Rob Gronkowski was one of the best tight ends in NFL history.
But the New England Patriots weren't 100 percent sold on Gronkowski entering the 2010 NFL Draft. Why? Because he was a massive goofball.
The Athletic's Jeff Howe recently spoke to several former Patriots staffers who recalled their experiences with Gronkowski before New England took him No. 42 overall in 2010.
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As you'd expect, they have some great Gronk stories, and this one from ex-Patriots director of college scouting (and current Tennessee Titans general manager) Jon Robinson might take the cake:
"He was sitting across from me. We’re trying to talk about football. I’m trying to get to know him a little better, make my notes on him," Robinson told Howe, describing Gronkowski's pre-draft visit in Foxboro.
"I said, 'What do you like to do besides football?' A lot of guys say different things. Most of them play video games, or watch movies or read books. He’s like, 'I like to watch cartoons.' I’m like, OK. I said, 'What do you like to watch?' He goes, 'SpongeBob.'
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"And then the Gronk laugh. I’m like, you’ve got to be kidding me. I’m bringing this guy up to Bill every other day, and he’s telling me he likes to watch SpongeBob. I’m (thinking), I’ve got no chance, Rob, you’ve got to help me out here."
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A 10-year-old kid in a very large man's body? Yeah, that's the Gronk we know.
Robinson added that Gronkowski didn't make the best first impression on the Patriots at the NFL Combine, while former New England tight ends coach Brian Ferentz admitted the team was wary of taking a player like Gronk after dealing with a "culture problem" in 2009.
But for reasons Howe outlined in his excellent piece, the Patriots looked past those potential red flags to draft the goofy kid with tons of talent in the second round.
Ten years, three Super Bowl titles and 92 touchdowns later, we'd say they made the right call.