Grottkau attended Oakland High School where he played as a fullback.
He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round (46th overall) of the 1959 NFL draft.
On August 21, 1961, he was traded along with rookie Houston Entwine to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for offensive lineman John Gonzaga.
Grottkau was the offensive line coach at San Jose State University for two years.
[3] In 1971, he was named the offensive coordinator and line coach for the University of Iowa.