Gronk like. Gronk spike. Gronk retire.
NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski, who is also known as just “Gronk,” took to Instagram to announce his retirement from the NFL on Sunday.
The 29-year-old New England Patriots played for nine seasons in the NFL, all as a Patriot and won 3 Super Bowl rings.
Gronkowski tweeted his announcement Monday and expressed his gratitude for football, his teammates and Patriots owner, Robert Kraft.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010,” he said in a Tweet. “My life experiences, relationships and championships over the last 9 years have been amazing!”
A native of Amherst, New York, the 6-foot-6-inch tight end played for two years at the University of Arizona. He was drafted 42nd overall by the New England Patriots in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Gronkowski now retires with his name up for debate, as the greatest tight end ever.
I’ll be the first to tell you he is the greatest tight end of all time.
Gronkowski’s playmaking ability at his position was better than the likes of Hall of Famers Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe.
Gronkowski has three Lombardi trophies on his resume. He showed up and showed out on the Super Bowl stage, and holds the tight end records for most receptions (23) and most yards (297) in a Super Bowl (XLIX, LI, LIII).
In the 2011 season, Gronkowski led the league in receiving touchdowns (17), and he’s the only tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns in a single season, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Even through suffering devastating injuries to his entire body in 2013, he bounced back and was able to catch balls like a wide receiver.
Not only was Gronkowski skillful in receiving the ball, but he was also a premier blocker.
He possessed the ability to wield off defenders to make running lanes for the halfback and protect the quarterback from being sacked.
His versatility is unlike any other tight end in history.
Aside from Gronkowski’s dominance on the field, he was a delightful human being off the field. He is like a little kid with a charitable inside a man’s body. He started the Gronk Youth Foundation to help kids reach their maximum potential through sports, education, community and fitness.
In a 2018 interview with Nathan Rush of Athlon Sports, Gronkowski spoke on the importance of opening his youth foundation.
“I had the people around me to play sports. I want to be able to affect kids out there, in the New England area, the Buffalo area, to help reach their potential on the practice field in the sports world. And help them to stay out of trouble and be active in the community,” said Gronkowski.
At 29 years old, his retirement seems to come earlier than normal. However, Gronkowski gave his all out on the football field, leaving the game as the greatest tight end ever.
He will be eligible for the pro football hall of fame in 2024, according to ESPN.
