Bucs doctors thought former kicker Martin Gramatica had a sports hernia. Not until he left the Bucs did Gramatica learn he had a groin tear, which ruined his career.

There are two words that are virtually guaranteed to bring a grown man to near tears (Joe assumes the two words are “free beer,” but that is inaccurate). Those two words are “groin tear.”

For former Bucs kicker Martin Gramatica, those pair of words basically killed his career. And he can thank the Bucs team physicians for that.

Allegedly.

Speaking on the “Ron and Ian Show” with Ron Diaz and Ian Beckles on WDAE-AM 620 Thursday morning, Gramatica stated how he had a groin tear of his (right) kicking leg in his final years with the Bucs, but it was misdiagnosed as a sports hernia.

Gramatica was in such pain that often he couldn’t practice for two or three days after a game. Sometimes, he missed an entire week of practice he was in such agony.

As a result, Gramatica noted how he basically had to change his kicking style and motion to adjust for the pain, which completely messed him up. A kicker’s leg swing is not unlike a batter’s swing in baseball. If that is monkeyed with, the kicker/batter may never recover.

After Gramatica’s Bucs days he was (finally) properly diagnosed with a 75 percent groin tear. But by that time it was too late. Since, Gramatica has undergone three surgeries to repair his groin.