One of the most memorable and historic NFL careers of all-time is over. Shortly before his 30th birthday, Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement over the weekend, capping a legendary nine-year run in New England. Among the best tight ends ever, Gronk steps away among the all-time leaders in receptions and touchdowns at his position, along with being a phenomenal blocking tight end. And then, of course, there’s the mega-watt personality.
Whether it was on-the-field greatness or an unforgettable moment off of it, here are the top moments from the last decade with Gronk:
5) “Yo Soy Fiesta”:
Rob Gronkowski is known for slightly more than just catching footballs. His party-boy lifestyle is well-documented, with countless images of the 6-6 behemoth dancing shirtless at assorted functions. While I’m sure there are those who roll their eyes, Gronk never had an issue off the field, turning it into harmless fun.
Whether it was chugging a beer during a Super Bowl parade or Gronk spiking a hockey puck into the ice at TD Garden, causing a delay in the game, he’s a unique character. The peak moment, though, came in the locker room during an interview with ESPN Deportes after the 2011 AFC Championship Game. His elementary school Spanish classes paid dividends, capped by the line that lives on forever: “Yo Soy Fiesta”.
4) 2015 AFC Championship Game:
Sure, New England lost to Denver, but it certainly wasn’t because of Gronk. His final stat line of eight receptions for 144 yards and a score don’t quite do it justice.
On the Patriots’ last drive, needing eight points, Gronkowski twice converted fourth-down plays: a 40-yard grab on 4th-and-10, and a four-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left on fourth-and-goal. During Super Bowl week Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips (then the Broncos’ D-coordinator) told Sports Illustrated “Evidently doubling wasn’t always the answer”. That’s Gronk’s career in six words.
3) Week 3, 2010:
Why does a Week 3 game against the Bills in Gronkowski’s rookie season qualify? The answer is simple: It started the defining image of a Hall of Fame career… the Gronk Spike.
When Brady found the tight end in the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter, for Gronk’s second career touchdown, he took the ball in his right hand, wound up like a pitcher and threw the ball into the ground as hard as he could. And one of the defining celebrations in football history was born. According to ESPN, an estimated 88 percent of Gronkowski touchdowns ended with a spike that began in a 38-31 win over Buffalo.
2) 2019 NFL Playoffs:
It was clear this season that injuries had turned Gronk into a shell of his former self, but he had some magic left in the final two games of his career. In the AFC title game against the Chiefs, everyone in the stadium knew on 3rd-and-5, down by four with under a minute to play, that Brady was looking for No. 87. It didn’t matter, as he caught it inside the ten.
Then in the Super Bowl, the final catch of Gronkowski’s Hall of Fame career helped lift New England to its sixth Lombardi Trophy. Tied at three in the fourth quarter, Brady and Gronk connected for a 29-yard completion to the two-yard line, setting up Sony Michel’s go-ahead touchdown.
1) 2011 AFC Divisional Round:
The best season Gronk had came in 2011, when he caught 90 balls for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns, the last two being NFL records by a tight end. His best regular season game came against Washington in Week 13, when he had 160 yards and a pair of scores. But we’ll take a game that happened in the postseason, when the Patriots thumped Tim Tebow and the Broncos.
In the 45-10 beatdown Brady targeted his tight end 12 times, with Gronkowski catching 10 of those for 145 yards and three touchdowns. His scores went for 10, 12 and 19 yards, with the last coming with five seconds left in the first half to make it 35-7.
