Paul Gruber was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1988 NFL Draft early in the first round. He played 12 seasons with the Bucs and started 183 games in his career, missing just nine games his entire career.
Gruber played left tackle for the Bucs and was an All-Pro Second Team selection in his fifth year. Gruber was a master at jumping on a ball that was fumbled on the line with nin fumble recoveries in his career.
Gruber was in the NFL from 1988 to 1999, after the 1999 season he decided to retire due to the wear and tear on his body and not being able to play the game at the highest level anymore.