Dwayne Gratz

Dwayne Jamar Gratz (born March 8, 1990) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Connecticut.

Dwayne Gratz
refer to caption
Gratz with UConn in 2011
No. 21, 27
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1990-03-08) March 8, 1990
Piscataway, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Piscataway Township
College:Connecticut
NFL Draft:2013 / Round: 3 / Pick: 64
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Second-team All-Big East (2011, 2012)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:119
Forced fumbles:2
Pass deflections:12
Interceptions:3
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Gratz grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey and attended Piscataway Township High School, where he was a letterman in football and track.[1] He played high school football for the Piscataway Chiefs team. He was named first-team all-area in 2007 and all-region. He helped Piscataway to the 2005 and 2007 state championship games. He recorded 65 tackles as a senior with 16 pass breakups and a pair of interceptions.

In track & field, Gratz competed in events ranging from the 55-meters to the triple jump. He was named an All-county pick after running a 7.5-second 55-meter hurdles, setting a school record.[2] In sprints, he got a PR time of 6.65 seconds in the 55-meter dash at the 2008 GMC Championships, where he took third.[3] In the jumping events, he recorded personal-best leaps of 6.08 meters (19 ft 9 in) in the long jump and 12.18 meters (39 ft 7in) in the triple jump.[4]

Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Gratz was rated as the 28th best cornerback in the nation. He accepted a scholarship from the University of Connecticut over offers from Cincinnati, Michigan State and Temple.[5]

College career

Gratz enrolled in the University of Connecticut, where he played for the Connecticut Huskies football team from 2008 to 2012. After redshirting during the 2008 season, he saw his first collegiate action in 2009. He played in all 13 games and started four of the final five games of the regular season, and recorded 20 tackles and four pass deflections. In 2010, he started all 13 games at cornerback. He had a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter of the 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. He was the third-leading tackler on the team with 63 stops, and also led the team with nine pass breakups. In 2011, he was named to the all-conference second-team. He was the fifth-leading tackler on the team with 53 tackles and was tied for the team lead with three interceptions, had 4.5 tackles for loss for 12 yards on the year and also had four pass breakups. In his final collegiate season, he made 53 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs and led the team with three interceptions to go with 11 pass breakups, and was named to the all-conference second-team for the second consecutive season.

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gratz was drafted in the third round, with the 64th overall pick, by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2013 NFL Draft.[6][7] He registered his first career interception on November 10, 2013 against Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker.

On October 10, 2016, Gratz was released by the Jaguars.[8]

Los Angeles Rams

On October 11, 2016, Gratz was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.[9] He was released by the Rams on November 22, 2016.[10]

Philadelphia Eagles

On December 12, 2016, Gratz signed a two-year deal with the Eagles.[11] He was released on July 23, 2017.[12]

References
  1. Stein, Matt. "Dwayne Gratz: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Connecticut CB", Bleacher Report, April 26, 2013. Accessed September 26, 2018. "Hometown: Piscataway, New Jersey; High School: Piscataway"
  2. "Dwayne Gratz Profile - UCONNHUSKIES.COM - The Official Website of the University of Connecticut Huskies". www.uconnhuskies.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013.
  3. "GMC Championships 2008 - Boys (Raw)".
  4. "Dwayne Gratz | Connecticut | Jaguars CB". Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  5. https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Dwayne-Gratz-64637
  6. "2013 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  7. Oehser, John. "Jaguars select Gratz in Round 3". Jaguars.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  8. "Jaguars Activate CB Aaron Colvin, Waive CB Dwayne Gratz". October 10, 2016.
  9. Bain, Nate (October 11, 2016). "Rams Claim DB Dwayne Gratz". TheRams.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  10. White, Tiffany (November 22, 2016). "Rams Make Week 12 Roster Changes". TheRams.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  11. McPherson, Chris (December 12, 2016). "Eagles Place Three On Injured Reserve". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  12. Gowton, Brandon Lee (July 23, 2017). "Eagles make a few roster moves before training camp starts". BleedingGreenNation.com.
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