Alma Mater: Seton LaSalle, 2001 | Sports: Football, Basketball
Bruce Gradkowski is one of the top passers in WPIAL history. As a junior quarterback at Seton-LaSalle High School, he threw for 1,630 yards and 10 touchdowns. During his senior campaign, Gradkowski completed 188-of-327 passes (57.5%) and threw for a then-WPIAL record of 2,978 yards and 30 touchdowns, surpassing marks set previously by Central Catholic's Dan Marino. Bruce also excelled in basketball, starting at point guard for three seasons and leading the Rebels in scoring. At the University of Toledo, he became the starting QB as a sophomore in 2003, setting a Mid-American Conference season record by completing 71 .2% of his passes while throwing for 3,210 yards and a Rockets' season mark of 29 touchdowns with a passer rating of 161.53. He also rushed for 504 yards and one TD picking up 5.5 yards per clip. In 2004, Bruce passed for 3,518 yards with 27 touchdowns, the Rockets won the MAC Championship, and Gradkowski was named the game's Most Valuable Player. During his senior season in 2005, he again threw for 29 scores and was named MVP in the GMAC Bowl. In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Gradkowski in the sixth round (194th overall). He became the Bucs' starter in Week 5 and finished his rookie season with 1 ,661 yards and nine touchdowns. Waived by the Bucs prior to the 2008 season, and he was claimed by the St. Louis Rams. He signed with Cleveland that following December and started in the Browns' game against the Steelers. The Raiders picked him up in 2009 and, in his first start, Gradkowski threw two touchdowns and brought Oakland from behind in a 20-17 victory over the heavily-favored Cincinnati Bengals. In a Week 13 road game, the Raiders won 27-24 in Pittsburgh as Bruce completed 20-of-33 passes for 308 yards and three TD's including an 11-yard game-winning toss to Louis Murphy. For that performance, Gradkowski was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Battling injury, Gradkowski remained with Oakland for the better part of two more seasons until he signed a two-year deal with Cincinnati. Subbing for an injured Andy Dalton in a game against Cleveland, Bruce slyly threw a touchdown on a quick snap as the Browns were still in their huddle. On March 13, 2013, Gradkowski was inked to a three-year contract by the Steelers and served as Ben Roethlisberger's back-up through part of the Steelers' 2016 campaign. In 2017, Gradkowski became a volunteer assistant quarterbacks coach at Anthony Wayne High School in Whitehouse, Ohio and also joined the University of Toledo's Rocket Football Radio Network as a color analyst.