View source for Lee Grosscup

{{Short description|American football player and sportscaster (1936–2020)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
<!--{{Infobox gridiron football person -->
| name = Lee Grosscup
| image = Lee Grosscup 1958.jpeg
| alt = 
| caption = Grosscup, circa 1958
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|12|27|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|06|01|1936|12|27|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Alameda, California]], U.S.
| number = 11, 17
| position = [[Quarterback]]
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lbs = 187
| high_school = [[Santa Monica High School|Santa Monica]]
| college = [[Utah Utes football|Utah]]<br />[[Santa Monica College]]<br />[[1955 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] (1955)
| draftyear  = 1959
| draftround = 1
| draftpick  = 10
| pastteams      = 
* [[New York Giants]] ({{NFL Year|1959}}–{{NFL Year|1961}})
* [[New York Titans (football)|New York Titans]] ([[1962 American Football League season|1962]])
* [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] ({{CFL Year|1963}})
* [[Oakland Raiders]] ([[1964 American Football League season|1964]])
* [[Hartford Charter Oaks]] (1965–1966)
|highlights =
* First-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1957 College Football All-America Team|1957]])
| pfr = GrosLe00
}}
'''Clyde Lee Edward Grosscup''' (December 27, 1936{{snd}}June 1, 2020)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/cal/news/lee-grosscup-dies-at-83|title=Lee Grosscup dies at the age of 83|website=SI.com|date=June 3, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/collegesports/article/Longtime-Cal-football-broadcaster-Lee-Grosscup-15311917.php|title=Longtime Cal football broadcaster Lee Grosscup dies at 83|date=2 June 2020}}</ref> was an American professional [[American football|football]] [[quarterback]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He played [[college football]] for the [[Washington Huskies football|Washington Huskies]] and the [[Utah Utes football|Utah Redskins]] and was selected by the [[New York Giants]] in the first round of the [[1959 NFL draft]].

He later became a [[sportscaster]].

== Early life ==
Grosscup was born on December 27, 1936, in [[Santa Monica, California]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Lee Grosscup Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GrosLe00.htm |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He was raised in Santa Monica, and attended [[Santa Monica High School]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Trevor |date=2020-06-01 |title=Former Utah Heisman Trophy Finalist Quarterback Lee Grosscup Passes Away At Age 83 |url=https://kslsports.com/ncaa/utah/former-utah-heisman-trophy-finalist-quarterback-lee-grosscup-passes-away-at-age-83/435359 |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=KSL Sports |language=en-us}}</ref> In 1954, he was an All-American quarterback at Santa Monica High.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Del Grande |first=Dave |date=2008-01-01 |title=Alameda’s Grosscup knows Heisman |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2008/01/01/alamedas-grosscup-knows-heisman/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=East Bay Times |language=en-US}}</ref> He played high school football under coach [[Jim Sutherland]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Murray |first=James |date=September 22, 1958 |title=A Cactus Plant In Stanford's Ivy |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1958/09/22/a-cactus-plant-in-stanfords-ivy |journal=Sports Illustrated}}</ref>

==Collegiate career==
Grosscup was a quarterback for the [[Washington Huskies football|University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]] in [[1955 Washington Huskies football team|1955]]. However, there was a player revolt against heavy-handed head coach [[John Cherberg]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2020-06-03 |title=Lee Grosscup (1936-2020): Greatest Husky QB That Never Was |url=https://www.si.com/college/washington/legends/lee-grosscup-became-a-quarterback-legend-for-utah-after-leaving-washington |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Washington Huskies On SI |language=en-US}}</ref> Grosscup and three former high school teammates left the school shortly after their freshman season; deciding to sit out a year instead of continuing to play for the "tyrannical" Cherberg in Seattle.<ref name=ldnsen56>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LEozAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1O4HAAAAIBAJ&pg=4396,2175557 |newspaper=Lodi News Sentinel |location=(California) |title=4 frosh players desert Huskies |agency=United Press |date=January 23, 1956|page=8}}</ref> Cherberg, who was fired, had also revealed there was an alumni slush fund to pay players, which created a scandal. Years later, Grosscup revealed he had received $100/month from the fund, in addition to his scholarship.<ref name=":0" />

Grosscup considered returning to Washington in 1956, to play under new coach [[Darrell Royal]], but instead attended [[Santa Monica College]] for a year.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="exhfrs">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0JYzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-OYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1589%2C552770 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Ex-Husky frosh enrolls at Utah |date=May 2, 1957 |page=18}}</ref> He then transferred to the [[University of Utah]] in [[Salt Lake City]] in [[1957 Utah Redskins football team|1957]], leading a passing offense under head coach [[Jack Curtice]] that was advanced for its time.<ref name="sicjahk">{{cite news |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1957/10/28/605549/cactus-jack-and-his-kokomos |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Maule |first=Tex |author-link=Tex Maule |title=Cactus Jack and his Kokomos |date=October 28, 1957 |page=36}}</ref> Grosscup considered Curtice a genius in developing the passing game.<ref name=":1" />

''[[Monday Night Football]]'' broadcaster [[Al Michaels]] credits Grosscup for developing the [[shovel pass]] or "Utah pass," although Grosscup acknowledges that the play was used decades earlier in the 1920s.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.utefans.net/home/ancient_ute/utahpass.html | title=Origin of "The Utah Pass" | access-date=2010-05-04 | archive-date=2011-07-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724120635/http://www.utefans.net/home/ancient_ute/utahpass.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Grosscup finished his junior season in 1957, completing 94 of 137 passes (68.6%, a collegiate record at the time), passing for 10 touchdowns and a nation-leading 1,398 yards. His 68.6% completion rate was a Utah school record until 2019, when broken by [[Tyler Huntley]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2025-04-10 |title=Utah Football Legend Lee Grosscup Passes Away |url=https://utahutes.com/news/2020/6/2/utah-football-legend-lee-grosscup-passes-away |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=University of Utah Athletics |language=en}}</ref> He only threw two interceptions, also leading the nation.<ref name=":4" /> He had a 175.5 college quarterback passer rating.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Lee Grosscup College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/lee-grosscup-1.html |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> 

He came to national prominence in 1957 with a 316-yard passing game against Army.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> He was named a first-team [[1957 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] by ''[[Look (American magazine)|Look]]'', the [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]], the Williamson National Football Rating, and ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]]'' and finished tenth in the balloting for the [[Heisman Trophy]], won by [[John David Crow]] of [[1957 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Utah Football 2009 Media Guide (pp. 187-88) Wayback Machine |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/09-footbl-mg-184-189.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160304035438/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/09-footbl-mg-184-189.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=grfx.cstv.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1957 Heisman Trophy Voting |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1957.html |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> 

In [[1958 Utah Redskins football team|1958]], Grosscup passed for 828 yards, three touchdowns, and a 54.8 completion percentage.<ref name=":3" /> A shoulder injury had hampered his senior season under first-year head coach [[Ray Nagel]],<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ray Nagel College Coaching Records, Awards and Leaderboards |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/ray-nagel-1.html |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> but Grosscup was selected to play in the [[Senior Bowl]] in early 1959.<ref name=aaisrbl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RnwsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RswEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2191%2C274340 |newspaper=Spartanburg Herald |location=(South Carolina) |agency=Associated Press |title=Aerial aces to vie in Senior Bowl |date=January 3, 1959 |page=7 }}</ref> He was first team All-[[Skyline Conference]] in 1957 and 1958.<ref name=":2" /> 

==Professional career==
Selected by the [[1959 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] with the tenth overall pick in the [[1959 NFL draft]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=1959 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1959/draft.htm |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Grosscup appeared in eight games in his two seasons with the Giants.<ref name=":5" /> The Giants were the Eastern champions in [[1959 NFL Championship Game|1959]] and [[1961 NFL Championship Game|1961]], but fell in both title games on the road (31–16 against the [[Baltimore Colts]] and 37–0 against the [[Green Bay Packers]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - New York Giants at Baltimore Colts - December 27th, 1959 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195912270clt.htm |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1961 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196112310gnb.htm |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> 

After being waived by the Giants, in August [[1962 New York Giants season|1962]], his contract was purchased for $100 by the second-year [[1962 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pc0zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DOkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1724,1136477 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Vikings buy Lee Grosscup |date=August 4, 1962 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Grosscup |first=Lee |date=1975-11-09 |title=The Joe Namath of the Continental League |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/11/09/archives/the-joe-namath-of-the-continental-league.html |access-date=2025-04-07 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> but he was cut before the beginning of the season. This allowed Grosscup to return to New York in September, this time with the [[1962 New York Titans season|New York Titans]] of the [[American Football League]] (later known as the New York Jets),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iHghAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LIkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5435,1078277 |newspaper=Schenectady Gazette |location=(New York) |title=Titans Grab Lee Grosscup |agency=Associated Press |date=September 8, 1962 |page=18 }}</ref> in its [[1962 American Football League season|third]] season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New York Jets Team Records, Leaders, and League Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyj/index.htm |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He began the season as the starter, but missed six weeks with a knee injury.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Daley |first=Arthur |date=September 5, 1963 |title=Sports of THE TIMES; End of the Road Wrong Approach The Deprivation Steady Sidetrack |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1963/09/05/82146590.html?pageNumber=38 |access-date=2025-04-07 |work=The New York Times |language=en |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Grosscup was cut on the final day of the [[1963 New York Jets season|1963]] preseason and signed with the [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] three days later.<ref name="reaggs">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UcgtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G5wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2291,3455027 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=(Pennsylvania)|agency=Associated Press |title=Grosscup signs |date=September 8, 1963 |page=35}}</ref> That same year, Grosscup released his first book, entitled ''Fourth and One''.<ref name="ppressact">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P-ojAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MU8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7093,4860708 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |title=Lee Grosscup plans acting as next field |date=December 13, 1964 |page=4, sec. 4}}</ref>

After failing to make the [[1964 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]], Grosscup spent the 1964 season on the [[1964 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]]' [[taxi squad]].<ref name=ppressact/> He was cut by the Raiders the [[1965 Oakland Raiders season|following season]] and signed with the [[Hartford Charter Oaks]] of the newly formed [[Continental Football League]], and became a player-coach.<ref>{{cite news |author=Frank Keyes |title=Lee Grosscup to Join Charter Oaks, Former Giant QB Cut by Oakland |work=The Hartford Courant |date=August 26, 1965 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Del Grande |first=Dave |date=2008-01-01 |title=Alameda’s Grosscup knows Heisman |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2008/01/01/alamedas-grosscup-knows-heisman/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=East Bay Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

While skilled as a quarterback, Grosscup had the artistic temperament of a poet or writer, rather than the hard-bitten or violent temperament typically associated with professional football at the time. Before joining the NFL, he held a public written correspondence about football with a sportswriter. While popular generally, Grosscup came off as arrogant to his future Giants teammates, who originally isolated him when he joined the team and where he remained on the fringes of the team's players throughout his two years there.<ref name=":8" /> Giants coach [[Allie Sherman]] disliked Grosscup as a player and a person; and during his short stint in Minnesota, Grosscup infuriated coach [[Norm Van Brocklin]] by using the word "deuce" instead of "two" when calling a play, Van Brocklin telling him to use numbers as he did not go for "Madison Avenue stuff". After that, the Vikings players called Grosscup, Deuce or Madison.<ref name=":9" />

==Broadcasting career==
After the 1966 season, Grosscup began a career in broadcasting. He spent one season calling [[American Football League|AFL]] games for [[NFL on NBC|NBC]] before beginning a twenty-year stint as a college football analyst for [[College Football on ABC|ABC]], working alongside notable voices such as [[Bill Flemming]], [[Chris Schenkel]], [[Keith Jackson]], [[Verne Lundquist]] and [[Al Michaels]] and [[Curt Gowdy]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1974 College Football Season - 506 Archive |url=https://archive.506sports.com/wiki/1974_College_Football_Season |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=archive.506sports.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Letscher |first=Brian |title=Those Who Stay: The Game (Episode 11) |url=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/wolverines/football/2019/11/28/those-who-stay-bo-schembechler-historical-fiction-ohio-state-game-1969/79150936007/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Wolverines Wire |language=en-US}}</ref>

Grosscup was also a broadcaster in the [[United States Football League|USFL]], first as a radio analyst for the [[Oakland Invaders]], then as a television analyst on ABC from 1984–1985{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} or 1982–1985.<ref name=":7" />

Grosscup was the radio analyst for the [[Sacramento Gold Miners]] of the CFL during the {{CFL Year|1993}} and {{CFL Year|1994}} seasons.<ref name=":7" />

Grosscup was a voter in the [[Harris Interactive College Football Poll]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=869530 |title=Rivals.com College Football - Harris Poll voters: Who are these guys? |access-date=2008-11-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202092707/http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=869530 |archive-date=2008-12-02 }}</ref>

===California Golden Bears===
Grosscup was a member of the [[California Golden Bears football|California Golden Bears]] broadcast team for 32 years, including 17 years as a color analyst and 15 years as part of the team's postgame coverage.<ref name="Okanes">{{cite web |last1=Okanes |first1=Jonathan |title=Grosscup Ready For Final Broadcast |url=https://calbears.com/news/2018/12/20/football-grosscup-ready-for-final-broadcast.aspx |website=calbears.com |publisher=Cal Athletics |access-date=15 March 2019 |date=20 December 2018}}</ref>

From [[1986 California Golden Bears football team|1986]] to [[2003 California Golden Bears football team|2003]], Grosscup was the radio analyst for  broadcasts alongside [[Joe Starkey]].<ref name="Okanes" /> Former Cal quarterback [[Mike Pawlawski]] took over as radio analyst in [[2004 California Golden Bears football team|2004]] despite Grosscup's willingness to continue until 2007.<ref>{{cite news |title=Grosscup Replaced in Cal Booth, Pawlawski is Elevated to Color Analyst for the Football Broadcasts |work=Contra Costa Times |date=9 July 2004  }}</ref> Grosscup hosted the postgame radio show for Cal football games from 2004 until his retirement in [[2018 California Golden Bears football team|2018]].<ref name="Okanes" /><ref name=":7" />

== Death ==
Grosscup died on June 1, 2020, at the age of 83.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=June 1, 2020 |title=Football Legend Lee Grosscup Passes Away |url=https://calbears.com/news/2020/6/1/football-legend-lee-grosscup-passes-away.aspx |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=California Golden Bears Athletics |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American Football League players]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Footballstats |nfl=2515438 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=GrosLe00 |dbf=GROSSLEE01 |rotoworld=}}

{{NCAA major college football passing yardage leaders}}
{{Utah Utes quarterback navbox}}
{{New York Jets starting quarterback navbox}}
{{Saskatchewan Roughriders starting quarterback navbox}}
{{1959 NFL Draft}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosscup, Lee}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:American Football League announcers]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:California Golden Bears football announcers]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League announcers]]
[[Category:Canadian football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:Continental Football League players]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]
[[Category:New York Titans (AFL) players]]
[[Category:Oakland Raiders announcers]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Santa Monica, California]]
[[Category:Santa Monica Corsairs football players]]
[[Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players]]
[[Category:United States Football League announcers]]
[[Category:Utah Utes football players]]
[[Category:Washington Huskies football players]]