Despite the Mileage, Steve Grogan Still Running

If a football player’s career could be measured in mileage, Steve Grogan’s odometer would be ready to turn over -- for the second time.

The 36-year-old New England Patriots quarterback has endured 14 seasons of punishment, compiling a list of injuries that rivals Evel Knievel.

Grogan had a herniated disk removed from his neck and two vertebrae fused with a piece of bone from his hip in January. He feared his career was over, but here he is, still exciting the hometown fans. He has become a part of autumn in New England, just like the colorful leaves. He makes everyone believe.

“With Steve in there playing like he is, I definitely believe we can finish the season 11-5 or 10-6,” said wide receiver Cedric Jones, perhaps forgetting the Patriots are 3-5.

Record aside, Grogan has inspired hope in New England. Since replacing an ineffective Doug Flutie three weeks ago, Grogan has sparked the offense with his fiery leadership. He threw a career-high 28 completions in 46 attempts for 355 yards against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, leading the Patriots to a 24-21 overtime victory.

Grogan will try to make it two in a row Sunday against the 1-7 New York Jets, who travel to Foxboro, Mass., with a five-game losing streak.

Grogan never imagined he would ascend to the starting role. He wasn’t even sure he would play again. The dreaded ‘R’ word invaded his vocabulary.

“Retirement was a very real possibility,” Grogan said recently. “I knew I couldn’t play without the surgery, and there were no guarantees the surgery would correct the problem. Up until July, there was still a pretty good possibility I would have to hang ‘em up.”

Grogan got the OK from the doctors, but he still wasn’t certain about his future. Tony Eason was named the starter in the off-season, and there was Flutie, a local hero. Grogan opened camp as the No. 3 quarterback.

“When I came to camp, I was just hoping to get a roster spot,” Grogan said. “When I did, with two young guys in front of me, the only chance I would have of seeing the field is if both of them got hurt, which was highly unlikely.”

As it turned out, Eason was booed out of town -- he was waived Tuesday and claimed by the Jets Wednesday -- and Flutie couldn’t get the job done.

Enter Grogan. Again.

“I kind of got it by default,” Grogan said modestly.

That’s bad news for the Jets. In 20 games against them, Grogan has 35 touchdown passes and only 16 interceptions. His record as a starter is 12-5. He burned the Jets in the 1988 season opener, throwing two touchdown passes in a 28-3 win. The Jets fear him.

“A lot of guys, for some reason I can’t explain, play well against some teams,” Jets Coach Joe Walton said. “He always plays well against the Jets.”

Why? “There really isn’t an answer,” Grogan said. “It’s unexplainable.”

Patriots Coach Raymond Berry said, “I don’t really understand it. It’s like a pitcher who wins 30 games a year, but there’s one guy he can’t get out. That’s how it is with the Jets.”

Of course, Grogan’s style has changed over the years. He doesn’t run as much. He said it’s because he’s smarter and he has to protect his body, which has absorbed many dents over the years.