A Legend’s Journey from Party to Purpose

I SEE Rob Gronkowski and smile, and that’s the best way to encapsulate how Rob makes fans feel. He just makes us smile – sometimes because he’s being goofy and relatable, but most of the time, because he’s done something incredible on the field – something he did for nine glorious years in Foxborough, and two more in Tampa. 

From 2010-2018 with the Patriots, he hauled in 602 passes as the NFL’s most dangerous and dominant tight end – 91 of those touchdown receptions.  Every one of those TDs set Patriots fans into tizzy, accentuated by a signature spike synonymous with Gronk’s personality – shockingly powerful and bit unpredictable as to where it may land.  

Back in Foxborough, the place he called home for so many years, but now as a key member of the FOX NFL Sunday team, Gronk is at ease and appreciative of the warm reception he’s received. The BostonMan team is hard at work creating a kick-ass cover and feature spread, not to mention the videos that will be used on social media to promote the 7th Anniversary issue.  It’s truly lights, cameras and action, working together through a mythical mist that falls from the sky. 

The network broadcast booth at Gillette Stadium, where we first up shop, is foreign territory for the guy who spent almost a decade dominating on the field below, in full view.  Fittingly, the wider perspective is symbolic of where Rob is, mentally, these days.  He can only gaze upon the gridiron, retrospectively, while appreciating the natural arc of his maturation.  

“When I was drafted, I had absolutely no clue about anything in the New England area,” Rob said as we chatted about his life during and after a Hall of Fame playing career. “I’d never been to New England. I’d never been to Boston. I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I first got here. I didn’t even know that Gillette Stadium was in Foxborough. It threw me off for about a week, until I understood that everything goes down in Foxborough and we represent the city of Boston even though we’re 30 minutes away.”  

When Rob arrived, in 2010, the Patriots were already three-time Super Bowl champions and Tom Brady had cemented his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  It was impossible to predict, fifteen years ago, the Pats would win three more and Brady & Gronk would be teammates on four Super Bowl-winning squads.  

“I never thought for one second, ‘Hey I gotta help continue Tom Brady’s legacy.’ I was like a kid in preschool just trying to figure out what was going on,” said Rob.   

To that end, Rob kept his personality in check, to an extent, as he learned the ropes and grew accustomed to the rigid Patriots standards that had proven to be successful time and time again.  

“I’m not going to be outspoken or have my personality outshine who I am as a player before I get the respect from veterans,” he said. “I understood that. I’d been a freshman at the University of Arizona and there were a lot of great athletes on the team. I played sports my whole life, so I understood respect. Before being outspoken and letting your personality fly, you have to earn your rights, earn your position, earn the respect from the veterans, earn the respect from the coaches, and then you can start being yourself, gradually, more and more and more. I knew I had to earn my job before doing any of the extra-curricular activities and trying to be funny. That’s what I always made sure was first – doing what I needed to do.”  

The process of earning his stripes didn’t take long. Everyone around Rob knew what he was all about.  In many ways he is an open book – you get what you get – and what the Patriots got, repeatedly, was rock-solid effort to go with unmatched size and talent.  There was really no ramp-up.  In his first 32 games, he scored 28 touchdowns.  

I mean, really?   

No Patriots player has ever scored more touchdowns in fewer games than Gronk’s 28 TDs in his first 32.  His third season, in 2012, Rob was Cam Neely in shoulder pads, scoring 11 TDs in 11 games before a broken arm, in essence, ended his season.    

His shot to superstardom was astounding, and Gronkowski frequently found himself in the company of legendary Boston sports figures. Still in his early twenties, it took some getting used to.  

“I wasn’t a big NFL fan growing up, but we loved the Buffalo Sabres and I loved hockey, so when I met Ray Bourque for the first time, I was like, ‘Holy crap, I’m in the same room as Ray Bourque right now.’  I had watched him as a kid, growing up. I’d been to plenty of hockey games. I thought that was one of the coolest things of all time, out of all the Boston athletes that I met. That’s when I thought, ‘Oh man, I’m making it in this world because I’m at Ray Bourque’s charity event.’”  

As Rob’s career blossomed and the Patriots kept winning, his personality became legendary. A fun-loving, goofy nature won over coaches, teammates, broadcasters and fans. His play on the field allowed for more than enough leash for Rob to do, basically, whatever he wanted.  Despite that freedom, he was always aware of his responsibilities, and how quickly things can change.  

“The fans definitely empowered me, in a tremendous way,” he admitted. “It was great, because it happened naturally. It wasn’t like I was trying to do anything spectacular outside of what I’ve been doing my whole entire life. When I was a rookie, I was going out and being “Gronk,” and doing my thing, but no one really noticed because I was a nobody at the time. But I continued going out when I was dominating on the field, and it empowered me more to keep doing it, because everyone was loving it. Patriot fans were cheering me on, buying me drinks and dinners when we were out at restaurants and bars and clubs. It was just such a great time, and it was so much fun living in those moments, but eventually, it did get a little bit too big. It really did.  

“I sometimes toned myself down, even though I didn’t want to, but I sensed what was happening around me. I noticed the bigger I became on the football field, the more eyes were on me off the field, and even though I was being myself, that could still tend to lead to a negative spotlight. I had to take accountability for that. I didn’t want this incredible run to end. I wanted it to continue for a long time, so there were plenty of times where I chose not to go out because I was like, ‘Too many eyes are on me now.’  That’s when I’d re-focus on football.”  

Julian Edelman, his teammate in New England and now at FOX Sports, always appreciated Rob’s ability to focus on what’s most important.  

“A lot of people don’t realize Rob has always been really professional in his work life,” said Julian. “He was always prepared and took his craft seriously. His attention to detail is what made him so good.”  

The protective bubble of Belichick and Brady kept Rob grounded as he grew, and while he always had fun, the discipline he showed at work became the same discipline that kept Rob’s reputation intact and solidified his spot as one of the greatest athletes to ever play in Boston.  

Hearing me say those words out loud – one of the best athletes to ever play in Boston – made him stop and reflect. In a few seconds, you could sense him running a laundry list of legends through his mind – Cousy, Williams, Russell, Orr, Bird, Bourque, Brady, Bergeron, Pedro, Big Papi – and truly understanding he belongs in their company.   

With that status comes responsibility, and Gronk has left a permanent mark in the city. This summer, the “Gronk Playground” was officially opened on the banks of the Charles River in downtown Boston, steps away from the Charles Hayden Planetarium and the Museum of Science.  During the opening ceremony, he was moved to tears, sharing why it was so important to give back to the community that has shown him so much love.  

“You have to grow and mature if you want to leave a lasting impact,” he said. “I have grown as a person, and a lot of people have led by example, like Ray Bourque.  I saw him having charity events. Mr. Kraft, Tom Brady – how they represented themselves.   

“I wanted to change. I want to do charity events and give back to the community because the partying I enjoyed so much in my twenties wasn’t fulfilling for me anymore. I’m glad I was able to notice that change in my life, because I see athletes sometimes NOT notice that, and then it just goes downhill from there, because they can’t mature out of that stage. Now, I don’t condemn that stage at all… it’s just growth. You gotta enjoy it, at one point, but if you can never get out of it, then I don’t think it will be a long-lasting career. Giving back to the community was more fulfilling to my heart than all the other extra-curricular activities I was focused on in my twenties.” 

That realization made The Gronk Park’s opening ceremony one of the most emotional moments of his life.   

“Everyone gave to me when I was a Patriot – all the fans, the city of Boston. I wanted to give back to the city once I retired.  As the process evolved, we worked closely with Susan Hurley, who recently passed away after her fight with cancer. She was incredible, and to show our thanks, we dedicated the park to her. When it came to opening day, it couldn’t have been more of a blessing, for all of us involved, to dedicate the park to her, and that’s where it became really, really emotional – on top of the emotions of giving back to the city, the emotions of it taking five years, the emotions of RKK, the governor and so many friends coming in for the ceremony, there were emotions all over the place.  

“I can tell you this, it feels good to release. It feels good to feel emotions. It makes you more satisfied in the moment, not holding them in and just letting them go. With all those factors in play, it made for one of the best days. It really did.”  

Following Jimmy Johnson’s retirement, Rob assumed a more prominent role on FOX NFL Sunday this season, and every day he continues to learn from an incredibly talented cast and crew.  Each time he sits behind the desk, he willingly shoulders the responsibility of representing the region.  

“I represent the New England Patriots. I represent my family and when I’m out and about, I now represent FOX Sports. I represent much more than myself,” he said.  

Edelman chimed in, “Rob has always been the same guy when it comes to work. He brings energy to everything, but he also just loves making himself a better person. Whether that’s doing pushups during commercial breaks or memorizing lines for a shoot day, Rob has always loved the prep.”  

On November 13, Rob signed a one-day contract with New England and officially retired as a Patriot. That night, as the Patriots hosted the Jets, he was honored and fulfilled the duties as the “Keeper of the Light,” ringing the bell high atop the north end zone before kickoff. 

“That was important to Susan Hurley, as well, that I retire a Patriot,” said Rob. “We were hoping to put one more smile on her face during a tough time, but we know she was cheering us on from heaven. We wanted to thank her for everything she’s done for my charity and so many other charities that she worked with in the New England and Boston areas.”  

Rob’s growth as a person has led to him learning more about the inner-workings of his family’s many business ventures – from his brother Chris’s Ice Shaker company to his dad, Gordie’s fitness company.  Celebrity has its privileges but learning how business works takes commitment.  

“As an athlete, when you transition into the business world, you have a platform already,” he said. “You want to be successful still. You don’t want to just sit at home. You want to do something, and on the business side, my family’s been in business forever. My dad’s been in the fitness world for 35 years. We started Gronk Fitness as a branch of my dad’s business in 2015. We’ve been installing gyms across New England, in New York, in the Pittsburgh area, in Ohio. We actually just installed a $500,000 weight room at Boston College High School, an amazing project led by my brother, Gordie.  Chris just debuted a new 40-ounce Ice Shaker cup, and I love it. Chris is really innovative, always coming out with what’s new. It’s great to be a part of it.”  

A career in football is fleeting, but a legacy endures. Gronk’s legacy is sound because he’s a tireless worker, and learner. It grows in scope each year and his on-field accomplishments are accentuated by genuine generosity and commitment to community.  He is a BostonMan…. a one-of-a-kind standout, filled with appreciation. 

SEE ALSO: Fab Five: Gronk’s Four Guests for a Boston Legends Dinner