Champion, Jokester, GOAT: Gronk Hangs ‘Em Up
Growing up, the average American boy dreams of becoming a WWE Champion, an actor, and Super Bowl Champion. They wanted their own boat and to drive a sports car. In the other words, they want to become Rob ‘Gronk’ Gronkowski.
The first-ballot Hall of Fame tight end announced his retirement this week after 11 seasons in the NFL, with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The announcement was fairly surprising, though it was not completely unexpected. Rumors of a potential retirement have circled since the end of last season.
A tight end for the ages
After being drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Gronk quickly established himself as a devastating force at the tight end position, with high-end pass-catching and blocking ability.
In week 10 of his rookie season against the Steelers, Gronkowski would catch three touchdown passes, becoming the first Patriot, and youngest NFL rookie to do so. From there, the legend of Rob Gronkowski was born.
He would finish his rookie season with 546 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches, the first tight end to do so since the NFL-AFL merger. This led him to be named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. But this was just the beginning of the laundry list of accomplishments that Gronk would achieve in his NFL career.
Gronkowski is undoubtedly one the best, if not the best tight end to ever grace an NFL field. He was the first tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (2011), he has the most touchdown receptions by a tight end in a single season with 17 (2011), and the most touchdowns by a tight end in a single season with 18 (2011).
Gronk has the most 100-yard games by a TE in NFL history, the most season with 10+ touchdowns by a TE, the first tight end to have 3 seasons with 10+ touchdowns and 1000+ receiving yards, and nearly every single post-season record by a tight end. Not to mention four Super Bowl titles, 5 Pro Bowls, and being named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
The guy was an unstoppable force, yet the most impressive aspect of these numbers was the fact that he only played 3 full seasons out of 11.
It’s hard to imagine any of his records being broken if he had remained healthy throughout his career, but injuries are as much a part of the Gronk story as the accomplishments.
Surprisingly, Gronkowski was able to have such an illustrious career even with the nature of some of the injuries that sidelined him, including an ACL tear, back vertebral fracture, multiple forearm fractures, and a few concussions to name a few. But after all that, he still retires an unstoppable legend of the game.
A partnership between two GOATs
During his time in New England, Gronkowski was an integral part of three Super Bowl Championships. His chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady made the duo one of the most lethal in the NFL. But it was Gronk’s being true to himself in New England that helped cement him as a fan favorite in Foxborough.
While Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick were notorious for their labor-intensive perfectionism, Gronk remained the one player in New England who seemed to have fun every game. In a franchise known for its seriousness and desire to win at all costs, Gronk was the class clown that was beloved around the league.
That is what I will remember most about Rob Gronkowski, the joy he played with, and his passion for living life how he wanted. While Brady would go to bed early, Gronk would host parties on his yacht.
But no matter how seemingly opposite Brady and Gronk were in their day-to-day preparation, the connection was undeniable, as they would both move on to Tampa Bay, leading the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl Championship at the end of the 2020 season.
Whether you choose to remember him as injury-prone, as the WWE 24/7 Champion, the goofball, or as the greatest tight end of all time, Rob Gronkowski’s legacy will live on long past his playing career and his inevitable enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Enjoy retirement!
So, in honor of Gronk’s retirement, grab your phone, your coffee cup, or whatever is closest to you and perform one last ‘Gronk Spike’ into the floor.
At the end of the day, Gronk’s career could be best described in the immortal words of Frank Sinatra, “I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all, and I stood tall, and did it my way!”
