Retired NFL kicker Martin Grammatica shares heartbreaking details about ‘abusive father’
During his ten-year NFL career, Martin Gramatica played for four different teams.
Gramatica last appeared in an NFL game in 2008, the second of his two-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Gramática, 49, opened up about his past in an interview with TMZ to discuss his memoir Beyond the Righteous: The Intimate Memoirs of Martin Gramática.
Gramática recounts his childhood experiences, particularly his strained relationship with his father.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Retired kicker Martin Gramatica of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers watches the pregame ceremony against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium on December 15, 2013 in Tampa, Florida. (Al Messerschmitt/Getty Images))
Super Bowl-winning kicker describes his father as ‘abusive’
“I had a very abusive father,” Gramática told the outlet.
CJ Stroud responds to fans booing during Texans’ demoralizing loss: ‘People are entitled to their opinions’
But he stressed that he would not talk or write about his past to seek sympathy.
“I want to make sure that people don’t read this book and say, ‘Feel sorry for me,’ because everything I’ve been through, it’s made me a better person, it’s made me a better father,” Gramatica said.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Grammatica runs out of the tunnel before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Kim Clement/USA TODAY Sports)
Gramática said his father provided an example of how he didn’t want to have that kind of relationship with his own children.
“It taught me what not to do to my kids. I wanted to make sure that if someone reads this book and realizes, ‘I need to break this,’ I hope someone realizes that sooner than I do. I didn’t until It was when my first son, Nico, was born that I realized how bad the situation was.
Nico Gramatica is a placekicker for the South Florida Bulls.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Grammatica completes a 24-yard field goal in the first quarter on August 23, 2003 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Al Messerschmitt/Getty Images)
Martin’s challenging relationship with his father led to an agreement between Martin and his siblings.
“I loved that kid so much that you think, ‘How could I do what my dad did to me?’ So, that’s how I felt, and I talked to my brothers and we came to an agreement Agreement, we must break this agreement.
“We haven’t spoken yet [to our dad] Because we just don’t want our families to be subjected to this kind of abuse. I have three children. My brother Santiago has two children. So, we don’t want that around our kids. That’s what this book is about.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Gramatica played for Kansas State University before switching to the NFL in 1999.
He finished his professional football career with a career field goal percentage of 76.4%.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on Xand subscribe to Fox News Sports Gathering Newsletter.
