FOXBORO, Mass. — When Tedy Bruschi bowled a 300 a few months ago, Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski was the only guy with him.
That’s because, when Gostkowski isn’t on the football field, there’s a good chance he’s at a bowling alley. Gostkowski — an NFL Pro Bowler, if you’re picking up what we’re putting down — started taking the game seriously in college, when he took a bowling class to help him get enough credits to qualify for his exercise and sport science major at Memphis.
“I took a bowling class and got pretty good at it then, and actually bowled in a league last year,” Gostkowski said. “It’s just nice to have a hobby and do something outside of football.”
Gostkowski and Bruschi bowled in the same league last year but weren’t able to make the commitment again this year. The former Patriots teammates were just out messing around when Bruschi bowled his 300. If it happened on a league night, Bruschi would have received a ring to honor the rare achievement.
“It was non-sanctioned, so it was just us going up there, joking around and getting some practice in,” Gostkowski said. “He got on fire and almost bowled a 300 the next game, too, so it was pretty impressive.
“It was pretty exciting to see him do that. We’ve both been chasing it for awhile. He got it first, and I’m still looking for mine.”
Gostkowski said his highest score in bowling is 279, which he has done three or four times, and the closest he’s come to a 300 was ended when he threw a spare in the eighth game. Gostkowski compared the chase for 300 to another impressive accomplishment.
“It’s kind of like a no-hitter in baseball,” said Gostkowski, who threw two in high school. “When it starts happening, you don’t talk to the guy. You kind of leave him be. It’s kind of nerve-wracking, I would say, because you’re thinking about it. Usually when you’re just bowling for fun or anything else, you’re not even thinking about it. But it’s one of those things that doesn’t happen very often, so it’s a pretty good feat.”
