FOXBORO, Mass. — Bill Belichick on Wednesday offered a dictionary’s worth of praise for Rob Gronkowski, calling the New England Patriots tight end an “underrated” leader and praising virtually all aspects of his game.
He wasn’t the only one.
Several of Gronkowski’s teammates also weighed in with what they believe makes the 26-year-old wrecking ball such a successful player. A sampling:
Quarterback Tom Brady: “Just what his mental toughness has been as an athlete and what he’s overcome in the last few years with his arm, his back and then his knee. I just think he sets a great example for our team. The work ethic, he’s a fun guy to be around, and ultimately he goes out and performs as best as he possible can. He does it with toughness, no matter what he’s asked to do, whether it’s in the run game, obviously he gets a lot of attention for catching touchdown passes, but he does all the dirty work, too. He’s in there blocking for the backs and in pass protection and takes a lot of pride in all those things. He’s been out there every day this year practicing as hard as he can, and I think it’s just showing a huge commitment by him — and really to all us players — of what it means to him. And I think he’s been a great inspiration to all of us.
“He’s always been a pretty spectacular player going back to his rookie year. He’s just played at such a high level, and he’s been so consistent, and I don’t think we expect anything less of him now.”
Wide receiver Danny Amendola: “He makes a lot of plays. He catches a lot of passes, a lot of touchdown passes. He’s a leader in the locker room. He leads by example, he works really hard — one of the hardest-working guys on the team. That’s why he’s a great football player.”
Wide receiver/special teamer Matt Slater: “(Leading by example) speaks volumes. If you’re not doing it — if you’re not out there doing it and working hard and grinding — it’s going to be hard for you to have the respect of your teammates. But this guy, as I said, with everything he’s accomplished, with all that he’s done, he’s one of the hardest-working guys on this football team. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get himself better, to get himself an edge. And he’s just a selfless teammate. He’s happy when other guys have success. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. That’s why we all love him.”
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
