Comedian Fred Willard: Rob Gronkowski Would Be ‘Superb’ Improv Actor

Rob Gronkowski is funny, even when he’s not really trying to be. That could serve the New England Patriots tight end well in life after football.

Actor/comedian Fred Willard — you might know him from the movie “Anchorman” or the TV series “Modern Family” — was asked several questions this week by USA TODAY Sports’ For the Win as part of the blog’s “Celeb Pick’em” series. Gronk and the Patriots were among the topics of conversation.

Willard was asked which athlete would excel at improvisational comedy. Guess who he picked.

“I think Gronk would be superb because I don’t think he thinks too much,” Willard said. “I think he’d just go ahead and be physically funny, which audiences would love.”

Since it wouldn’t be a Patriots discussion nowadays without talking Deflategate, For the Win asked Willard how the defending Super Bowl champions should have been punished for their alleged involvement in illegally deflating footballs. Believe it or not, Willard is pro-Pats.

“Nothing at all. I thought it was a good idea,” Willard said. “It seemed to manufacture this thing of how inflated a football should be.

“You go out and throw a football. You don’t judge how tight or how full it is. I think it was a great move and a lot of teams are doing it. And if they weren’t, they’re probably doing it now, only being a little more clever than the Pats.”

Willard also likes the Patriots this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. One could interpret that as him being a Patriots supporter, but really, that one boils down to common sense.