New England Patriots: 5 things we love about Rob Gronkowski

Labeled as one of most dynamic playmakers in the NFL, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is a player we love on and off the field.

When it comes to NFL personalities, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has become one of the most recognized.

Combine that with his dominance on the football field (when healthy) and you have a player fans will remember for years to come.   Hopefully, the man we call Gronk will play the game for many years.

Even if he doesn’t, we have had the luxury of watching one of the most dominant tight ends the game has ever seen.  The scary part of that is the amount of games he has missed due to injury.

The way Tom Brady and the Patriots offense flows with Gronkowski on the field makes them unstoppable at times.  Just imagine if there was a healthy Rob Gronkowski in Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants or even in the AFC Championship game in 2013 against the Ravens.

That is the type of difference maker Gronkowski is on the field.

And off the field…the New England Patriots superstar is making a name for himself as an entertainer.  Whether it is WWE events, movies or appearances at major sporting events, Gronkowski has become something bigger than the game.

All in all, he encompasses what Boston sports fans love about their favorite athletes.  Here are five things we love about the team’s all-time leading touchdown maker.

Chemistry with Tom Brady

Chemistry with Tom Brady

These two have hit if off from the start.  In fact, when both Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are on the field, this dynamic duo have been just about unstoppable.

Of course, with a target like Gronkowski, what quarterback wouldn’t light it up on the field.  Okay, not just any quarterback, but you know what I mean.

Anytime you have a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback throwing the ball to an elite playmaker like Gronkowski, the impact on the field will be special.  Not only does the All-Pro tight end give Brady a big target to throw to, he is a deep threat that can stretch any defense.

Together, the duo gives linebackers and safeties nightmares and will punish any cornerback an opposing defense puts on Gronk. Besides all the highlights the two have created, the numbers have shown the Brady to Gronkowski connection has been the best in the last decade.

Here’s what Pro Football Focus wrote about the quarterback-tight end duo:

"“Throughout their careers, Tom Brady averages a 133.7 passer rating when targeting Rob Gronkowski.  Over the past decade (min. 350 targets), no quarterback-to-receiver connection has yielded a higher passer rating.”"

The dominance Gronkowski has shown on the field when healthy is off the charts.  The fact that this man has missed a ton of games makes his numbers even more impressive when it comes to where he ranks amongst active receivers, let alone tight ends.

With the way these two complement each other on and off the field, we may be watching the best connection the NFL has ever seen.

Gronk the entertainer

As dominant as Rob Gronkowski is on the football field, New England Patriots fans have grown accustomed to his larger than life personality off the field.

The big tight end has appeared at just about every major sporting event, bared all in ESPN The Magazine Body Issue, appeared on a cooking show, and has even tried his hand at acting in a couple of movies.

With all he has done off the field since entering the NFL, it is apparent that Patriots tight end will have a future in the world of entertainment when his football career is over.  He is already starting to make that leap with the movies and seems destined for the WWE.

Yes, the WWE.

Gronkowski used his football moves while making a cameo at Wrestlemania 33.  The 27-year-old tight end pulled off his shirt, jumped in the ring and ran head on into WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal.  All of this was in defense of his buddy Mojo Rawley.

Of course, the action made headlines.  Gronkowski was just months from back surgery, which made Patriots fans and media members pretty nervous.  However, it showed his back was okay (at least when it comes to the world of entertainment) and his personality is made for the WWE, if he decides to go that route once his NFL career is over.

Besides his entertainment value, New England Patriots fans get a kick out of his partying style.  Rob Gronkowski turns Super Bowl parades into block parties and never turns down an opportunity to dance on the field.

Hard work and dedication

As much as Rob Gronkowski’s dominance on the field has been the talk of the NFL, his injury history has gained just as much talk.  That’s where his training and work ethic comes into the conversation.

While the partying, TV appearances and magazine features take center stage when football is on hiatus, the way this man prepares and works his way back from those injuries is under-appreciated in my opinion.

More from New England Patriots

• Former Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair
• 3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason Game
• Patriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even Begins
• New Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKings
• Ezekiel Elliott Reveals 3 Reasons Why He Signed With Patriots

Take this past season for example.

Following potentially career-ending back surgery, Gronkowski immediately began rehab to have himself ready to participate in the team’s offseason program.  Not only did he do that, he was prepared and ready for OTAs, training camp and played in his first preseason game in years.  That sounds like a man dedicated to get back to the game he loves.

Hard work pays off

What’s more impressive about Rob Gronkowski is he continues to work hard despite his superstar status.  In fact, another star on the team, Tom Brady, is someone who has inspired him to change his diet and workout routine to increase his longevity in the game.

"“Just looking at Tom,” Gronk told Boston Herald’s Karen Guergian, “Seeing what he does every day, what he eats, talking to him, personally one-on-on, just learning about the body with him, just seeing how flexible he is, how pliable he is, how loose he is all the time, every day and ready to go.  I just felt like it was the time in my career where I needed to devote myself at all levels.”"

Just two years away from 30, Rob Gronkowski is working hard to extend his NFL future.  What’s not to love about that?

The Gronk Spike

There has been no bigger red zone threat over the past several seasons than Rob Gronkowski.  The big target typically celebrates each touchdown he scores with spike of the ball in the end zone that has become his signature touchdown celebration.

Of course, this is a treat for fans because of how many times he has reached the end zone in his career. In fact, what has become known as the Gronk Spike has an entry in the Urban Dictionary.

How did the spike originate?

Related Story: Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski ‘super excited’ to return to the grind

Well, the touchdown celebratory move was first introduced Sept. 26, 2010 in a game against the Buffalo Bills.  However, it wasn’t until well into the 2011 NFL season that the spike became a consistent celebration of Gronkowski.

All-time franchise touchdown maker

Ironically, it was also against the Buffalo Bills this past October that Gronkowski broke Stanley Morgan’s franchise record for touchdown receptions.  The dynamic playmaker celebrated his 69^th career touchdown with you guessed it, the Gronk Spike.

As far as setting the record, Rob Gronkowski described the feat as “unbelievable” and the fact that he did it near his hometown made the moment extra special.

"“It’s just unbelievable,” Gronkowski said following the October game.  “And to come back to my hometown where I grew up watching all the Bills games verses the Patriots – it’s just an unbelievable honor and just got to give a lot of credit to this organization overall for giving me all the opportunities and helping me to get to where I am.”"

Gronk didn’t get the chance to add to his touchdown record the remainder of the season, but he is primed to display more Gronk Spikes throughout the 2017 season and beyond.

The best tight end in the game

It’s scary to think what Rob Gronkowski’s numbers would be if he didn’t miss so many games due to injury.

In just seven seasons in the NFL, Gronkowski has emerged as probably the best tight end to have played the game.  There are some fans and NFL analysts around the league that would argue that.  However, no one can deny the force this man is on the field when healthy.

More from Chowder and Champions

• 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
• 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
• MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
• 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
• Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win

Until this past season when the Patriots won Super Bowl LI, the team winning without Rob Gronkowski seemed unimaginable.  That is just how much potent and unstoppable Tom Brady and the offense are when he is on the field.

Numbers never lie

The Pro Bowl tight end has recorded double-digit touchdowns in five of his seven seasons in the NFL and in that span has three 1000-yard receiving seasons.  In the three of the four seasons he did not hit those numbers, were years he missed multiple games due to injury.  Still, he managed to record over 500 yards receiving in all three of those seasons.

Beyond the numbers, what’s impressive about Rob Gronkowski is that he is not afraid to do the dirty work and whatever the team asks of him.  That’s why Tom Brady loves him.

"“Obviously he gets a lot of attention for catching touchdown passes, but he does all the dirty work too,” Brady said of Gronk back in 2015, via ESPN.  “He’s in there blocking for those backs and in pass protection and takes a lot of pride in all those things.  He’s been out there every day this year practicing as hard as he can, and I think it’s just showing a huge commitment by him to all of us players of what it means to him.  I think he’s been a great example for all of us.”"

While his other teammates and opposing players share Brady’s sentiments, Rob Gronkowski received the ultimate praise from Bill Belichick.  The Patriots head coach linked him to the great Mark Bavaro as the two best blocking tight ends he has ever coached.

Next: New England Patriots: Tom Brady’s top 5 receivers of all time…so far

That caps off the five things we love about one of the most dominant offensive players in the game today.