Career
Dallas Cowboys Gruttadauria was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 1995. He was released along with the entire practice squad when the team signed Deon Sanders and the Cowboys didn"t have enough salary cap room to keep the players. Saint Louis Rams In 1996 Gruttadauria became the starting center of the Saint Louis Rams.
Though Gruttadauria entered each year with the Rams as the starter, injuries and knee surgeries limited his starts.
He was injured himself through most of the 1998 season but returned strong in 1999, starting all 16 games for the Super Bowl-winning team He then signed a lucrative contract as a free agent for the Arizona Cardinals in 2000, but, because of injuries, played only half the year in 2000 and 2002, his final year, though he played 15 games in 2001.
In the divisional round, the Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings, amassing 374 Netto passing yards thanks to excellent pass protection, despite 2 sacks for 17 yards lost. Gruttadauria with guards Tom Nütten and Adam Timmerman as well as tackles Orlando Pace and Fred Miller continued to protect Warner effectively in the NFC championship game, squeezing past the excellent defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-6.
Though pitted against Warren Sapp and Brad Culpepper at defensive tackle, Gruttadauria and the rest of the line did not allow a sack and gained 258 Netto passing yards.
Some of the success of that team was due to the strategy of the center occasionally snapping the ball very quickly back to Warner, catching the opposing defensive line off-guard. Arizona Cardinals In 2000 he signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals. The next year he was awarded the.
He was released on April 2, 2003.