TOLEDO, Ohio — Bruce Gradkowski made his name as a star quarterback on the Toledo Rockets football teams in the mid-2000s. After that, he spent more than a decade in the NFL.
But this fall, Gradkowski is taking on a new challenge: coaching first and second graders in flag football.
“Just having fun with it. This is a great league. It’s housed here at St. John’s. They do a phenomenal job. It’s just fun to get out here every Sunday," Gradkowski said. "We practice once a week. It’s just the little things. You try to coach the youngsters on details, working hard, running, hustling, and having fun. It’s a good league.”
It also means more coaching his kids, including eight-year-old Roman.
“Any level my kids are at, I’m going to try and help out," Gradkowski, a father of three, said. "Any little things I can help give them along their journey, I’m more than willing to help.”
Gradkowski has coached at the high school level and minor league level in the XFL, but he says it doesn’t make him any different than the other coaches.
“I think the other coaches think I’m this mastermind but I’m like, it's flag football. I don’t have a clue," he said. "I’m trying to figure this thing out, too.”
But he says that even if there are only a few things he can teach the kids, it’ll all be worth it.
“Worry about what you can control: your attitude, your effort, and your preparation," Gradkowski said. "Who knows if they listen to me or not, but I know I got them when I say ‘I’ll buy you an Icee if you get an interception or a big play.”