Rob Gronkowski
No. 87 – New England Patriots | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Tight end | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Amherst, New York | May 14, 1989||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
College: | Arizona | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2010 / round: 2 / pick: 42 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of 2012 | |||||||||||||
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Robert James "Rob" Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989), nicknamed "Gronk", is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Arizona, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Gronkowski has been one of the most prolific tight ends in NFL history. In 2011 Gronkowski, in just his second season in the NFL, set the single-season record for touchdowns by a tight end, with 17 receiving touchdowns, and 18 overall. In so doing, he became the first tight end in NFL history to lead the league in receiving touchdowns. In his first three seasons, he has 38 receiving touchdowns in 43 games; no other tight end has had more than 25.[1]
Family and early years
Gr2009 NFL Draft. The youngest brother, Glenn, is attending Kansas State University.[2] The brothers' great-grandfather, Ignatius Gronkowski, was a member of the 1924 U.S. Olympic cycling team in Paris.[3]
Gronkowski was raised in Williamsville, New York and attended Williamsville North High School for three years. He played football, as a tight end, and basketball, as a center. As a junior playing football, he recorded 36 receptions for 648 yards and seven touchdowns on offense, and 73 tackles and six sacks on defense. He was named an All-Western New York first-team and All-State second-team player.[4]
In 2006 his family moved to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where he attended Woodland Hills High School (in Churchill) as a senior. Initially ruled ineligible by the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League,[5] that ruling was overturned, and he recorded eight receptions for 152 yards and four touchdowns at Woodland Hills. He was named a SuperPrep All-American, PrepStar All-American, Associated Press Class 4-A all-state, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Fabulous 22", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first-team all-conference, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) "Platinum 33", and a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review "Terrific 25" player.[4] He was recruited by Arizona, Clemson, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, and Syracuse.[6] Rob is one of the many successful players to reach the NFL level under the successful program of coach George Novak at Woodland Hills High School.
College career
Following high school, he attended the University of Arizona. As a freshman in 2007, he recorded 28 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns. His 18.8 yards per reception average was the best on the team and his receiving yards were a school record for a tight end. He was named a The Sporting News freshman All-American, Rivals.com freshman All-American, The Sporting News freshman Pac-10, and All-Pac-10 honorable mention player.[4]
Gronkowski missed the first three games of the 2008 season, but later recorded 47 receptions for 672 yards and a team-best ten touchdowns. Five of his touchdowns were scored in his first two games. He twice was named the John Mackey National Tight End of the Week, including his performance in a failed comeback bid against Oregon, when he caught 12 passes for 143 yards. He set the school records for a tight end for single-game, single-season, and career receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Gronkowski was named an Associated Press third-team All-American and All-Pac-10 first-team tight end.[4]
Prior to the 2009 season, he was named to the Lombardi Award watchlist for the most outstanding college football lineman or linebacker.[7]
Professional career
2010 NFL Draft
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 6+1⁄4 in (1.99 m) |
258 lb (117 kg) |
34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m) |
10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) |
4.68 s | 1.58 s | 2.68 s | 4.47 s | 7.18 s | 33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) |
23 reps | |
All values from Arizona Pro Day,[8] except measurements and BP (from the NFL Combine).[9] Did not participate in most combine events due to a back injury.[8] |
Records
NFL records
- Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game: 21 years, 214 days (2010, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game, playoffs: 22 years, 275 days (2011 playoffs, vs. Denver Broncos)
- Most touchdown receptions by a tight end, season: 17 (2011)
- Most touchdowns by a tight end, season: 18 (2011)
- First tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (2011)
- Most receiving yards by a tight end, season: 1,327 (2011)
- Most offensive touchdowns in first two seasons: 28 (Tied with Randy Moss)
- Consecutive seasons with 10+ touchdowns by a tight end, 3
Patriots franchise records
- Highest receiving yards per game average for a Tight end (season): 82.9 (2011)
- Youngest Patriot with 3 touchdown receptions in a game: 21 years, 214 days (2010, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Youngest Patriot with 3 touchdown receptions in a game, playoffs: 22 years, 275 days (2011 playoffs, vs. Denver Broncos)
References
- ^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&year_min=1920&year_max=2013&season_start=1&season_end=3&age_min=0&age_max=99&league_id=&team_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos_is_te=Y&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=rec_td&draft=0&draft_year_min=1936&draft_year_max=2013&type=&draft_round_min=0&draft_round_max=99&draft_slot_min=1&draft_slot_max=500&draft_pick_in_round=0&draft_league_id=&draft_team_id=&college_id=all&conference=any&draft_pos_is_qb=Y&draft_pos_is_rb=Y&draft_pos_is_wr=Y&draft_pos_is_te=Y&draft_pos_is_rec=Y&draft_pos_is_t=Y&draft_pos_is_g=Y&draft_pos_is_c=Y&draft_pos_is_ol=Y&draft_pos_is_dt=Y&draft_pos_is_de=Y&draft_pos_is_dl=Y&draft_pos_is_ilb=Y&draft_pos_is_olb=Y&draft_pos_is_lb=Y&draft_pos_is_cb=Y&draft_pos_is_s=Y&draft_pos_is_db=Y&draft_pos_is_k=Y&draft_pos_is_p=Y
- ^ "Player Bio: Dan Gronkowski". University of Maryland. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
- ^ "Rob Gronkowski - Official New England Patriots Biography". Retrieved 2010-08-16.
- ^ a b c d "Player Bio: Rob Gronkowski". University of Arizona. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
- ^ "WPIAL benches high school football transfer". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2006-08-26. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
- ^ "Rob Gronkowski Profile". Scout.com. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
- ^ "Gronkowski on Early National Radar". University of Arizona. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ^ a b Rob Gronkowski 2010 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile
- ^ Rob Gronkowski Combine Profile at NFL.com
External links
- 1989 births
- Living people
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- American football tight ends
- American people of Polish descent
- Arizona Wildcats football players
- New England Patriots players
- People from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
- People from Erie County, New York
- Players of American football from New York
- Players of American football from Pennsylvania