During his decade-long NFL career, Martin Gramatica kicked for four different teams.
Gramatica last appeared in an NFL game in 2008, the second year of his two-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Now 49, Gramatica opened up about his past during a sitdown with TMZ to discuss his memoir, « Beyond The Uprights: The Intimate Memoir Of Martin Gramatica. »
Gramatica opened up about what he experienced during his childhood, particularly the tense relationship he had with his father.
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Retired kicker Martin Gramatica of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers watches pregame ceremonies during a game against the San Francisco 49ers Dec. 15, 2013, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images))
The Super Bowl-winning kicker described his father as « abusive »
« I had a very abusive father that I speak about,’ Gramatica told the outlet.
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But he stressed he didn’t talk or write about his past, seeking sympathy.
« I want to make sure people don’t read the book and say, ‘Feel sorry for me,’ because everything that I lived, it made me a better person and made me a better father, » Gramatica said.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica runs out of the tunnel before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Aug. 29, 2015. (Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)
Gramatica said his father provided an example of the type of relationship he did not want to have with his own children.
« It made me know what not to do with my kids. I want to make sure that if somebody reads the book and realizes, ‘I need to break this,’ and I want somebody to realize it sooner than when I did. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I had my first son when Nico was born. »
Nico Gramatica is a placekicker for the South Florida Bulls.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica follows through on a first-quarter, 24-yard field goal Aug. 23, 2003, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Martin’s challenging relationship with his father led to an agreement between Martin and his siblings.
« I love that kid so much that you’re thinking, ‘How can I ever do what my father did to me?’ So, that’s what I feel. I talked to my brothers, and we made a pact. We got to break this, » Martin noted.
« We haven’t spoken [to our dad] since because we just don’t want that type of abuse around our families. I have three kids. My brother Santiago has two kids. So, we don’t want that around our kids. That’s what the book’s about. »
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Gramatica kicked for Kansas State before making the leap to the NFL in 1999. He spent the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning the Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2002.
He ended his professional football career with a 76.4% career field goal percentage.
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