Things could have been different for New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but he could have been drafted by someone else. He could have not gotten hurt last season and taken part in the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. But Rob Gronkowski doesn’t like to look back and think what if – because he’s pretty happy with the present.
He’s entering into his eighth season in the NFL on a team that won a Super Bowl and is the heavy favorite to win it again this year. Gronkowski says he knows his body better than ever and is ready to stay healthy and help the Patriots repeat. And, perhaps most importantly, he’s having fun.
Gronkowski spoke to Uproxx by phone from his New England home as the Patriots get ready to take on the Chiefs on Thursday night. He talked about how fun it is to make commercials, what it was like watching the Patriots comeback in Super Bowl 51 and where to go in Buffalo to get the best chicken wings. And the best part is: he gave the right answer.
You’ve certainly been in your fair share of commercials lately. What’s it been like to get on set and film those?
It’s a lot of fun acting and being in commercials. It’s kind of like the game of football: you get caught up in it, that’s what your mind focuses on and nothing else is going on. It’s like, it’s cool. It’s fun, and when you’re in the middle of it you just lose yourself and you’re having a good time doing it.
Is that something you ever imagined you’d be able to do? Not every athlete gets to do commercials, but you’ve certainly found a way to make that leap pretty easily.
I definitely like doing it. Obviously you get plenty of time to sit around, so I like doing commercials and I’ve done a TV show before. I’ve done Nickelodeon. It’s fun. I like doing it and it gives me something to do. Keeps me working. Because you can’t work out for 12 hours a day, so you get your workouts in, cool off and then head to set.
Right now, football’s number one, but I wouldn’t mind doing that when football’s done.
You’ve gotten to play a lot of interesting roles in these spots, too. You danced during a Super Bowl ad and here you’re wearing pigtails for Tide. Do you like getting to act in weird ways like this?
Yeah, in the commercial, I represent the girl athlete’s stink to show that amateur athletes can stink just as much as professional athletes, and to show that Tide Sport PODS will take the stink out of any athletes gear.
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So I have to ask about the Super Bowl. Your team had the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history last season. Unfortunately you were injured and not playing, but what was it like experiencing that from the sideline? Could you feel that coming?
It was a great feeling. I was proud of the team and to be out there cheering the boys on. To do what they did was unbelievable. And it motivates me even more for this year coming up. It motivates me to keep working hard, to keep putting in the work to be out there with the guys at that point.
Did you change anything about your offseason workouts this summer? Obviously injuries are part of the game and it’s tough to stay healthy no matter what, but have you learned anything over the last few years that has helped you better prepare?
Yeah, I mean, coming up to this year with training camp and everything, after every practice you want to hop on your body. You want to make sure it recovers right so you’re ready to go again the next day. You just want to hop on recovery and doing exercises that keep you strong even if you feel like you got beat up in practice that day, I like to do my core work. The main focus of my body is to do core stability work. It keeps your back strong.
Also hitting the float tanks — those salt float tanks — the salt helps keep your muscles relaxed. I lay in them for about 30 minutes and keep my muscles relaxed and keep them from tightening up. Even hoping on massages whenever I can, too. You have to do recovery things so you’re ready for the next day.
Do you think that’s something that younger athletes don’t really understand? When you talk to athletes that are older they stress that you have to know your body, is that just something that takes time to learn?
Yes, it definitely takes time to learn. You have to go through many different things in order to learn your body. A couple bumps and bruises there. An injury, whatever it is you start learning your body a lot more.
I know my body way more than I did when I first started off as a rookie in the league. So I agree with all those other veterans that say that: you gotta know your body, you have to know what’ best for you to keep you going.
Let’s talk about your rookie season for a bit. Do you ever look back and think about how different your career might have been if the Patriots don’t draft you?
I’ve been asked this question a lot before, I just think everything works out for a reason. I always think ‘What if I went to this team?’ or ‘what if I went to that team?’ i mean, yeah, things would be way different. But I feel like in every circumstance everything happens for a reason. I definitely feel like I belong here in New England. I feel like it’s a great spot for me. And I feel like it happened for a reason. Why?
I always think, ‘What if I went first round? What if I went fifth round?’ Well, you have to make the best of your opportunities and make them as best as possible.
The Patriots are one of the most successful NFL franchises ever, and much of that has happened with you on the roster. But why do you think it’s so difficult for some franchises to get out of a rut and find similar success?
I couldn’t really tell you, man. I’ve been part of the New England Patriots organization my whole career. I haven’t been on another team and I love the program we’re running here. I truly believe in it, and I love being here. I couldn’t really tell you what’s going on with other organizations.
I can tell you this, though: the NFL is a hard place to win. It’s super competitive. There’s 32 teams and all 32 can’t make it to the playoffs every year. It’s just so competitive, and every team has great players. The competitive nature of it is just second to none, so you have to be ready.
The tight end position has become so important in recent years. Do you think it’s a matter of coaches better understanding how to use the position, or an influx of talent at the position?
I think tight ends are super important. I think it might be one of the hardest positions to play. You’ve got to be able to run down the field 30, 40 yards some plays and then come back and be able to block a defensive end. And he’s anywhere from 250 pounds to 300 pounds.
So you’ve got to be in blocking shape, which is using a while different set of muscles. You’ve got to be in running shape, which is using another whole set of muscles. I think tight end is one of the harder positions to play, it’s definitely tough and you’ve got to prepare at all times.
It’s a position I think was underlooked at first, too. I would say a few years back it didn’t get much love. But I feel like it gets more and more love every single year now.
So you’re from Buffalo, and went to Williamsville North up there. I’m a Western New Yorker as well, so I’ve got to ask: what are the best wings in Buffalo?
I like just the local wings, man. Everyone has their spot, like Anchor Bar or Duffs. But anywhere you go is really good. The corner spots where I grew up, like the (Amherst) Ale House or Bocce’s Pizza, I mean, they’re super delicious. Everyone in Buffalo, whatever corner spot you go to, has good wings.
When you’re an athlete that’s as popular as you are, everyone’s going to have an opinion of what you do. Is that something you think about? Do you read what people say about you online or in the media?
It’s a lot different now going into year eight. At first, being a rookie and everything, that stuff can drive you crazy. You can go out and look at everyone’s opinion but as you go on into your career you just learn about yourself. You’ve got to be yourself, and if you’re yourself and you’re happy, then you’re good.
I would take in those (opinions) back in my rookie year but now it is what it is. It doesn’t really bother me anymore. Whatever’s said is said. You can only control what you can control.
Playing with Tom Brady for so long — he’s 40 now — are there still things you can learn about him at this point?
You know what to expect from a guy like that: hard work, dedication and doing all the right things. That’s why he is where he is right now at the age of 40. It doesn’t look like he dropped off at all. It only looks like he’s getting better.
