Rob Gronkowski is making headlines for what he might do on the field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the star tight end has left quite a mark off the field as well.
In one of the biggest NFL offseason moves of 2020, it was announced on Tuesday that once-retired tight end Rob Gronkowski will be joining the Tampa Buccaneers’ newest quarterback Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
The former New England Patriot helped bring much success to the franchise over nine seasons, posting 521 receptions, 7,861 receiving yards, and 79 touchdowns at the time of his retirement in 2019.
Aside from stats that make him one of the best tight ends in NFL history, Gronk’s life outside of the NFL has also been one filled with memorable moments.
What he will bring to the Bucs on the field this coming season has yet to be seen, but here are the three highlights from Gronkowski’s career that took place off the gridiron:
1. Crashletes
Football wasn’t the only thing that Gronk decided to retire from during his career. In 2016, Gronkowski served as a host on Nickelodeon’s sports TV show Crashletes. Alongside Brandon Broady and Stevie Nelson, the trio would invite special guests from the athletic world to offer commentary on viral videos and bloopers. The tight end even had an episode called “The Gronk Down”, and his own solo segment each episode under the same moniker. The show is still in production, though Gronkowski left after two seasons.
2. WWE 24/7 Champion
In addition to winning three Super Bowl championships, Gronkowski recently added another title to add to his belt. Not even a month before coming out of NFL retirement, Gronkowski won the WWE 24/7 Championship during Wrestle Mania 36. He signed an official contract with the promotion in March 2020, though he made a previous WWE appearance in 2017.
Interestingly enough, the championship event was originally slated to take place at Raymond James Stadium. It was ultimately moved to a different venue, but it seems that Gronk will soon be calling the stadium home on Sundays.
3. White Tiger
While his short-lived singing career was not as fruitful as his career with the Patriots, Gronkowski’s weekly appearances on The Masked Singer were still as memorable. The 265 pound, 6-foot-6 All-Pro took the stage to perform hits such as Good Vibrations and Ice Ice Baby in a white tiger costume before his final performance of I’m Too Sexy.
Gronkowski hinted at one point that his return to the NFL could be imminent. During his reveal, judge Jenny McCarthy mentioned that she hoped to see those moves “back in the locker room”. Gronk replied with “you never know”, and now the dominant tight end-turned singer-turned tight end again will be back on the field come football season. Also, in the spirit of speaking things into existence, Gronkowski once said that he would use his hypothetical time machine to be instantly transported to Florida (tune into the 1:17 mark). It looks like Gronk got his wish.