HighlightsPreseason All-America candidate...Also a legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy and the Davey O'Brien Award for nation's best quarterback...On ESPN.com's "Heisman Watch" list...Ranked as the nation's No. 10 quarterback by The Sporting News...First player in NCAA Division I-A history to complete more than 70 percent of his passes in consecutive seasons...Leader among returning quarterbacks in the nation in completion percentage (70.2%) and second in passing efficiency (162.6)...Ranks as UT's career leader in touchdown passes with 56...Ranks second in completions (559) and third in passing yardage (6,756)...Capable scambler who has run a 4.50 time in the 40...Had off-season surgery to repair broken right hand but is expected to be 100 percent for the season.
2004
Named honorable mention All-America by SportsIllustrated.com...Ranked second in nation in completion percentage (70.2%), fifth in passing efficiency (162.6), fifth in passing yards (3,518), and 10th in total offense (385.3)...Set school records in passing yards, and passing efficiency...Also ran for nine touchdowns...Suffered a dislocated left shoulder and broken right hand in the MAC Championship Game vs. Miami, but still led Rockets to 35-27 victory and was named MVP of the game...Hurt his shoulder on fourth play of the game and hurt his hand midway through the second quarter, but came back to throw three TD passes in the second half...Completed 18-of-24 passes for 251 yards and four TDs in the game...Tried to recover and play in Motor City Bowl vs. UConn three weeks later but was in obvious pain, completing just 6-of-12 passes for 43 yards...Did not play in the second half of the bowl game...Threw for 338 yards and three TDs in 49-41 win over No. 24 Bowling Green on Nov. 23 to clinch the MAC West title, rallying Toledo from a 27-7 halftime deficit...Threw for 297 yards in 31-17 win at No. 22 Northern Illinois on Nov. 9 in a game in which UT trailed, 10-0...Had a streak of 199 straight passes without an interception at one point in the season...Completed at least 70 percent of his passes in seven games...Threw for 455 yards vs. Ball State, just six yards short of his own school record...Completed a school-record 96-yard TD pass to Kenny Higgins vs. BSU...Completed 15 straight passes to close out first half vs. Temple, the last completion a 26-yard TD with eight seconds left...Threw for 338 yards vs. EMU and accounted for five TDs, including a career-best two rushing TDs...Named MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts vs. EMU.
2003
Second in nation in completion percentage (71.2%)...Sixth in the nation in passing efficiency (161.5)...Had school-record 29 TD passes against just seven interceptions...Became just second Rocket ever to throw for more than 3,000 yards...Ranks second in UT history with 3,238 yards passing...Set school and Glass Bowl records with six touchdown passes vs. Buffalo, one shy of the MAC mark held by Jose Davis of Kent State...Completed 23-of-25 (92%) of his passes vs. Buffalo, a MAC record...Set MAC and school records for completions (49) vs. No. 9 Pittsburgh; school records for attempts (62) and yardage (461) vs. Pitt...Was 18-20 passing in Toledo's final two TD drives in the upset win over the Panthers...Was 24-of-27 for 301 yards and three TDs in 49-30 win over No. 21 Northern Illinois...Second on team in rushing with 504 yards...Was sacked just nine times.
2002
Played in 13 games as a reserve quarterback and as the holder on special teams...Saw action at QB in the Cal Poly game, completing both of his pass attempts...Only other pass attempt was an incomplete flip pass as the holder on a fake field-goal attempt vs. Minnesota.
2001
Sat out the season as a redshirt.
High School
Completed 188-327 (.575) passes for 2,978 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior... Passing yardage total was the most in conference's 87-year history, passing such greats as Johnny Lujack, George Blanda, Joe Namath, Terry Hanratty, Joe Montana and Dan Marino...First-team all-state as a senior...Threw for 1,630 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior and was named first-team all-conference...Named to the "Fab 22 Team" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in junior and senior seasons...Played for coach Louis Cerro...Started at point guard and was basketball team's leading scorer.
Personal
Full name is Bruce Raymond Gradkowski...Birthdate: Jan. 27, 1983...Parents are Bruce and Debbie Gradkowski...Father is a business agent and mother is a dental assistant...Was an intern in the UT Athletic Marketing Department in the summer of 2005...His assignments included selling football season tickets...Marketing major.
Career Statistics
Passing
| Year | G | Att. | Com. | Pct. | Yds. | TD | Int. |
| 2001 | | DNP-Redshirt | | | |
| 2002 | 13/0 | 3 | 2 | .667 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 12/12 | 389 | 277 | .712 | 3210 | 29 | 7 |
| 2004 | 13/13 | 399 | 280 | .702 | 3518 | 27 | 8 |
| Totals | 38/25 | 791 | 559 | .707 | 6756 | 56 | 15 |
Rushing
| Year | G/S | Att. | Yds. | Avg. | TD | LP |
| 2001 | DNP-Redshirt |
| 2002 | 13/0 | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 0 | 12-E. Michigan |
| 2003 | 12/12 | 91 | 504 | 5.5 | 1 | 29-Liberty |
|
| 2004 | 13/13 | 91 | 191 | 2.1 | 9 | 28-EMU |
|
| Totals | 38/25 | 187 | 727 | 3.9 | 10 | 29-Liberty |
|
Career Game Highs
Completions: 49 (Pittsburgh, 9-20-03)
Attempts: 62 (Pittsburgh, 9-20-03)
Completion Percentage: 92.0%/23-25 (Buffalo, 11-1-03)
Passing Yards: 461 (Pittsburgh, 9-20-03)
Long Pass: 96 (Ball State, 10-25-04)
Rushing Yards: 77 (BSU, 10-25-03)
