Steve Grogan was not the best of his era, not as a passer or a runner. But what he lacked in talent, he made up for in heart and desire. He led the New England Patriots through some memorable moments and helped set an NFL record that would stand for the next four decades. He helped the Patriots remain relevant in the NFL. This is his story.
The Early Years
Steve Grogan was born on July 24, 1953 in San Antonio, Texas. After moving to Ottowa, Kansas, he starred on the local high school teams. After losing in the state championship game in football as a junior, he went on to lead both the track and basketball teams to state titles as a senior in 1971. Seeing his all-around talent, the Kansas State University Wildcats offered him a football scholarship.
He impressed well enough on the freshman squad to be a three-year starter on some pretty poor teams in an always tough Big-8 Conference. He never completed even half of his passes and bottomed out with just four touchdowns against 15 interceptions as a junior.
However that 5-6 season wasn't a complete loss. That year he discovered his natural ability for running, rumbling to the tune of 372 yards and five touchdowns. It was a skillset that he would apply again and again throughout his career. After completing just 46% of his passes for 834 yards and six touchdowns against six interceptions as a senior for a 4-7 team, Steve Grogan was drafted in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
New England
Every quarterback is drafted to eventually take over for another one. Steve Grogan was chosen to eventually take embattled quarterback Jim Plunkett's job. Ever since getting drafted in 1971, Jim Plunkett had never brought the team to the playoffs, let alone a winning season. After watching him struggle behind a porous line and with mediocre talent for four years, Patriots management realized that it was time for a change.
The two signal-callers split duties that first year with Plunkett's 2-3 record slightly better than Grogan's 1-6. Still, the coaching staff was impressed with Grogan's performance against the Bills late that year. Grogan completed 54.4% of his passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns against Buffalo and although his three interceptions sunk his team's chances in the 45-31 loss, his coaches were impressed with his performance, believing that he showed the moxie a quarterback needs to win in the NFL. The team parted ways with Jim Plunkett in the offseason, handing over the reins of organization into Steve Grogan's awaiting hands.
Unburdened by Plunkett's presence, Steve Grogan started every game in 1976, showing all of New England just the kind of leader that he could be. The Patriots were down by 11 early in the third quarter of their Week 3 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers when Steve Grogan took over the game.
In the ensuing minutes, Grogan launched two touchdown passes of 38 and 58 yards to tight end Russ Francis and wide receiver Darryl Stingley to give New England a much needed jolt. He extended their lead permanently by rushing for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and the Patriots escaped with an exhilarating 30-27 win over the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
The next week, he led New England to a resounding win over the mighty Oakland Raiders by accounting for 221 total yards and five touchdowns. The 48-17 thrashing was the Raiders' only loss of the season.
Those two weeks are all that a young player can hope for in the NFL, a chance to prove themselves. Having proven himself to his teammates, his employers and his new city, Steve Grogan knew that he could be the leader that the Patriots needed. Emboldened by those two magical weeks, Steve Grogan went on to finish 1976 with 1903 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and an 11-3 record. It was the Patriots' first postseason berth since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
the Raiders had vengeance in their eyes when the Patriots traveled to Oakland for their rematch in the Divisional Round. It was a close contest from start to finish and Grogan nearly pulled of another upset, but it wasn't meant to be as his counterpart, Ken Stabler ran into the end zone with just seconds left on the clock to secure the 24-21 victory.
Two years later, Grogan led the Patriots through a memorable season where they set the NFL's rushing record. His 539 rushing yards would be the most of his long career and the team's record would stand for the next 41 years. The Patriots' season ended against the Oilers.
The following year, Grogan displayed both the highs and lows of his career. He threw a career high five touchdowns in a 56-3 win over the Jets in Week 2. A year later, he coughed up a career worse six interceptions in a 21-17 loss to t he 49ers. With three weeks left in the season, Grogan was benched for the remainder of the season. Just like that, his days as an everyday starter were numbered.
Despite winning just once in 1981, Grogan managed to hang on to his starting spot in the strike-shortened 1982 season. He led the team to four wins and two losses that year, completing just over 54% of his passes for 930 yards and seven touchdowns. But, their season was cut short, losing 28-13 to the Dolphins as Grogan was sacked four times and held to a paltry 36.1 passer rating in the first round.
Having searched for Grogan's successor the past couple of years, the Patriots found their man in the 1983 NFL Draft, taking Illinois's Tony Eason in the first round. Within two years, Grogan's would split his starts with Eason. It was déjà vu all over again.
With a young passer waiting in the wings, Steve Grogan enjoyed the best season of his career in 1983, completing 55.4% of his passes for 2,411 yards and 15 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions while going .500 in his 12 starts. The following year, the split starts began as Grogan tried in vain to hold onto his roster spot.
Early in 1984 when Grogan still had his job, he faced off against Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins. That year, Marino lit the world ablaze with a passing prowess unheard of at the time. On paper, the Patriots stood little chance and, indeed, they made that paper look prophetic.
Still, Grogan stood tall amidst the pressure and even zipped a nine-yard touchdown pass to Lin Dawson in the second quarter to tie the game at seven. But despite that moment of brilliance, Grogan was abysmal in that game completing 20 of 42 passes for 217 yards and coughing up four interceptions. The final pick was the nail in the coffin as William Judson returned it 90 yards to give the Dolphins a 28-7 win.
Tony Eason started for much of the next two years and led the team to the Super Bowl in 1985 where both quarterbacks were battered by the blitz-heavy Chicago Bears. Perhaps he was star struck, but Eason didn't complete any of his six passes in that game and was replaced by Grogan when the Patriots were down 20-3.
Grogan was subsequently sacked four times in that game, completing just over half of his passes for 177 yards and coughing up two interceptions. His only salve was an eight yard touchdown to Irving Fryer late in the fourth quarter and the game far out of reach. He was tackled in the end zone for the game's final points, a 46-10 demolition.
The End of a Career and Life After Football
After the Patriots were drubbed in Super Bowl XX, Steve Grogan served as a Patriots backup for the next five years and watched as his team went from the Super Bowl to the cellar. He retired in 1990 and quickly found that his legacy was not soon to be forgotten. Steve Grogan's legacy was not forgotten in college or the NFL as he was inducted into both Kansas State's Hall of Fame and the Patriot's Hall of Fame. His number 11 jersey was even retired by the Wildcats.
After leaving the game, he purchased the Marciano Sporting Goods in nearby Mansfield, MA, renamed it Grogan Marciano Sporting Goods and remains the business's owner to this day.