BIOGRAPHY
Robert James Gronkowski was born on May 14th, 1989, in Amherst, New York. He played tight end in the NFL.
He previously played nine seasons for the New England Patriots. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII, LV), a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, and was selected in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Gronkowski played college football at the University of Arizona, winning several awards, including being named a Sporting News and Rivals.com Freshman All-American. Despite only playing two collegiate seasons, his 18.8 yards per reception average and 1,197 receiving yards were a team record for his position. The Patriots drafted Gronkowski in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 42nd pick.
Notable for being a skilled receiver and talented blocker, Gronkowski has set several NFL records, including being the first player of his position to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (17 in 2011). He also has the most career postseason receiving yards by a tight end (1,163) – the only tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 or more yards in the playoffs. He has the most career postseason receiving touchdowns for his position with 14 to date, as well as the most combined receptions (23) and receiving yards (297) by a tight end in Super Bowl history. He is ranked first in average receiving yards per game (68.3), average yards per target (9.9), and average touchdowns per game (0.69) among tight ends.
In April 2020, the Patriots, which still held Gronkowski's rights, traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a compensatory fourth round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The trade reunited him with his former Patriots quarterback Brady, who had signed with the Buccaneers a month prior. Head coach Bruce Arians stated that it was Brady himself who was adamant for the team to trade for Gronkowski.
Gronkowski caught two of the three touchdown passes thrown by Tom Brady in the Buccaneers' 31–9 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. This gave him and Brady sole possession of the record for most postseason touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver, with 14. The duo was previously tied with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice for 12 postseason touchdowns.
Gronkowski is one of football's most popular players, with a larger-than-life personality on and off the field. With his numerous accomplishments and accolades, he is regarded by many sports analysts, writers, and peers as one of his era's best players, and the greatest tight end to ever play the game.
You can catch Gronkowski hosting “The Most Valuable Partner”, a show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas.
Gronkowski retired from the NFL on June 21, 2021.
