Cardinals Release C Mike Gruttadauria

[MadCardDisease]

AZ Cardinals Release C Mike Gruttadauria
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 2, 2003

Tempe, Arizona - Center Mike Gruttadauria, who started
31 games for the Cardinals over the past three seasons
but only eight last year due to chronic knee and back
injuries, has been released.

The 6-3, 280-pounder from Central Florida signed a
four-year contract with Arizona as an unrestricted free
agent on February 19, 2000 after anchoring the St.
Louis Rams' offensive line en route to the Super Bowl
XXXIV championship following the 1999 season. Knee and
neck injuries, the latter a ruptured disc, limited him
to eight starting roles in 2000, but after corrective
surgery, he returned in 2001 to start 15 contests,
missing only the season finale due to an ankle sprain.

Last year, Gruttadauria opened at center for the first
eight games but suffered a knee injury in the second
half against his former Ram teammates on November 3. He
was inactive for the next five games, then finished the
season on the injured-reserve list following knee
surgery and continuing back problems.

A starter in 66 of 81 pro contests overall, including
all 31 Cardinal appearances, Gruttadauria originally
signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free
agent in 1995 after being voted offensive
lineman-of-the-year four times at Central Florida. He
joined the Rams in 1996 and started 27 of 42 contests
with St. Louis, including all 19 games for the Rams'
high-powered 1999 offense that led the league in points
per game (32.9), total yards per game (400.8 ), passing
yards per game (272.1), and third-down efficiency
(46.9). He was a key element in an offensive line as
the club rebounded from a 4-12 record in 1998 to a 13-3
regular-season mark in '99 and three postseason wins
that culminated with a 23-15 victory over Tennessee in
Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Gruttadauria's talents extend beyond the football
field. An accomplished artist and apprentice sculptor,
he designed the St. Louis Rams' 1999 Christmas card
that raised proceeds for St. Louis Children's Hospital,
and sculpted Super Bowl XXXIV logo recreations for each
of his St. Louis offensive line teammates to
commemorate their championship.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Bye-bye Grudds...sometimes the mind is willing, but the body won't listen...

 

[MadCardDisease]

It really is a shame things didn't work out better for him.

I guess he is lucky to be still walking after that freak accident he had.

 

[azsports]

Good Luck in what ever you do Grutts.

 

[Ed B]

I hope he walks away while he can still "walk" away.

Great player. Will be hard to replace. What a difference he made in our line..........

 

[SECTION 11]

He's a pretty accomplished artist as well.

Here's to Grutts (cheers)

 

[MadCardDisease]

Originally posted by Ed B
I hope he walks away while he can still "walk" away.

Great player. Will be hard to replace. What a difference he made in our line..........

At least if he does walk away he can do so knowing that he will always be a Superbowl Champ. No one can take that away from him.

 

[RedStorm]

Good Luck Grutts.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I'm not 100% sure but by releasing Grutts the Cardinals will save $1.7 million and take about a $500,000 cap hit for his remaining signing bonus.

 

[JeffGollin]

Class act. Always was. Always will be. Best of luck Grutts.

 

[Walter Mitchell]

Best wishes, Grutt! You have tremendous courage. You are a champion. Glad you got a ring, man! You deserve it!

 

[ajcardfan]

Grut was an underrated player when he was healthy. If this is the end of his career, it beats the heck out of hundreds of players who were more ballyhooed coming out of college.

I'll also miss how his wife would come down with their kids to the end of the aisle by where I sit to wave at him and blow him kisses when he ran on and off the field. I appreciate beauty, and that she is.

 

[CardAvenger]

I wish the best of luck to Grutts. He personally handed me an autographed game used helmet of his. Very cool guy.