This Day In Sport – Goodbye Gronk
With Tom Brady set for pastures new in the NFL, don’t forget the other star of the Patriots dynasty who retired on this day in 2019
“Unstoppable,” said one. “Monster” another retorted. “Freak” the third added.
Three adjectives. Fitting for a man with three Super Bowl wins to his name. Rob Gronkowski was renowned for his on-field domination. But he also oozed a larger than life personality.
It was on this day, March 25th, 2019 that American Football fans across the globe waved goodbye to a star who helped write part of the New England Patriots story.
His personal journey though was not always smooth sailing through calm seas.
Gronk suffered multiple injuries to his forearm, back and knee in his career and while he often made an unmatched impact on the field, there were many seasons when he was not able to play every game due to health reasons.
He notoriously had to wear a large brace on his arm, making the 6-foot-6, 268-pound athlete look more like a robot than a human being.
It’s this main reason, he decided to call it quits at the age of just 29. “In order to do something bigger in life ... I felt like I had to get away from the game and focus on my health.”
Gronkowski leaves an ever-lasting legacy on the Pats and the NFL in general. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tight-ends to ever grace the game, Gronk bid adieu with the TE postseason record, most receptions (81), receiving yards (1,163) and receiving touchdowns (12). Not bad going for somebody who said he was continuously getting “smoked by rookies” in practice sessions.
Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI, Super Bowl LIII in case you were wondering. Just the three. A nine-year NFL career that saw him rack up three Super Bowl wins and five Pro Bowl appearances while he earned over $50 million.
So, what has the Gronk been up to over this past year? He’s been an analyst on US television for the past NFL season. Although remember when I said he was a larger-than-life personality? This personality will soon be on your screens again.
This time at the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’. That’s right, the Gronk is this year’s host of WWE Wrestlemania 36, starting on April 4th. Who knows… maybe this three-time Super Bowl champion fancies adding a wrestling championship to his illustrious trophy cabinet?
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