[1] Grossman was an All State performer at Haverford High School, in suburban Philadelphia, where from a young age he would reply to the question, "What will you do when you grow up?"
[3] Grossman was an outstanding tight end (and three-year starter) for the Temple Owls in the early 1970s.
The following year, Grossman was named Associated Press All-America third team and Temple notched a record of 9–1–0.
That year, Grossman led the team in receptions with 39 for 683 yards and 4 touchdowns;[5][6] Temple outscored its opponents 353–167.
Grossman was also a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity's Pennsylvania Alpha Delta chapter.
He showed his skill when he caught a crucial touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw early in Super Bowl X.
Grossman said that his nickname of "The Rabbi" referred to his Jewish ancestry and came from Dwight White, who was the authority for assigning such titles to the Steelers.