Toledo football icons Gradkowski and Page face off in St. Francis-Central Catholic rivalry

Oct. 21—Bruce Gradkowski and Eric Page never shared a football field together in college or the NFL.

That ends Friday when the University of Toledo icons are on opposite sidelines at Gallagher Stadium as St. Francis de Sales and Central Catholic play for the Irish Knight Trophy.

"It's going to be great for the city of Toledo and the Rockets," said Page, who's in his first season as wide receivers coach at Central Catholic. "I think [St. Francis] is a perfect fit for Bruce. He's been doing a great job with his team. I'm excited for the future rivalry between us. It's cool to see a great, hall-of-fame Rocket across from me on the sideline going head to head."

Gradkowski is in the midst of his first season as head coach at St. Francis, taking over for Dan Chipka, who departed for an assistant coaching job at Wingate University in North Carolina.

Gradkowski, a three-year starting quarterback at UT from 2003 to 2005, was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame in 2012. He was drafted in 2006 by Tampa Bay and spent eight seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers, St. Louis, Cleveland, Oakland, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh, bringing name recognition and instant credibility to the Knights.

St. Francis is 4-5 entering Week 10 and in control of its playoff destiny. The Knights have one of the most prolific offenses in the area — senior wide receiver Trey Talboo leads the Three Rivers Athletic Conference in scoring (15 touchdowns) and receiving yards (1,295 yards), senior quarterback Denim Truss is the conference's top passer (2,176 yards, 20 TDs), and sophomore running back Traven Horton is the TRAC's leading rusher (971 yards, 7.6 yards per carry).

"I couldn't be more pleased," said Father Geoffrey Rose, president of St. Francis. "Bruce hadn't [been a head coach] before. As I'm sure he would tell you, he's learned a lot. The guys love him. He's a man of great faith. I like the way he does things, Xs and Os and Jimmy's and Joe's. It's as people-oriented as it is schematic or strategic. He's very naturally Salesian.

"He comes with the pedigree, experience, and connections. But the reason he wanted to take the job was to shape lives and not only share wisdom and knowledge of the game, but his wisdom and knowledge of life. Football teaches a lot of life lessons."

Page, who previously spent time as an assistant at his alma mater Springfield, was out of coaching when Central Catholic coach Greg Dempsey sent him a text saying that he needed a wide receivers coach.

"He said, 'I'm in,'" Dempsey recalled.

With contributions from Page, 7-2 Central Catholic has an efficient passing attack, as quarterback Ty'Wuan Clark is completing a TRAC-best 68.7 percent of his passes for 1,732 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Irish have three of the top 10 receivers in the conference — Sam Lee (30 receptions, 672 yards), Khaleb Carter (34 receptions, 326 yards), and Josh Lee (13 receptions, 308 yards).

In 2009, Page was a freshman All-American. He was a consensus All-American kick returner the following season, with 871 return yards — an average of 31.1 yards per kick — and three touchdowns. Despite only playing three seasons, Page is UT's career leader in receptions (306), receiving yards (3,446), and touchdown catches (25). He started all 16 games in 2013 with Tampa Bay, recording 799 return yards.

"He's been a great addition," Dempsey said. "His knowledge of the wide receiver position is immense. His coaching and handling of the kids are fantastic. He fits in great on our staff. It's been phenomenal."

The hiring of Gradkowski was a whirlwind for St. Francis, which was forced to find a coach six weeks before camp began.

Rose, who knows Mark Dantonio from doing work at Michigan State, jokingly texted the ex-Spartan coach for his resume and references. When Rose relayed the story to St. Francis basketball coach Jamie Kachmarik, he responded by encouraging Rose to inquire about Gradkowski.

A few meetings and conversations later, Gradkowski was hired.

"It's been a blessing," Gradkowski said. "Football is my passion and my love. I love being around the guys and helping in any way I can. Trying to help guys get where they want to go on the football field and in life is fun. It's been so rewarding building relationships.

"When this came about, it was perfect timing. Getting to know Father Rose and what St. Francis stands for reminds me a lot of my high school in Pittsburgh, Pa., Seton LaSalle. It's cool to be part of something special."

In the near future, Page hopes to be in the same role as Gradkowski: a head coach in northwest Ohio.

He asked himself who would be best to learn under, which is why he accepted the position at Central Catholic. Dempsey is the undisputed coaching king of Toledo and the outlying area.

"I've learned so much about how it's more than football when it comes to being a head coach," Page said. "You have to manage a lot of things with the team and parents. From the top to the bottom, every kid is under his direction. He's a great leader and it shows in the players and the coaches."

On Friday, St. Francis and Central Catholic players will obtain guidance from Gradkowski and Page, two Toledo legends passing on years of football acumen to the next generation.

First Published October 21, 2021, 2:06pm