Seton LaSalle alum and former Steelers quarterback Bruce Gradkowski’s ties to Toledo grew even stronger Monday morning, when he was named the new head football coach of St. Francis High School in Toledo. Jordan Strack of WTOL 11 first broke the news.
Gradkowski was a three-year starter at the University of Toledo, where he threw for 9,225 yards and 85 touchdowns. His 68.2% completion percentage is the best all time in MAC history. Gradkowski led the Rockets to a MAC championship in 2004 and was inducted into the Toledo Hall of Fame in 2012.
Gradkowski was drafted to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 and later played with the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Steelers in 2013. His only passing attempts with the Steelers came in the 2014-15 playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens filling in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger. Gradkowski ended his NFL career with 4,057 yards and 21 touchdowns in 37 games.
Gradkowski will fill the vacancy left by former head coach Dan Chipka, who stepped down as head coach on June 4 to pursue a job on the collegiate level after four seasons with St. Francis.
