Steve Grogan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Grogan grew up in Ottawa, Kansas, a few blocks away from Ottawa University. Both of his parents were alumni and took Grogan to many sporting events there when he was younger. At Ottawa High School, Grogan led his team to state titles in track in 1970, basketball in 1971, and a 3A state runner-up finish in football in 1970. He was named the team MVP six different times and won the Inspiration & Leadership Award in 1975. He was also a member of National Honor Society and was named Mr. O.H.S. Grogan spent his collegiate career at Kansas State University, where he started as a quarterback for his junior and senior years. He threw for 2,214 yards, completing 166 of 371 pass attempts, with 12 TDs and 26 interceptions. He ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns on 339 attempts, punted 7 times for 279 yards (a 39.9-yard average), and as a senior caught one touchdown pass of 22 yards. Against Memphis in 1973, he had a 100-yard rushing game. He was named academic 'All Big 8' twice and was honorable mention All-American.

In Their Own Story

The 1985 season tested Grogan's resilience as injuries and competition with Tony Eason defined the year. After a slow 1–2 start, coach Raymond Berry benched Eason to bring Grogan back, sparking a six-game winning streak before Grogan suffered a broken leg in Week 12 against the New York Jets. Despite the injury, his leadership propelled the team to an 11–5 finish and a wild card berth into Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears. In that game, starter Tony Eason went 0–6 before Berry replaced him with Grogan. The veteran quarterback connected on 17 of 30 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown, securing the only score the Patriots managed in a 46–10 loss. This moment cemented his legacy as the player who stepped up when it mattered most, even after years of splitting time and battling neck injuries that led him to wear a signature neck roll.

Reader's Guide

Grogan was selected in the fifth round (116th overall) in the 1975 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. Although he would start every game for four consecutive seasons early in his career, Grogan also competed with other quarterbacks for the starting job. His second through his fifth season were the only times he would start every game in a season. In addition to taking the starting job from former Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett as a rookie, Grogan would later face competition from Matt Cavanaugh, Tony Eason, Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, and Marc Wilson. In his first season, Grogan played in 13 games out of the then-14 game regular season, starting 7 of the last 8. Grogan threw for 1,976 yards, 11 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. The Patriots finished with a 3–11 record, and traded Plunkett, their starter for the previous four years, in the off-season. Grogan's first career victory came against the Dan Fouts and the San Diego Chargers in week 8 of the 1975 season. He threw for 285 yards and 1 touchdown in a 33–19 win. For the Patriots 1976 season, Grogan scored 30 combined touchdowns through the air and the ground, leading the Patriots to an 11–3 record the franchise's first playoff berth since 1963. The eleven wins were the most Patriots wins in a season since the club's inception. Along the way the Patriots defeated the defending Super Bowl champion, Pittsburgh Steelers (30–27). They also handed the Oakland Raiders their only regular season loss that year by defeating them 48–17. They lost the divisional playoffs (24–21), however, to the Raiders. Grogan scored 12 rushing touchdowns in 1976, breaking a quarterback record of 11 previously held by Tobin Rote and Johnny Lujack. His record would stand for 35 years until broken by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton's 14 in 2011. Grogan would lead the league in quarterback rushing yards with 397. On October 10, 1976, in a game vs the Jets, Grogan became the first quarterback in Patriots history to rush for 100+ yards in a game, in a 41–7 victory. During the 1977 season, Grogan advanced the ball with his legs, amassing another 300+ yard rushing season, although he would only find the end zone once on a running play, as running backs Horace Ivory, Sam 'Bam' Cunningham, and Andy Johnson did most of the scoring on the ground. Rookie Stanley Morgan was selected in the first round of that year's draft

Did You Know?

• Grogan ran for a quarterback-record 12 touchdowns in 1976, a record that stood for 35 seasons until broken by Cam Newton in 2011.
• In 1978, the Patriots set the all-time single season team rushing record with 3,156 yards, a mark that stood until broken by the 2019 Baltimore Ravens.
• Grogan led the NFL in touchdown passes in 1979 with 28, tied with Brian Sipe of Cleveland.
• He played in Super Bowl XX, coming off the bench to throw a pass for the only touchdown the Patriots scored on the day.