Rex Grossman

At 44 years old, Rex Grossman has this physical status:

Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for nine seasons.

Grossman played for college for the University of Florida and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

He has played for both the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins. Grossman, a college quarterback for the Florida Gators, helped the Gators win the 2000 Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship, the 2002 Orange Bowl, and the 2003 Outback Bowl.

He was a unanimous first-team All-American and finished second for the Heisman Trophy in 2001. Grossman missed the majority of his first three NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears due to injuries.

In 2006, he completed his first complete NFL season, leading the Bears to a National Football Conference Championship and a Super Bowl appearance.

He started his playing time three weeks into the 2007 season and spent most of the team's backup quarterback afterward.

He spent a year as a back-up quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2009 before becoming the Washington Redskins' starting quarterback in the final three games of 2010 and the majority of the 2011 season.

In 2014 and 2015, he served as a backup quarterback for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons, but he never made a regular season appearance with either team.

Early years

Grossman was born in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1980, the son of Rex Daniel Grossman II and Maumeen Grossman. He began playing football at an early age in grade school under his parent's encouragement and guidance. He started his football career as a running back. Despite his son's success, his mother begged his coach (his father) to change him to a quarterback when he was in sixth grade.

Grossman played football for the Bloomington South Panthers at Bloomington High School South. He threw for 7,518 yards and 97 touchdowns in three seasons as the Panthers' quarterback. As a senior in 1998, he threw for 3,080 yards and forty-four touchdowns, including a game in which he threw six touchdowns. His senior season came to an end when the Panthers defeated the Homestead High School Spartans 35-14 in the Indiana Class 5A state championship game. Grossman completed seventeen of twenty-six pass attempts for 216 yards and five touchdowns, ties for the most touchdowns thrown in a championship game in Indiana.

The 1998 Indiana Player of the Year by USA Today was named as one of the top fifteen players in the country by the National Recruiting Advisor, and Parade magazine named him to its high school All-America staff. When he was named Indiana's Mr. Football later this year, he received statewide recognition. In the summer of 2007, Bloomington High School South in the Chicago Bears' 2006 season to celebrate his success.

Family and personal life

Grossman's family has a long tradition of football. For Indiana University, his father and grandfather were football players. Rex Sr.'s grandfather, who played for the Baltimore Colts (1948-1950) and Detroit Lions (1950), as well as in 37 games during his career. During the offseason with his partner, Alison Miska, to whom he has been married since July 9, 2005, the Grossman resides in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition, Grossman has a sister and nephew who live in Lincolnwood, Illinois, and his parents are Archie Manning's friends.

Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre, and former Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh have all been a fan of former Packers quarterback Jim Harbaugh. Grossman was also a huge fan of the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers since his youth. He loves playing basketball and watching movies outside of football. In addition, Grossman appeared on FOX News Chicago's The Final Word, a Sunday night sports show co-hosted by former Bears wide receiver Tom Waddle. He also appeared on the front page of Sports Illustrated for Kids' February 2007 issue. Grossman was photographed alongside Devin Hester and Tommie Harris in a museum exhibit on the front page.

Grossman absorbed a $680,000 loss on his purchase of a 36th floor condo in the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago in September 2008, after losing 25% of his initial investment in January 2010.

Grossman's hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, declared the day "Rex Grossman Day" for his work in football and the community on June 28, 2007. Grossman has hosted a charity golf tournament for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for the past four years, raising over $100,000 for them.

In 2009, Grossman and his wife established Florida Medical Staffing, a staffing company for nurses based in Delray Beach, Florida.

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College career

Grossman accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he competed for Florida's Florida Gators from 1999 to 2002.

Grossman, who redshirted his freshman year in 1999, competed for playing time with returning starter Jesse Palmer and the country's top high school recruit, Brock Berlin. On October 7, 2000 against LSU, Grossman played his first game as a Florida Gator. Grossman had the opportunity to start after failing 13 of 16 pass attempts for 232 yards and two touchdowns against Mississippi State the week before in the Gators' first SEC conference loss of the season. In lopsided victories over LSU and Auburn, Grossman solidified his role as Florida's starting quarterback over the next two games by throwing for over 500 yards, eight touchdowns, and no interceptions. He led the Gators to the SEC Championship and was named Most Valuable Player of the SEC Championship Game. Grossman completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,866 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions on the season. His passer efficiency rating of 161.8 was the third highest in NCAA Division I football.

During his sophomore season in 2001, Grossman went for over 300 yards in nine straight games. He ranked first in passing efficiency, passing completion percentage, and yards per attempt. Grossman was named as a consensus first-team All-American and finished second in the 2001 Heisman Trophy election, one of the closest Heisman votes in the history of the award. His 55 touchdown passes in his sophomore season were the most in NCAA history at the time. Grossman went for 464 yards and five touchdowns as No. 1 on October 6, 2001. The No. 2 in Florida defeated No. 2 on Friday. The LSU Tigers are 44–15. Grossman cited the victory as his most memorable game as a Gator in a 2006 interview with the Chicago Tribune. In one of the closest votes in Heisman Trophy history, he came in second, behind only 62 votes. He received accolades for his work as a consensus first-team All-American, the AP National Player-of-the-Year Award, and a finalist for other prestigious awards, including the Walter Camp National Player-of-the-Year Award, the Maxwell College Player-of-the-Year Award, and the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback-of-the-Year Award. In the 2002 Orange Bowl, he won by 56-23 over the Maryland Terrapins.

Grossman, a junior team captain in 2002, led the Gators in a "Slingin' in the Rain" game against the Tennessee Volunteers, in which he threw three touchdowns and 22 completions in 32 attempts en route to a 30-13 victory over the Vols. Despite passing 21 of 41 yards and two touchdowns, Grossman led the Gators to the 2003 Outback Bowl, where they lost to the Michigan Wolverines 38-32. Grossman decided against college football eligibility and announced for the NFL Draft after the season was over.

Grossman threw for 9,164 yards and seven touchdowns in his three-season college career. He earned a 146.77 passer rating, making him the third most effective passer in the Southeastern Conference's history. In 2000 and 2001, he was twice selected by his coworkers as the Gators' most valuable player. The Gainesville Sun named Grossman as the No. 106 in one of a series of essays about the top 100 Gators from the first century of Florida football. In 2006, the 10th all-time Gator was born. In 2013, he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2013.

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Professional career

Grossman was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and he appeared for the Bears from 2003 to 2008. Grossman was regarded as a rookie under coach Dick Jauron's leadership, deferring veteran quarterbacks Chris Chandler and Kordell Stewart over a rookie's preference for veteran quarterbacks Chris Chandler and Kordell Stewart. Since the Bears had been barred from playoff contention, Grossman only saw action during the second half of the season. When he was forced to leave the final game with a bruised finger, his season came to an end.

The Bears cut Jauron and hired Lovie Smith, the team's starting quarterback, prior to the 2004 NFL season. On the first day, Grossman was chastised for throwing a game-ending interception against the Detroit Lions. When he suffered his knee ligament damage while scrambling for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings, criticism of his tenacity grew. Grossman had to spend the remainder of the season recovering after suffering from the injury.

Since breaking his ankle in a preseason game, Grossman missed the majority of the 2005 season. Grossman returned to the field on December 18, 2005, leading the Bears to a 16-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. In a 24–17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, he completed eleven of sixteen passes for a touchdown and one interception. The Bears clinched a playoff spot and the National Football Conference's second playoff seed thanks to Grossman's win. Grossman struggled to anchor the Bears' offense in his first playoff game, throwing 17 of 41 passes for one touchdown and an interception in a 29-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Grossman was the first Bears quarterback to start all sixteen games since Erik Kramer in 1995. The fourth-year quarterback had several fruitful performances, many of which seemed to have been diluted by a handful of turnover-ridden games, particularly against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, where Grossman fumbled twice and threw four interceptions. Despite achieving a passer rating of at least 100 in seven games, he received a sub 50 percent in five games during the second half of the season. Grossman, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month in September, concluded the season's final month with a 64.4 passer rating, with a zero rating against the Packers in the season's final game of the season. Grossman's work ethic drew remark after he admitted that he wasn't physically fit to play and later said the game was "meaningless." He defended his remark days later after discovering that his words had been misinterpreted. Smith's inconsistent results sparked skepticism, prompting Smith to fire Grossman in favour of veteran Brian Griese.

However, Smith, who praised Grossman throughout the season, has announced that Grossman will remain the Bears' starting quarterback throughout the playoffs, raising skepticism in the Chicago area. He temporarily silenced his opponents by leading the Bears to a 27–24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, who then had 21 of 38 passes for 282 yards, one interception, and touchdown. Following Week, he led the Bears to a 39–14 victory over the New Orleans Saints, allowing the Bears to win the NFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XLI. Grossman completed 20 of 28 passes, including a one-yard touchdown pass, in the Super Bowl. However, he threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and fumbled twice due to miscues between him and center Olin Kreutz, which culminated in his forfeiture. Grossman was given the Ed Block Courage Award after the season ended despite further criticism from his detractors. The award is given to one player from every squad who exemplifies the principles of sportsmanship and courage and is thought to be role models to their families.

Grossman vowed to raise his results by simply "protecting the ball" prior to the 2007 season. Despite poor and lackluster play throughout the preseason, Smith named him as the team's starting quarterback for the 2007 season. Grossman failed in his first three outings of the season and had ten turnovers with a 45.2 passer rating. Several news outlets confirmed that Smith demoted him in favour of Brian Griese last week. When Smith revealed that Griese would be playing in the team's next game, the official announcement was made the next day. Grossman regained his first-string role on November 11, 2007, following a shoulder injury scare, according to Griese. Despite the fact that Grossman only played for about half of his career, he led the Bears to a 17–6 victory over the Oakland Raiders with a 59-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian. Grossman threw three touchdowns and one intercept in three and a half games after regaining his starting position. Griese replaced him once more after suffering a knee injury during his fifth start as a starter. Grossman was compelled to relinquish his starting position to Kyle Orton, who had been temporarily suspended after his 2005 preseason injury.

Grossman became an unrestricted free agent after the 2007 season but he said he wanted to return to the Bears. Jerry Angelo, the Bears' general manager, said, "We'd like to have Rex back in the mix." Grossman will return to action if he returns, according to the team's need for a consistent passing game. Smith had previously expressed similar views. Grossman signed a new one-year deal with the Bears on February 23, 2008. Grossman had a $3 million base salary under the terms of the offer. Orton was also given a contract extension, and the Bears planned to keep the two players competing for a starting position. Coach Smith selected Orton as the team's starting quarterback for the 2008 season on August 18, 2008, following two preseason games.

After being called to activate Orton after the game due to an ankle injury, Grossman was still the team's back-up quarterback until week nine against the winless Detroit Lions. Grossman completed nine of nineteen passes for 58 yards, with a touchdown and an intercept. On a quarterback sneak, he also scored the game's winning touchdown. Grossman was consistently mocked by Bears fans during the game. Brian Urlacher defended Grossman after the game, saying, "We've got a quarterback who comes off the bench and leads us to a victory, and they boo him right out of the gate." Poor guy. He's been busy, and he's returned to us and led us to two scoring drives. But it's tough," says the narrator. For the Bears' next game against the Tennessee Titans, Lovie Smith was named as the team's starting quarterback. Grossman threw one touchdown and interceptor, as well as scoring a one-yard rushing touchdown en route to a 21-14 loss. Grossman was fired in the following week after being called to substitute Orton in a 3-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers in his final snaps of the season.

Grossman became a free agent on March 1, 2009. Grossman was not in the team's plans for the 2009 season, according to Bears head coach Lovie Smith. Grossman worked out with the Cincinnati Bengals in March, but was not offered a contract during the offseason, but not for a team. Grossman will be participating in drills in a United Football League "Pro Day," according to UFLaccess.com. However, Drew Rosenhaus, Grossman's rep, denied these allegations, saying that "Rex will play in the NFL this season." We have not considered any other leagues. By the time of training camps, he will be on an NFL roster."

Grossman came to terms with the Houston Texans on June 12, earning $620,000 per year. During the preseason for the backup quarterback job, Grossman defeated Dan Orlovsky. In a 23–18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Grossman played in a single game during the 2009 season, largely relieving Matt Schaub. He had nine passes for three completions, 33 yards, and one interception.

On March 17, 2010, Grossman signed a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins for the 2010 season. Grossman made his first appearance for the Redskins against the Detroit Lions on October 31, 2010, but he was suspended and missed a fumble on his first play, which was returned by Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for a touchdown. Donovan McNabb was suspended in favour of Grossman, who had not been a starter since 2008. Early in the game, the Redskins trailed the Dallas Cowboys, but Grossman threw for 322 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions to erase a 20-point deficit. The Cowboys also won the game, 33-30. In a close and crucial game for the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Grossman made his second appearance with Washington.

Grossman re-signed with the Redskins on August 2, 2011. Grossman was chosen to be the Redskins' starting quarterback at the 2011 pre-season after a quarterback due to John Beck's quarterback battle. Grossman began the 2011 season by defeating the New York Giants, who had completed 21 of 34 attempts on his way, throwing for 305 yards and two touchdowns. In a four-interception week 6 victory over the Eagles in favor of Beck, Grossman will get the Redskins off to a 3-1 start before being suspended. In a loss to the Dolphins, Grossman returned to the team 10 weeks after the Dolphins lost week 10. He led a last-minute touchdown drive to tie Dallas this week but ultimately lost in overtime. With a 23–17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, he helped the Redskins snap a six-game skid next week, with two interceptions and two touchdowns.

On March 17, 2012, the Redskins re-signed Grossman to a new one-year deal. In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Redskins drafted Robert Griffin III (second overall) and Kirk Cousins (102nd overall). Grossman was the team's third-string quarterback and did not appear in a single game for the team in 2012.

Grossman signed another one-year deal with the Redskins on April 3, 2013. He was the team's third-string quarterback and was primarily responsible for Griffin III and Cousins.

Grossman was signed by the Cleveland Browns on August 12, 2014, and he was released on August 31. After losing Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer to injury, the Browns gave Grossman a one-week $53,529 NFL veteran minimum contract. In order to spend the holidays in Palm Beach with his family, the grossman turned down the offer.

Grossman signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons on August 26, 2015. On September 4, the Falcons announced him.

NFL career statistics

The following is a rundown of Grossman's stats from his regular and postseason games. Grossman has occasionally published notable figures; he ranked tenth in number of pass attempts, seventh in touchdowns thrown, and third in interceptions. He had a 73.9 quarterback rating in his first full season. This was better than quarterback ratings of Favre, Peyton Manning, and Terry Bradshaw in their first full seasons; many other quarterbacks, including Grossman's former backup Brian Griese, did well in their first years. Grossman is one of the best Bears quarterbacks in franchise history for his 23 touchdowns in a single season. However, his 20 interceptions in a season are among the most thrown by any Bears' quarterback in nearly two decades. Grossman was rated as the most volatile quarterback in nearly a decade, according to the unusual combination. In a 23-13 Chicago Bears victory over the Minnesota Vikings on December 3, 2006, Grossman tied for lowest passer rating in a win with at least 15 passing attempts, a 1.3 rating. In a game with more than ten passing attempts, Grossman became the first quarterback to throw more interceptions than completions in the same year.

Retrieved January 6, 2010.

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