Bruce Eugene

Bruce Eugene (born June 20, 1982), nicknamed the "Round Mound of Touchdown", is an American former football quarterback. He played college football for the Grambling State Tigers, and set the NCAA Division I FCS record for passing touchdowns with 140.

College career Eugene began his collegiate career at Grambling State in 2001. Standing tall and weighing , he earned the nickname "Round Mound of Touchdown" due to his size and agility.

In 2002, Eugene started the season opener against McNeese but was benched the following week against Alcorn State. Coming off the bench in that game, he threw a game-winning touchdown, solidifying his status and eventually becoming the team's full-time starter. He led Grambling State to the SWAC championship that year, defeating Alabama A&M in the title game and was named SWAC Championship Game Most Valuable Player.

In 2003, Eugene continued as the starter, posting impressive statistics with 3,808 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, along with 412 rushing yards and six touchdowns. His performance earned him a finalist spot for the Walter Payton Award, awarded annually to the top player in Division I-AA football.

In 2004, Eugene suffered a season-ending injury in the first game and missed the remainder of the year. He was subsequently granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA, giving him an additional year of eligibility.

Returning in 2005, Eugene led Grambling State to another SWAC championship, defeating Alabama A&M in the title game and earning Most Valuable Player honors. He passed for 4,360 yards and threw 56 touchdowns against just six interceptions, tying the FCS single-season record previously held by Willie Totten, while also rushing for 157 yards and three scores. As of 2026, Eugene holds the FCS career record for touchdown passes with 140, surpassing Totten’s long-standing mark. His remarkable season, along with his personal and team experiences, was featured in the six-episode BET docudrama Season of the Tiger, which also highlights Grambling State’s Tiger Marching Band and key teammates, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their lives both on and off the field.

Following his college career, Eugene participated in the NFL Combine, where he scored 41 on the Wonderlic Test, one of the highest scores ever recorded by a quarterback.

Statistics

Legend FCS record Bold Career high Season Team Games Passing Rushing 2001 Grambling State 8 0 — 51 101 50.5 693 6.9 7 2 127.0 18 4 0.2 1 2002 Grambling State 13 12 10–2 269 543 49.5 4,483 8.3 43 16 139.1 137 535 3.9 9 2003 Grambling State 12 12 9–3 285 528 54.0 3,808 7.2 34 13 130.9 94 412 4.4 6 2004 Grambling State 1 1 0–1 13 29 44.8 169 5.8 0 1 86.9 12 99 8.3 0 2005 Grambling State 12 12 11–1 254 456 55.7 4,360 9.6 56 6 173.9 80 157 1.9 3 Career 46 37 30–7 872 1,657 52.6 13,513 8.2 140 38 144.4 341 1,207 3.5 19

Professional career Eugene was signed as a free agent by the New Orleans Saints within hours of the conclusion of the 2006 NFL draft. Bruce was released from the Saints on June 15, 2006. After a short stint with the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 11, 2007.

Eugene was assigned to the Frankfurt Galaxy of the now-defunct NFL Europa for the 2007 season. The Galaxy were the defending World Bowl champion. At the end of training camp, Eugene was released by Frankfurt, then acquired by 3-time World Bowl champions Berlin Thunder, where he replaced third-string quarterback Walter Washington, who was released after camp, and injured back-up Omar Jacobs. He played his first game for the Thunder in the 16–7 loss to the Hamburg Sea Devils on April 22, 2007. Eugene played in seven games, starting two, overall during the 2007 season.

Coaching career Eugene moved into coaching, working at different schools in the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) in New York City. In 2011, he was the quarterbacks coach at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi. In 2012, he returned to PSAL as the head football coach at High School of Enterprise, Business, & Technology (also known as Grand Street Campus or Grand Street) in Brooklyn, New York.

In 2014, WGNO named him one of the best high school quarterbacks who played in the New Orleans metro in any of the previous 23 years. Eugene was a star quarterback at Walter Cohen High School of New Orleans.

In December 2015, Eugene became the first African-American coach to win the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) football city championship at the highest level. His team (Grand Street) defeated Eramus Hall 28–26 at Yankee Stadium. The New York Jets organization named him the 2015 "High School Coach Of The Year" and awarded his team $4,000.