Rob Gronkowski's Career
Amanda Campbell provides an insight into some of Rob Gronkowski’s greatest career accomplishments.
Rob Gronkowski, also known as “Gronk,” is one of the biggest larger-than-life personalities in the history of the NFL.
After being drafted by the New England Patriots as the 42nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Four-time Super Bowl champion changed the perception of what a football tight end could accomplish in the modern NFL. He went on to become a truly gold standard of the position.
A mixture of his impressive athletic talents and his off-field antics worked to keep fan favor throughout his NFL career with both the New England Patriots (2010-2018) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020-2021).
Record-Breaking 2011 Season
We cannot discuss football prodigy, Rob Gronkowski, without mentioning this monster of a year! The former football tight end caught 90 receptions for 1,327 yards and a total of 18 touchdowns (one rushing, 17 receiving) during this football season, statistics like no others had achieved before.
This touchdown record was legendary and secured the position as the most touchdowns scored by a tight end in a single football season. Gronk even holds this record today over a decade after this season initially played out!
For his efforts during this epic season, he was included on the Pro Bowl roster and even earned First-Team All-Pro honors!
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Five Super Bowl Championships
Since being drafted by the Patriots in the 2nd round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Gronkowski won three Super Bowl championships with the team. These occurred in Super Bowl XLIX, LI, and LIII.
From 2016 to 2018, the New England Patriots went to three consecutive Super Bowls. Gronk had to sit out Super Bowl LI due to a herniated disc injury originating in the regular season. However, he watched his team beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime, which remains one of the most impressive comebacks in Super Bowl history.
Gronkowski also won a Super Bowl championship with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, playing in all of the 16 regular-season games.
Named To All-Time Team
The NFL announced an all-time team in 2019 as a way of honoring the 100th anniversary of the league. Gronkowski was given a nod for the elusive team alongside fellow tight end players like John Mackey, Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow, and Mike Ditka.
Some of the only active players selected for the team were Larry Fitzgerald, Tom Brady, and Adam Vinatieri. Being selected as a member of this elite team truly solidified Gronk's position as one of the best tight ends in modern NFL history.
Gronk had already retired by the time the team was assembled due to injuries suffered in the previous season. However, he came out of retirement to reunite with Brady in Tampa Bay for his last two seasons in the NFL.
In addition, Gronkowski was also named as part of the 2010s All-Decade Team.
Move To The Buccaneers
After briefly retiring in 2019 due to injury, Gronkowski was quickly signed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. The New England Patriots traded a seventh-round pick and the all-world tight end to the Buccaneers for a fourth-round pick.
The trade reunited Gronkowski with Tom Brady who had signed with the Bucs only a month before. It has been stated that Brady was a driving force behind the team trading for Gronkowski.
The tight end did not disappoint this season. Not only did he make his first touchdown catch since 2018 but he also recorded more impressive statistics.
Notably, he caught two of three touchdown passes thrown by Brady in the Buccaneers' 31-9 victory over the Chiefs (Super Bowl LV). This gave Brady and Gronkowski sole possession of the NFL record for the most postseason touchdowns between a receiver and a quarterback, with a total score of 14.
Gronkowski also became the first player in NFL history to catch a pass in five different Super Bowls!
The Buccaneers Became The First Home Team To Win The Super Bowl
New offseason acquisitions including Gronkowski and Brady joined an already impressive roster of star talent for 2020. The Bucs finished the regular season with an 11-5 record but wanted to be remembered for the playoffs.
Since the beginning of the Super Bowl era in 1967, no team had ever played a Super Bowl in its home stadium. That all changed during the 2020 season.
Simply reaching the Super Bowl was not enough for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they made it very clear that they wanted to make history. So when the Bucs' roster became the first-ever team to advance to play and win the Super Bowl 31-9 to the Kansas City Chiefs on home turf, it came as a surprise to no one!
Summary
It is safe to say that Gronk is one of the greatest football tight ends in the history of the sport, with an even more impressive career resume. Despite retiring for the second time in 2022, Gronk leaves behind a legacy that will continue to live on.
Page Reference
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- CAMPBELL, A, (2022) 5 Greatest Accomplishments In Rob Gronkowski's Career [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article704.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Amanda Campbell is a freelance journalist.