SpongeBob, Beer Pong and lots of “Chicks”
Rob Gronkowski could win the fourth Super Bowl of his career against the Kansas City Chiefs, his first with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 31-year-old is considered to be one of the best tight ends of all time, despite the fact that he often appeared like a child in the body of a monster athlete. Til today.
It is October 18, 2020 shortly before midnight German time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the Green Bay Packers at 21:10 at their local Raymond James Stadium about a minute before the break. But the Bucs want to top it off again: Tom Brady and Co. face a third-and-six at the opposing twelve-yard line.
As center Ryan Jensen throws the ball at Brady, Rob Gronkowski runs a fade route into the end zone from the left side of the formation. Brady places the ball precisely on his tight end on the left shoulder, Gronkowski makes perfect use of the free space on his left, shields the ball and plucks the throw from the air with two sure hands. Opponent Adrian Amos doesn’t stand a chance.
It’s a touchdown that gives the Bucs a 28:10 lead. Above all, it is Gronkowski’s first touchdown in the dress of his new team. The 31-year-old finished the game against the Packers with 78 yards, his best haul of the season to date. It’s a game like in Gronkowski’s best times.
On October 18, Gronkowski looked like the monster athlete who caught 74 touchdowns in his first six years in the NFL in the early 2010s. He was a tight end that, as Tony Gonzalez once aptly put it, could only be defended by committing a foul. A tight end unlike anything in the history of the NFL.
The Patriots and Gronkowski seemed made for each other for almost ten years. The tight end was elected five times to the Pro Bowl and four times to the All-Pro team. He won three Super Bowls with New England. In the process, Gronk almost never ended up with the Pats.
Rob Gronkowski: SpongeBob and a nap in the waiting room
Jon Robinson, the former Patriots chief scout, remembers meeting Gronkowski for the first time in 2010 before the draft: Robinson asked his counterpart what he liked to do away from the football field. Gronkowski didn’t say that he enjoyed watching movies or reading books. “I like to watch cartoons,” said the then 20-year-old.
What kind of cartoons? Robinson wanted to know from him at the time. “SpongeBob” obviously wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. “’You’re kidding me,’ I thought to myself. I’m supposed to be this guy soon [Belichick] and he tells me he likes SpongeBob. ‘Rob, you have to help me a little, so I don’t have a chance,’ went through my head, ”Robinson told Sports Illustrated.
“There were often moments like this with Gronk. Once he slept in the waiting room in front of Nancy Meier’s office (the Patriots ‘scouting coordinator), ”says Brian Ferentz, the Patriots’ former tight end coach. “She comes in and he’s on the floor, his jacket as a pillow under his head. He didn’t accidentally fall asleep, he lay down and took a nap. “
In the end, the Patriots still decided on Gronkowski and selected him with the 42nd pick in the draft. “Something that could always be seen in him was that he was a good boy,” continued Ferentz. “He was a good person with good values.”
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