in 1976, and one in 1977 along with the 49ers 2nd round pick in the
1977 NFL Draft.
After earning the starting job in
1976, Grogan led the Patriots to an 11-3 record and a playoff berth, the franchise's first since 1963, after the team had finished only 3-11 the previous year. During that season, the Patriots defeated the defending
Super Bowl champion,
Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the
Oakland Raiders. Although the 1976 wasn't statistically one of Grogan's best, his twelve (12) rushing touchdowns during the 1976 season still stands as the most rushing touchdowns in a season by quarterback. Grog's (as the New England Faithful came to call him) would lead the Pats into Oakland in the playoffs to face the Raiders. Holding a slim 21-17 lead late in the 4th quarter - Grogan and his teammates watched the game slip away in the final minute off a comeback drive by Ken Stabler (which was prolonged off an infamous late hit call). The Raiders won 24-21 and would go on to win Super Bowl XI.
In
1978, Grogan led the Pats to an 11-5 record, a division title and the organization's first ever home playoff game, a 31-14 loss to the
Houston Oilers. The Pats set the all time single season team rushing record with 3,156 yards (Grogan rushing for 539 yards and 5 touchdowns himself). That record still stands.
Statistically, Grogan's best season was in
1979, when he completed 206 of 423 passes for 3,286 yards and 28 touchdowns.
From 1980-1982, Grogan would miss significant time due to injury. The result was the Patriots drafting Tony Eason in 1983 as their quarterback of the future. Yet Grogan's teammates' faith never waivered. Hall of Fame Guard and Patriots lengend John Hannah, once said of Grogan, "He was the kind of guy you wanted to protect, the kind of guy you wanted to play for for."
By the
1985 season,
Tony Eason had taken the starting quarterback position and led the Patriots to a 2-3 record out of the gate. Coach
Raymond Berry decided to bench Eason for Grogan in hopes of igniting the offense. The Patriots rallied to six (6) straight wins behind their old quarterback, only to lose Grogan when he suffered a broken leg in Week 11 against the New York Jets. Filling in again at QB, Eason and the Patriots lost that Jets game 16-13 in overtime, and relinquished 1st place in the AFC East Division. With Easons' return, the Patriots went 3-2 in their remaining five games. Finishing the season with an 11-5 record, the Patriots earned a wild card berth into the playoffs and eventually reached
Super Bowl XX. Against the
Chicago Bears, Grogan was medically cleared to play on the eve of the Super Bowl and replaced Eason in the second quarter after Eason went 0-6 in passing attempts. The Pats faced an early 13-3 deficit against Buddy Ryan's famous "46" defense, and the pass rush was too much. Grogan went on to connect on 17 of 30 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown in the 46-10 loss.
With his career beginning to wind down, Grogan would again come to the Patriots rescue, this time on Decemeber 22, 1986 in the final pro football game ever play in the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL against the Dolphins. Grog's would replace Eason again, and provide the comeback heroics to a Patriots 34-27 victory on Monday Night Football - earning the Pats their second AFC East Division title at the time. In the playoffs, Eason would get the start against the Denver Broncos. The Pats lost 22-17.
After Eason was released later in the decade, Grogan would battle over the starting quarterback job with local hero and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. Grogan led the Patriots in passing yards in
1987 and
1989 before retiring at the conclusion of the
1990 season.
At the time of his retirment, Grogan lead the franchise as the all time leader in passing yards (26,886) and passing touchdowns (182). He is still 2nd in passing yards behind
Drew Bledsoe, and third in passing touchdowns behind Bledsoe and
Tom Brady. His 16 seasons are the most ever for a Patriots player. He also held the Patriots previous single-game record with a 153.9
quarterback rating, achieved by completing 13-of-18 passes for 315 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions against the New York Jets on September 9th 1979, before
Tom Brady posted a
158.3 rating against the Miami Dolphins on
October 21,
2007.
Grogan rushed for 2,164 yards (4.9 per carry) and 35 touchdowns during his career, a mark which places him as the Patriots' third overall in rushing touchdowns. Those touchdowns also place Grogan tied with
Randall Cunningham and
Tobin Rote in fourth place all-time among NFL quarterbacks in rushing scores. Known for his heart and toughness, his statistics have held up pretty well over time.
During his pro career, Grogan led the Patriots to the playoffs four times (1976, 1978, 1982, and 1985) as well as in 1986 as a backup.
Honors
Grogan's high school, Ottawa High School in
Ottawa, Kansas has named its football stadium after him.
Kansas State has retired the number Grogan wore for the Wildcats, #11, to jointly honor him and his predecessor,
Lynn Dickey. It is the only number retired by Kansas State. He wore #14 with the Patriots.
Grogan is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame and was named to the Patriots 35th Anniversary Team in 1994.
Notes and references
Further Information
Get more info on 'Steve Grogan'.
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