Lee Grosscup facts for kids
Grosscup, circa 1958
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| No. 11, 17 | |||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | December 27, 1936 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
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| Died: | June 1, 2020 (aged 83) Alameda, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Weight: | 187 lb (85 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Santa Monica (Santa Monica, California) |
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| College: | Utah Santa Monica College Washington (1955) |
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| NFL Draft: | 1959 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
Clyde Lee Edward Grosscup (born December 27, 1936, died June 1, 2020) was an American football player. He played as a quarterback. After his playing career, he became a well-known sports commentator.
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College Football Star
Lee Grosscup grew up in Santa Monica, California. He started playing college football as a quarterback for the University of Washington in 1955. After his first year, he and some teammates decided to leave the team.
He then attended Santa Monica College. Later, he transferred to the University of Utah in 1957. At Utah, he played under coach Jack Curtice. Grosscup was known for his advanced passing plays. Some people even say he helped develop the "shovel pass."
Grosscup's Junior Season
In 1957, during his junior year, Grosscup had an amazing season. He completed 94 of 137 passes. This was a very high completion rate of 68.6%. He threw for 1,398 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Because of his great performance, he was named an All-American. This means he was recognized as one of the best college players in the country. He also finished tenth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the most outstanding player in college football.
Senior Year and Beyond
In 1958, Grosscup's senior season was affected by a shoulder injury. Even with the injury, he was still chosen to play in the Senior Bowl in early 1959. This game features top college football players.
Playing Professional Football
Lee Grosscup was a top pick in the 1959 NFL Draft. The New York Giants chose him as the tenth overall pick. He played for the Giants for three seasons, from 1959 to 1961.
During his time with the Giants, they were very successful. They won the Eastern championship in 1959 and 1961. However, they lost both championship games. In 1962, Grosscup joined the New York Titans. He started as their quarterback but missed six weeks due to a knee injury.
After leaving the Titans, he played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League in 1963. He also spent time with the Oakland Raiders in 1964. His last team was the Hartford Charter Oaks in the Continental Football League.
Life as a Sportscaster
After his football playing days ended in 1966, Grosscup started a new career. He became a sports commentator. He first called AFL games for NBC.
College Football Analyst
Grosscup then spent twenty years as a college football analyst for ABC. He worked with famous broadcasters like Keith Jackson and Al Michaels. He helped fans understand the game.
He also worked as a broadcaster for the USFL. He was a radio analyst for the Oakland Invaders. Later, he became a television analyst for ABC in 1984 and 1985.
California Golden Bears
One of Grosscup's most famous roles was with the California Golden Bears. He was part of their broadcast team for 32 years! For 17 of those years, he was a color analyst. This means he explained plays and strategies during the game.
From 1986 to 2003, he was the radio analyst alongside Joe Starkey. After that, he hosted the postgame radio show for Cal football games. He did this until he retired in 2018.
See also
- List of American Football League players
