Throughout his ten-year NFL career, Martin Gramatica played for four different teams.
Gramatica’s last NFL appearance was in 2008, the final year of his two-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Now 49, Gramatica shared his life story in a recent interview with TMZ to discuss his memoir, “Beyond The Uprights: The Intimate Memoir Of Martin Gramatica.”
He reflected on his childhood, highlighting the strained relationship he had with his father.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Retired kicker Martin Gramatica of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers watches pregame ceremonies during a game against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 15, 2013, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images))
The former Super Bowl-winning kicker described his father as “abusive.”
“I had a very abusive father that I speak about,’ Gramatica told the outlet.
C.J. STROUD RESPONDS TO FANS BOOING DURING TEXANS’ DEMORALIZING LOSS: ‘PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINIONS’
He emphasized that he didn’t share his past experiences for sympathy.
“I want to make sure people don’t read the book and say, ‘Feel sorry for me,’ because everything that I lived, it made me a better person and made me a better father,” Gramatica said.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica runs out of the tunnel before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 29, 2015. (Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)
Gramatica explained that his father’s behavior shaped the kind of parent he didn’t want to be with his own children.
“It made me know what not to do with my kids. I want to make sure that if somebody reads the book and realizes, ‘I need to break this,’ and I want somebody to realize it sooner than when I did. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I had my first son when Nico was born.”
Nico Gramatica is a placekicker for the South Florida Bulls.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica follows through on a first-quarter, 24-yard field goal on Aug. 23, 2003, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Martin’s difficult relationship with his father led to a pact between him and his siblings.
“I love that kid so much that you’re thinking, ‘How can I ever do what my father did to me?’ So, that’s what I feel. I talked to my brothers, and we made a pact. We got to break this,” Martin noted.
“We haven’t spoken [to our dad] since because we just don’t want that type of abuse around our families. I have three kids. My brother Santiago has two kids. So, we don’t want that around our kids. That’s what the book’s about.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Gramatica played college football for Kansas State before entering the NFL in 1999. He spent the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning the Super Bowl with them in 2002.
He concluded his football career with a career field goal percentage of 76.4%.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
