Rob Gronkowski may be the biggest athlete in the Gronk clan right now. With three Super Bowl titles and numerous records under his belt, the fun-loving Bucs tight end is on top of the world right now after unretiring to join Tom Brady in Tampa.
But as famous as Gronk is, he isn’t the first Gronkowski to dominate headlines as an athlete. In a great piece from Greg Auman of The Athletic, he explores the story of Gronk’s great-grandfather, Ignatius “Iggy” Gronkowski, who was an Olympic cyclist back in 1924.
A century ago, Ignatius Gronkowski launched a family’s dreams as Olympic cyclist
Gronkowski (Rob's great-grandfather) set national records as a cyclist, representing the United States in the 1924 Olympics in Paris.@gregauman tells the fascinating story: https://t.co/QqxkQ5nzwU pic.twitter.com/DR6566Fl7l
— The Athletic Tampa Bay (@TheAthleticTB) May 29, 2020
Here’s an excerpt from Auman’s piece, which is definitely worth a read:
“Gronkowski’s making the U.S. Olympic team was a major story in Buffalo in the summer of 1924. Gronkowski worked in the Small Parts department at the American Radiator Company, and his fellow workers there raised $582.70 (equivalent to about $8,500 in today’s economy) to help send him to Paris. A banquet from the local Polish-American Society collected another $250 to help him, and the Buffalo city council donated $500 as well.”
The city of Buffalo even threw Gronkowski a parade before he left for Paris, though there’s nothing in the story to indicate he drank Fireball while wearing a Minions hat like his great-grandson.
Different times, I suppose.
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