Martin Gramatica

He was respected in the NFL as one of the best kickers in the game, but in 2003 he had a noticeable drop in accuracy with field goals 40 yards or longer, a trend that continued in 2004 until ultimately being released by the Buccaneers. He was shortly signed by the Indianapolis Colts in December of 2004 and was used exclusively for kickoffs. He later revealed in an interview in September of 2005 with news-press.com that he believed the reason for his struggles was because of torn muscles in his lower abductor and lower abdomen, which he had surgically repaired during the off season. However, he was not done with rehabilitation until after the season started, and did not sign with a team for the 2005 season. On April 6, 2006 he signed a contract with the New England Patriots.

He was out of the league entirely in 2005 and had not attempted a field goal in a regular-season game since November 2004. New England was hopeful he could return to his previous form, and he did seem healthy again in camp, and could draw some interest from other teams down the road.

He has been plagued by injuries the last two years but is said to be healthy again, and the Patriots are hopeful he can return to his prior form. The six-year veteran spent nearly all his NFL tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was released late in 2004 and signed by Indianapolis to handle kickoff chores.