Hall of Fame
Bruce Gradkowski set the modern standard for Rocket quarterbacks, smashing 27 school passing records in his three-year career. During his three years at the helm, Gradkowski led UT to a 26-11 record, a MAC Championship, two MAC West Division titles and two bowl games. Gradkowski is the Rockets' career leader in passing yards (9,225), passing completions (766) and TD passes (85), just to name a few. As a sophomore in 2003, Gradkowski completed a then school-record 71.2 percent of passes for 3,210 yards and a UT-record 29 TDs. Among the Rockets' eight wins that season was a 35-31 victory over No. 9 Pittsburgh. In 2004, Gradkowski set the school record with 3,518 passing yards, completing 70.2 percent of his passes and throwing for 27 scores. He memorably played the second half of the 2004 MAC Championship game with a broken throwing hand. Nevertheless, he threw three TDs in the final 30 minutes, leading the Rockets to a 35-27 comeback victory over Miami. In 2005, Gradkowski tied his own record with 29 TD throws and led UT to a 45-13 romp over UTEP in the GMAC Bowl. Since his graduation from the UT College of Business in 2005, Gradkowski has played in the NFL for Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Oakland and Cincinnati.
