Martin Gramatica had reason to celebrate again Wednesday after winning Co-Player of the Week honors with his brother, Bill, of the Cardinals
It's a good thing these brothers have learned to share.
Martin and Bill Gramatica, the kickers for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, respectively, were named NFC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 13 by the National Football League. It is the first time this season two players have shared the honor.
The Gramaticas were honored three days after they became the first pair of brothers in NFL history to hit game-winning, overtime field goals on the same day. Martin's 21-yarder five minutes into overtime in Cincinnati gave the Buccaneers a 16-13 victory, while Bill's 36-yarder ended a 34-31 thriller at Oakland at the midway point of the sudden-death period.
This is the third Special Teams Player of the Week award for the Bucs' Gramatica, who has won it one time in each of his three NFL seasons. As a rookie in 1999, Martin was chosen in Week 11 after hitting two 50-plus-yard field goals in the fourth quarter against Atlanta, including a game-winning 53-yarder with 58 seconds left. Last year, he nailed three of four tries in the Bucs' 16-13 win at Miami, including a 46-yarder through a driving rain for the final points, and was named Player of the Week for Week 15. Martin was also named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month last October.
Bill, a rookie, also won the same award by himself last week, after kicking a game-winning, 42-yard field goal with 42 seconds left in the Cardinals' 20-17 victory at San Diego. He is having an outstanding debut season, connecting on 13 of 16 field goal tries and all 23 extra point attempts for a team-leading 62 points. He has made 12 of his last 13 kicks, missing just once from 48 yards and hitting a career-long 50-yard shot.
This is the third Player of the Week Award won by a Tampa Bay player in the last four weeks. No Buc was so honored through the first seven games of the season, but cornerback Ronde Barber broke the drought after his two-interception performance against Detroit on October 11, winning Defensive Player of the Week honors. Defensive tackle Warren Sapp won the same award two weeks later after collecting two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the Bucs' Monday Night win at St. Louis.
This is the 11th Special Teams Player of the Week award won by a Buccaneer player since Head Coach Tony Dungy arrived in 1996 and installed Joe Marciano as the special teams coach. Return man Karl Williams has won it four times, LB Shelton Quarles, WR Jacquez Green, CB Ronde Barber and DE John McLaughlin once each.
