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The USF Bulls have been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2025 college football season. And one of the biggest players on the Bulls’ special teams is placekicker Nico Gramatica.
The last name Gramatica may sound familiar to you — that’s because Nico is the son of former Kansas State and NFL kicker Martin Gramatica. Nico’s uncle, Bill Gramatica, also kicked in college and the NFL.
Here’s everything you need to know about Nico’s family tree, including his kicker relatives, as well as his siblings and parents.
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How is Nico Gramatica related to Martin?
Nico Gramatica is one of Martin’s three children, which includes Nico, his brother Gaston and sister Emme. Martin, who moved to the United States from Argentina at the age of 9, was a standout kicker for Kansas State in the late 1990s.
During his senior season with the Wildcats in 1998, he set an NCAA single-season record for scoring 135 points via field goals and extra points. He even made a 65-yarder against Northern Illinois and won the Lou Groza Award, given to college football’s most outstanding kicker every year.
Gramatica caught the attention of NFL scouts. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft, selecting him 80th overall. He was with the Bucs from 1999-2004. As a rookie for the Bucs under NFL Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, he set a franchise record with 106 points scored.
He made his first career Pro Bowl in 2000 and was part of the Bucs Super Bowl-winning team in 2002, making two field goals and six extra points against the Oakland Raiders.
He was with Tampa Bay for another two seasons, eventually landing with the Indianapolis Colts midseason in 2004, signed by his former Bucs coach Dungy. But starting in 2004, his accuracy dramatically dropped, connecting on just 57.9 percent of his field goals. After he was not re-signed by the Colts, he underwent treatment for torn muscles in his lower adductor and abdomen.
He was briefly signed by the New England Patriots and Colts in 2006 but failed to see any meaningful playing time. He joined the New Orleans Saints in December of 2007, where he made all of his field goal and extra point attempts as the Saints finished 7-9.
Martin spent his last NFL season in 2008 with the Saints but struggled before being placed on injured reserve with a groin injury that October.
In 2022, Gramatica was hired by the Tampa Bay Strikers, leading the men’s and women’s indoor soccer teams.
“You can do it right, win and have your family involved as well,” Martin said in 2023 when his son committed to USF. “For us as parents, we couldn’t be happier to put Nico into that type of environment, where his brother and sister are going to be welcomed, his parents are going to be welcomed.”
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How is Nico Gramatica related to Bill?
Kicking is in Nico Gramatica’s genes. Martin’s younger brother, Bill, was also a former college football and NFL kicker. He kicked for Florida State and South Florida from 1996-2000 and left the Bulls setting multiple placekicking records.
He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Unfortunately his rookie season was cut short, as he suffered a torn ACL after celebrating a made field goal against the New York Giants. After making his kick, Bill was known for jumping up and down in celebration.
He returned to the team in 2002 and was placed on injured reserve in November of his 2003 season due to a back injury.
He had brief stints with the Giants and Dolphins in 2004, before moving to the Arena Football League in 2005 and 2006.
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Nico Gramatica mom: Ashlee Gramatica
Ashlee Gramatica is also an athlete, playing tennis for USF in the early 2000s. She is listed on Cambridge Christian’s website as an educational therapist.
Nico Gramatica uncle: Santiago Gramatica
Martin Gramatica’s second brother, Santiago, also kicked for the USF Bulls from 2000-04. He did not see any playing time in the NFL. But Santiago helped train Nico in high school to hone in his kicking skills.
“The raw talent was there, the leg strength was there,” Santiago said of his nephew via USF.
“He just carries a confidence,” Santiago continued. “I remember watching him come out for the first kick. I don’t remember which game it was, but I remember noticing that when he ran out there, he instilled this good vibe because of all the work he put in.”
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Nico Gramatica brother: Gaston Gramatica
Nico’s younger brother, Gaston, is also a placekicker from Cambridge Christian. He verbally committed to USF in April of this year, and is rated by 247Sports as the No. 7 overall kicker from the class of 2026. According to the school, he will join the Bulls in 2026.
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Nico Gramatica sister: Emme Gramatica
Nico’s sister, Emme, plays soccer as well as flag football locally in the Tampa area.
What is the Gramatica Family Foundation?
The Gramatica Family Foundation was founded in 2012, and it helps build homes for combat-wounded veterans returning home from war. According to the foundation’s official website, the organization has built several homes around the local Tampa area.
According to Bill Gramatica’s Wikipedia page, Bill and Martin also helped found Gramatica Structural Insulated Panel Systems (SIPS) in 2009. The brothers were inspired after witnessing the destruction that Hurricane Katrina caused when he finished his NFL career with the Saints.
The panels are said to provide an environmentally friendly protection against extreme weather conditions like hurricanes, earthquakes and other hazardous weather. The family has also built resistant, affordable houses in New Orleans and Tampa, as well as in Israel, Argentina, and Haiti.
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What nationality is Nico Gramatica?
Gramatica is Argentinian. His father was born in Argentina before moving to the U.S. As a child. Nico’s mother, Ashlee, is originally from the Tampa area.
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Where is Nico Gramatica from?
Nico Gramatica grew up primarily in Tampa, Fla. and attended high school at Cambridge Christian School there.
