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New Patriots Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski talks legacy, wild pre-draft meeting in New England
"I want to be viewed as a football player. The definition of a football player."
Rob Gronkowski was all smiles as he fielded questions from the media while cruising along on his new pontoon boat down in Florida on Wednesday.
And for good reason.
The Patriots announced that morning that Gronkowski would be the latest inductee in the Patriots Hall of Fame, with the 36-year-old becoming the 38th player in franchise history to join such elite company.
Gronkowski is the latest in a long line of legendary inductees that included Tom Brady in 2024 and Julian Edelman in 2025.
Gronkowski — who won three Super Bowl titles over nine seasons in New England as arguably the best tight end in NFL history — was grateful to get the news from Robert Kraft on Tuesday night.
“He left me a voicemail yesterday, and I listened to it at about 10:30 p.m. last night, and I started tearing up a little bit,” Gronkowski said of Kraft’s message. “I mean, it’s just such a prestigious honor to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, especially as a first ballot. And to do it after so many others have led the way.
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“Tom two years ago, Julia last year. You got the Teddy Bruschis, the Willie McGinests. Just so many guys that are just so great, and to be in the same category as them is just an absolute honor. There’s no doubt about that. But when I listened to the voicemail last night, it was a very special one. I’m going to keep the voicemail forever. It’s one of the only few voicemails I’ll keep for the rest of my life.”
Gronkowski was a dominant force on the gridiron for New England and a charismatic figure away from the game — standing in stark contrast to the Belichick-era Patriots’ buttoned-up approach.
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Gronkowski’s party-hard approach might have cost him a chance at landing with the Patriots, as he recalled his potentially disastrous meeting in New England ahead of the 2010 NFL Draft. After arriving at the team facility, Gronkowski fell asleep and needed to be woken up before going on to meet with the Patriots’ coaching staff.
“When I did fall asleep, and I had an outrageous interview. Outlandish. There’s no doubt about that,” Gronkowski said. “But there is one thing about it, because I was being myself. And at the same time, I called my agent, Drew [Rosenhaus], right after the interview… Before the draft, I said, ‘This team either loves me, or they just crossed me off their board and there’s absolutely no chance that they’re drafting me.’ And in the end, they loved me.
“Thank you to Billy [O’Brien]. He was the one who did the interview, and also Brian Ferentz, who was the tight ends coach at the time. He was there for the interview as well. And it was legendary. It’ll be remembered forever.”
While Gronkowski might have been cut from a different cloth as several other Patriots players during New England’s two-decade dynasty, he was quick to credit the Patriots for taking a chance on him in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft — and molding him into an eventual Hall-of-Fame player.
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“I’m super grateful. It’s the best situation that I could have possibly endured, going to the New England Patriots,” Gronkowski said. “I was even mad a couple of times, getting passed on from a few other teams in the first round and early second round. But literally it all works out.
“And it was the organization I needed to be in. Just the regime and the schedule and how everything ran with Coach Belichick and how the Patriots were doing. I needed that tight-knit scheduling. I needed to be nitpicked on and coached hard as well, and that’s the exact reason why I felt like I was drafted into the Patriots organization.”
As Gronkowski potentially braces for a call to Canton in the coming years, he was asked about his legacy in the NFL ranks.
“As a player, there’s no doubt about it. I want to be viewed as a football player, not even just a tight end, or a guy that catches passes, catches touchdowns,” Gronkowski said. “I want to be viewed as a football player. The definition of a football player. Somebody who goes out and puts their body on the line at any given time. Someone who plays the game at full speed and makes the plays in crucial moments when your number is called.
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“That’s how I want to be remembered out on the field, the guy that makes big impacts, you know, on big-time plays, in big-time moments as well. That’s how I see myself and how I want to be viewed.”
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