Despite an unprecedented amount of success, it was clear that Rob Gronkowski wasn’t his happiest, most content self with the New England Patriots.
Gronkowski played in a militant, cold environment that was geared toward one thing and one thing only. Having fun and enjoying the process isn’t on the top of the list for Bill Belichick. After a slew of injuries and other factors, Gronkowski chose retirement following the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII victory.
When Tom Brady moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gronkowski rekindled his love for the game and paired up with his former quarterback. The rest is history. Brady has seven rings and Gronkowski has four following the 31-9 drubbing of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Brady and Gronkowski connected for six receptions, 67 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
How was this one different than Super Bowl LIII in 2018?
“I remember after that win I was so done coming off the [field],” Gronkowski said after the game, via WEEI. “I was like, ‘I am just glad it’s over.’ Just the pain I was in, too. It was great to be a champ, but it just felt great to be done. [I took] the year off, go through that journey. Heal up. Get my mind right and just see the options out there, see everything play out and just come down here to Tampa Bay. Come out of retirement. I retired from being retired, which is pretty cool.
“Just coming down here [for] this journey. I saw the opportunity. I thought it was a great opportunity. I love Florida. It was an opportunity to be in great weather and t-shirt and shorts and sandals basically every day going to work. That’s my style. Just unbelievable. What a journey it’s been. What a story it’s been. What a start it was to the journey and what a finish. It’s for real. It was the real deal.”
Gronkowski understands the magnitude of this win and put it up there with some of the greatest sports accomplishments ever.
“Hands down, one of the greatest accomplishments in sports history,” he said. “I am not going to say it’s the greatest, but I would say it’s up there, for sure. To come down here to Tampa, come to an organization that was ready to win. Come down here to play with players, they are all fantastic players. Great guys. Just everyone overall. The story is just unbelievable and it definitely ranks up there as one of my biggest accomplishments, ever.”
And now, of course, it’s time to celebrate for the future Hall of Fame.
“It feels amazing. It feels tremendous. It’s just an unbelievable story,” he said. “The first team ever going to the Super Bowl in their hometown. Just that story is just surreal. There’s just so many storylines to this team this year, but I would say the most important storyline was how everyone worked together from the defensive side to the offensive side of the ball. Everyone contributed. Everyone played their role. It was just amazing. What a year it was playing with these guys. Just what a year. I just can’t say that enough — what a year it was. It was a pleasure.
“Now. it’s time to celebrate. Now it’s time to celebrate with these guys because we deserve it. It was a grind. It was about 28 weeks straight of football. Now we’re going to celebrate because that is what it’s all about.”
[vertical-gallery id=101860]