Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had an epic story to tell about his former teammate, the late Ryan Mallett.
Gronkowski recalled a moment when Mallett was talking to him during the 2011 AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos. The quarterback issued a challenge to the tight end, and Gronkowski took it and ran with it.
“So, I had three touchdowns in the first half, I’m pretty sure,” Gronkowski said, when appearing on “Games with Names.” They were all in the first half, right? I had two already, and Ryan Mallett, rest in peace, he came up to me on the sideline, and he goes, ‘You’re gonna have three tuds (touchdowns), there’s no doubt about it. He goes, ‘And when you have your third, shoot that [expletive] in for a 3-pointer after you spike it.'”
Rob Gronkowski telling a cool story about former Razorback QB Ryan Mallett from the Patriots’ 2011 AFC Divisional Round win over the Broncos. Clip is via @gameswithnames. pic.twitter.com/QyO8xtpzGx
— Mason Choate (@ChoateMason) July 2, 2024
Gronkowski followed through with Mallett’s advice and did the 3-point motion following his third touchdown of the game. The Patriots rolled to a 45-10 victory over the Broncos that night.
Mallett was drafted by the Patriots in the third round with the 74th overall pick of the 2011 NFL draft.
He spent three seasons with New England, before being traded to the Houston Texans before the 2014 season. He then went on to play three more seasons in the NFL, splitting time between the Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
In June 2023, Mallett tragically drowned when swimming in Destin. He was only 35 years old.