Jeff Grau
| No. 58, 47 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Long snapper / Tight end | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | December 16, 1979 Inglewood, California, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 257 lb (117 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Loyola (Los Angeles, California) | ||||
| College: | UCLA (1998–2001) | ||||
| NFL draft: | 2002 / round: 7 / pick: 230 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Jeffrey Alan Grau (born December 16, 1979) is a former American football long snapper and tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at UCLA.
Early years
[edit]Grau attended Loyola High School, where he didn't have a specific position in the football team. As a junior, he played quarterback and defensive tackle, while the next year, he played tight end and defensive end. As a senior, he posted 64 tackles, 6 sacks, 8 receptions for 68 yards. He helped his team become the CIF Division I runner-up and received All-League honors at defensive end.
In baseball, he played as a first baseman and pitcher, earning All-League honors three times and team MVP twice. As a sophomore, he tallied a .373 batting average. As a junior, he had an 8-1 record (1.52 ERA) and a .380 batting average. As a senior, he had a 4-0 record (1.23 ERA) and a .408 batting average.
College career
[edit]Grau walked-on at UCLA, becoming a four-year starter after earning the team's long snapper job during his freshman season.[1] He was awarded a football scholarship prior to his junior season.
Professional career
[edit]Washington Redskins
[edit]Grau was selected by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round (230th overall) of the 2002 NFL draft, to play as a long snapper.[2] He was released on August 27.
Dallas Cowboys
[edit]In 2002, the Dallas Cowboys spent resources to sign free agent Jeff Robinson to upgrade the long snapper position, but he tore his Anterior cruciate ligament during training camp. Needing a replacement, the team claimed Grau off waivers on August 28.[3] He played in all 16 games and posted 6 special teams tackles.
On August 6, 2003, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a conditional draft choice (not exercised).[4]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
[edit]On August 24, 2003, he was released after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to keep Ryan Benjamin as the starting long snapper.[5]
Miami Dolphins
[edit]In 2003, after long snapper Ed Perry was lost for the season with a knee injury, the Miami Dolphins first tried to replace him with Sean McDermott, before signing Grau as a free agent on October 14.[6] He was cut on March 2, 2004, after the team signed William Delahoussaye to compete with Perry.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Redskins' Day 2 Picks". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "2002 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys Claim Jeff Grau Off Waivers". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Bucs get Grau from Dallas". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Benjamin's Job Not So Secure". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ Marvez, Alex (October 15, 2003). "Dolphins release long snapper McDermott; sign Grau". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 17, 2003. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- ^ "Long Snapper Perry, Punter Turk Re-up". Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2018.