| No. 58, 47 | |
| Long snapper / Tight end | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: December 16, 1979 | |
| Place of birth: Inglewood, California | |
| Career information | |
| College: UCLA | |
| NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 7 / Pick: 230 | |
| No regular season or postseason appearances | |
| Career history | |
* Washington Redskins ( 2002)*
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Games played | 27 |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
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[]
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[]
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[]
Washington Redskins[]
Grau was selected by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round (230th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft, to play as a long snapper. He was released on August 27.
Dallas Cowboys[]
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.[2] 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).[3]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers[]
On August 24, 2003, he was released after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to keep Ryan Benjamin as the starting long snapper.[4]
Miami Dolphins[]
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.[5] He was cut on March 2, 2004, after the team signed William Delahoussaye to compete with Perry.[6]
References[]
- ↑ "Redskins' Day 2 Picks". https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2002/04/22/redskins-day-2-picks/44980631-8764-48e8-b919-ff6f21d017a4/. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Cowboys Claim Jeff Grau Off Waivers". https://www.apnews.com/a65b2b94c2ee1839be56303da5441c3a. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Bucs get Grau from Dallas". http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20030807/bucs-get-grau-from-dallas. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Benjamin's Job Not So Secure". http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-09-15/features/0309150214_1_panthers-played-untouched-benjamin. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Wannstedt Replaces Long Snapper Mcdermott". http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-10-15/sports/0310150100_1_long-snapper-tampa-bay-tailback-ricky-williams. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Long Snapper Perry, Punter Turk Re-up". http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2004-03-24/sports/0403230566_1_dolphins-long-snapper-perry-terrell-buckley. Retrieved February 19, 2018.