October 26, 2025 • 18 mins
Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates share some stories from their days playing as tight ends in the NFL, along with Heidi Gardner's story of Travis Kelce on Saturday Night Live
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Games of Names.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation,
Highlight Real starting now.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Now. Gronk tells a story about how he fell asleep
in his first visit with the Patriots.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
I was so sick of that visit, dude. It wasn't
just a vision. It just wasn't the visit to the Patriots.
So what I went on like a little tour like
you go in. I visited twelve different teams. It's kind
of like you're going on these recruiting visits to each
team because they want to get to know you. And yeah,
the New England Patriots were the last ones on the list,
and bro, I was sick. I was flying from Denver
(00:34):
to Jacksonville to freaking Baltimore, meeting with every team, and
I was so sick of it. And you know, you're
putting like kind of a front on it as well,
and I was literally so sick of I go. I
want to be outrageous here. I need to have some
fun with it. I remember I was kind of hung
over to feeling with crap all these flights. I went
out and partied a couple of the nights too, so
(00:55):
I wasn't even feeling like myself. So I was like,
how do you get back to normal? You just you
just become out. I show up ro I was so tired.
First thing I do is fall asleep in Nancy's office. Yeah,
Bill Belichick heard all about it.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
He comet believe it.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
And then I go into the interview session and Billy
O'Brien draws a play up and then he races on
the board. He's like, all right, can you name what
the wide receivers did, like rename their route and what
the responsibility was. I was like, bro, I have no clue.
I couldn't even think. And then he's like, he's like,
what do you do? I was like, you're just throwing
me the fucking ball, Billy. I'll make some guys miss,
(01:30):
I'll run over some people.
Speaker 6 (01:32):
He's like, he's like, but.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
You don't know the playoffs?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Like I don't need to know the play You throw
me the ball. Like That's basically how our interview went.
And then I literally walked out of there called Drew Rosenhouse.
I said, this team is either gonna take me or
they're fucking laughing at me. And I give no fucks
because I'm over this whole process.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
So what happens.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
New Patriots trade up for me for the forty second
pick in the NFL Draft in twenty ten and select me.
And I looked around the table. I said, I told
you they were gonna take me.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So going back to where we started, that is Gronk
right there, that whole thing, and they built up like
I remember them talking about you, the coaches saying like, yeah, man,
you're gonna love this kid. He's fucking just awesome. He
had like you explained the whole thing that you just
explained and like that was like, oh my god, what
(02:21):
like that doesn't happen in New England, you know what
I mean? And Gronk kinda from your little story right there,
you can kind of portray that you're not a smart
football player, like but you were like brilliant, Like they
would explain that, like, don't think that Grenk didn't know
his fucking plays. This guy you coached him once on
one thing. He never had to say it again. Like
he was like one of the most football intelligent guys.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I knew.
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
I mean at that time when I was doing the interview,
I was beat down.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
I was sick of it.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
So I couldn't really recall, you know, the play after
he showed it to me. And then also I did
struggle a little bit though my rookie year with the playbook,
I actually would have probably started every single game from
the beginning my first eight games. I only was playing
about fifteen to twenty plays a game, if you can
recall that. And then finally boom, the playbook hit. I mean,
it was a tough playbook. I mean in college, I
(03:09):
literally think I had like fifteen plays and I lined
up in the same spot every single play. And I
get to New England, and man, let me tell you
that playbook was outrageous.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
It's not just the playbook, it's the personnel groups you're playing,
why you're playing f exactly, you know what I mean.
It's wheels, you guys gotta flop like it was. It
was definitely tough.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
It was definitely a change.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The fucking formations. There's so many goddamn formations.
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Drove me crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Like I said, in college, I had one formation. I
lined up in the same spot every single play.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
I'm not lying.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Every single play. I get to New England, what sixty
five different formations? Yeah, actually, probably one hundred and fifty
different formations, but then we narrowed it down to about
sixty five. My head was spinning all over the place,
and finally it just clicked, you know, once I got
it under control.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
About week ten.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
It's remember I scored that touchdown first to Chicago Bears
versus Brian Urlacker. Oh yeah, was that panther route where
I had to just get big right at the goal
line and then Tom was gonna throw it low and
then uh, we hit it in practice at Friday. Then
we hit it in the game that Sunday, and since
then I was starting every single play.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Next, Antonio Gates talks about how he transitioned from being
a college basketball player to a tight end.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That first training camp, that first whenever you got there
the mini camp. Talk me through that, because I couldn't
even get into a fucking receiver stance. Bro I watched
my rookie mini camps. I watched my rookie mini camp
recently or like a year ago, and I'm sitting here
looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame trying to take
off on a fucking release, walking through how you transition
(04:39):
because you didn't even play the gods sport.
Speaker 7 (04:41):
Yeah, yeah, right, what dude, Like, you know what I'm saying,
It's the same for everybody. Man, it's the it's the
you know, it's the progression. It's the stages, right, you know,
that's stage one for me and you that ain't. That
don't change, you know. For me, it was even you know,
probably more comp located, you know, the range of which
(05:02):
I had to come from because I didn't play college football.
But I think it served me somewhat on an advantage
because I didn't have any what I would like to
consider credit.
Speaker 6 (05:13):
I didn't have any bad habits.
Speaker 7 (05:15):
I'm like, you're a fresh canvas, right, So I was
learning from a clean slate. But I'm like, gosh, right,
but unlike you know, unlike people that's like you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (05:25):
They come in and they already learned how to run.
Speaker 7 (05:27):
You know, you learn so now you're trying to change
what you learned at Kent State, you know, to say, God,
come from miskan or Ohio. They changing what they've already
learned for three or four years. And I didn't have
to change nothing. I just had to learn it from
the first time. So I felt like it was somewhat
easier for me, like credit, You better to have no
credit than bad credit. Right, So it was like I
(05:48):
felt like I was it was a little easier transition.
Now it wasn't easy. I just felt like it was easier.
I couldn't get in the stands, you know what I'm saying, right,
I couldn't understand motions. You got to remember, I'm here, right, yeah, right,
I'm not Yeah, I'm trying to see what covers of that.
Speaker 8 (06:05):
Right.
Speaker 7 (06:05):
So I got to a point I was so bad.
They just told me to just stand up, just do
what you want to do. Days I would stand up
at the end of the line, I would do whatever,
because they got to be worried about what I'm doing
at this point, why I'm worried about what they're doing.
So yeah, it got to that level. But the idea
was I just remember learning watching who I thought. Like
(06:26):
when you said watching who, I thought, who is your guy?
Speaker 6 (06:30):
I mean?
Speaker 7 (06:30):
We had a guy called Eric named Eric Parker who
played receiver from Tennessee and he was our starting receiver.
And obviously, you know we had Keenom Carter came along,
but Eric Parker to me initially was a guy who
ran robs to the tea.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Dropped his weight.
Speaker 7 (06:47):
I mean coming at you full speed, drop his way,
and I mean two or three steps he coming out.
He ain't overstepping to come out of ship like everything.
I'm like, this is why he's starting simple, this is
why he's starting right. And then I was as I'm
mature and I got a chance to go to the
Pro Bowls and I start watching Marvin Harrison. He was
another guy that I would watch in practice and like,
(07:10):
this is crazy to me.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
This is perfect to me.
Speaker 7 (07:14):
You know, even though I'm playing tight end, I'm still
with the vision of what I think a perfect rout
runner looks like. And I think that's how I seen it.
I didn't see I wouldn't like watching. And obviously I
grew with tight ends in my room, the guys who
performed me. But I was learning from them how to
be a professional. So we had the ultimate professionals for
the Chargers. That's the beauty of it. I was learning
(07:36):
from guys that was in my space, and I was
just like, Okay, he's taking notes, he's doing this, he's
making sure this is his footwork. Okay in the run game, huh, Okay,
get your inside, hand inside, get your foot down, get them,
get them foot in the ground, or you're gonna get
through around. This is day too strong. These are five techniques,
you know what I'm saying. Back then, it was a
four to three defense, So it wasn't the stand up line.
It was a guy his hands out there. He was
(07:59):
two ninety five. They was trying to stop the run
back then, you know what I'm saying. So it changed
to a three four as like we got going, but
everybody was playing four three when I got there, and
I had an end. Pretty much every time it's handing
the ground. So I remember saying, man, I gotta get
my feet in the ground. I got to put that end.
Who are the early and huge I mean back in
the day, I remember you know, I'm going over in
(08:21):
my head in your vision. Yeah, we had some, but
like the handle, they were like the big run stoppers.
So they wasn't the major playmakers. You know, now guys
are sacking, you know what I'm saying. Then the three
four came and then you get you got the merriorments
and then the vans came and all over the rocks
and all those guys that just coming around the edge
but now we're praying blocking. Now, you know, we trade
(08:42):
blocking to the backside, were leaving the inn, were leaving
the sand banking for the full back.
Speaker 6 (08:46):
Before that, it was just those three guys.
Speaker 7 (08:47):
Was in the box and it was those four down linemen,
And I mean I had him. He was at a seven,
he was in y nine, and it was mine and
it was just dude. I used to be like, YOA,
why do you keep helping this guard? You know what
I'm saying, You had to he would have to go down.
I don't know if you understand the run gain. Yeah, yeah,
so you know I would always hidehim on my own
as mean as him. But that's why I wouldn't know
(09:08):
two thirty five tight ends. Back in those days, you
have to be to sixty two seventy. I was a
legit two fifty five to sixty.
Speaker 9 (09:15):
And that was like a smaller range, right, So not
these tight ends are thirty times they bulking up to
two forty. Yeah, there's no true there's no true tight end.
Speaker 6 (09:25):
They no true Titians, no more.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Next up, Heidi Gardner talks about what it was like
having Travis Kelsey host SNL.
Speaker 10 (09:32):
So, what's it like being in bed with Travis Kelsey,
give you any heat?
Speaker 8 (09:38):
I mean, I was honestly cool. How else I answered
it was cool. What it was cool was that a
chief was hosting SNL. That's what was cool, and that's
how I felt the whole week, Like my whole family
came out. I threw a tailgate in my dressing room.
That's all that it was for me. It was cool.
Speaker 10 (10:00):
Who have kicked their coverage more or basically uh more
out of their league?
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Callin Yost or Travis Kelce.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
Who's more out of their league?
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Yea?
Speaker 1 (10:10):
With their girlfriends?
Speaker 8 (10:11):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 10 (10:13):
I mean Median gets Scarlet Johans. I mean she's pretty,
I know, legendary.
Speaker 8 (10:18):
I feel like everybody throws that at Colin, but I
think it makes sense, and I think Travis and Taylor
makes sense. I'm I'm all for love.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Love, Yeah, is what the world's all built on. All
for love, all love.
Speaker 8 (10:31):
Just like, don't make it a distraction, you know. Now,
I feel like they're doing a great job.
Speaker 10 (10:37):
You know, it's been it's it's honestly really impressive how
he's been able to compartmentalize.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Yeah, I mean that's a that's a big thing. He's
going through right now, you know what I mean. So
you know, you.
Speaker 10 (10:52):
Tip your cap to a guy that, yeah, has his
personal life that's so in the spotlight, but also.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Being able to go out and ball out on the
field and know what his job is.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Next, Gronk tells us about his first impressions with Tom Brady.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
What's your favorite Tom memory?
Speaker 4 (11:10):
My favorite Tom memory? Man, I'll always remember the time
when I first met him in the locker room.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
You brought it up during your speech. He just came
up to me.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
I was getting my ankle tape by Jimbo, the Great
Jim Wallen, Great Jim Wallen, Whalen Wallen. It's been a while,
Jim Man. I just called you Jimbo for so long.
I'm forgetting your last name a little bit. You got
it all right, I got I got it though. And
he was taping my ankles and Tom just came cruising by.
You know, I was just some good old rookie and
(11:40):
he just walked up to me and he goes, hey,
I'm Tom Brady, and I go, very nice to meet you,
Tom Brady. I'm Rob Gronkowski. And then he's like, let's
get after it this year. And then he walked away,
and I just was like shook. I was like, man,
tom Brady just came up to me and introduced himself
as Tom Brady. Of course I know who you are,
(12:01):
Tom Brady's but that was just one of the coolest
moments I would remember, you know, for rest of my life.
And uh, we just you know, got to work from
there on out. And he was all business right from
the beginning. He really was, like we said, what he
puts on his persona, what he shows, that's what he
really believes in. And he was all business twenty four
(12:22):
to seven when he was in that building.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
What was your favorite moment too, when we're at it,
My favorite moments were the ones who are like we'd
be throwing routes or some.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
In like he would yell at me or something like.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I remember my rookie year, we put in a four
white personnel group the first the first day of rookie
or the first day of veteran camp, and so it
was me, Wes, Joey Galloway, and Randy and we put
it in there and I was the why and I
did the right thing and ended up dropping the ball
(12:59):
and he started just yelling at me, and I like,
oh snap. And then as soon as we got in
the locker room, he you know, he he came up
to me, he goes, hey, you know if I yell at.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You, that means I like you. And I was like,
you know, you must really love me then, bro.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
You know, that was kind of like those those moments
where you know he was getting on you. That's the
stuff you remember, you like, or you know, the stuff
when we'd be training out and throwing on a field
or something. Those are always the great memories that you'll remember. Yeah,
it's the the big plays of that and the other,
(13:41):
but I think it's the behind the scenes stuff is
that was my favorite.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
I would have to agree with you, man, if he
gets on you, he sees potential in you. And that's
why he got on your your ass all the time.
He got a mit on Robbie a rookie year. I
didn't really like him my rookie year. I mean, he
was just getting on my case just NonStop, and it
was kind of kind of mind fucking me so much,
and I couldn't be myself out there. Sometimes I couldn't
(14:06):
run the right route because I was just thinking so much,
because there was just so much on the plate aft.
First I got a coach telling me to do this.
I got Tom telling me to do this, and then
finally you just figure it out and it all clicks.
It took me about halfway through my rookie year, and
then obviously going in my second year, it clicked to
a whole other level. I mean we went for twenty
one touchdowns total incling the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
But just my rookie year, he was on my case.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
I remember I ran a flag route and I ran
inside the guy instead of getting outside of him. And
he flipped out on me in the meeting after the
practice and told me he's never.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Gonna throw me the ball again.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
And like I got buyer and alg Crumpler saw it too,
and he just he just tapped on my die and
he was like, yop, gronk, don't worry about that. He's
just Tom, just being Tom Man. Just don't worry about
keep doing you. And then it kind of like, you know,
put a fire under your ass though, and that's what
Tom was so great at doing it. I didn't really
realize that's what he was doing either, Like he was
just trying to get the best out of you, and
(15:04):
it kind of lit a fire, you know, under my ass,
and then I just wanted to prove Tom wrong, like,
all right, I'm gonna run this flag round every time
now and you're never gonna throw me to the ball,
but I'm gonna be open by five yards and you're
gonna look like the idiot now. And that happened, and
then then he threw me to the ball about six
hundred more times from there on out.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
So that was also that example is an example of
why Tom was Tom, because he knew what kind of
guy each guy was. Like he could challenge Rob, he
could challenge me because we retaliated to that challenging like
in a whole nother like that was the way he
got us going. You know, other guys he didn't do
that with and he would do it in a different way,
(15:44):
you know. Then that's that's that's the sign of a
good leader is when someone knows what to get out
of the guys and how to get it out of them.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
And I've seen this before, Coach Baichick and Tom challenging
wide receivers and they don't and they don't step up
to the play after the challenge. And let me tell you,
those wide receivers or tight ends were gone the next week.
So hey, if you don't step up to the challenge,
(16:13):
you know you're gone. That's why I love football, That's
why I love sports because there ain't no politics here, buddy.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
It's either you got it or you don't.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Swinger, sim swim next up.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Antonio Gates reflects on breaking the tight end touchdown record.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
In one sentence, why this game?
Speaker 7 (16:32):
I guess it was a home game because we played it,
played the game we won't was on a row, So
I guess they wanted me to break it at home
in Los Angeles at the time.
Speaker 6 (16:42):
Break what the record? Well, record, the NFL touchdown record, NFL.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
The touchdown record for tight end Peaches and Cream one
twelve with.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
Cherry's on top.
Speaker 7 (16:56):
Yeah but yeah, I uh, I man like crazy because
you know, when you do something of that magnitude, man,
you don't really it don't really sink in like you
would think, because it's your life, right, you live in it,
you going through it. I think when I retired, when
it was all done, I was able to capture the
actual moment a little bit better, if that makes sense.
(17:17):
I was able to look back and say, man, that
was crazy. I passed x Y and Z. I remember
playing with those dudes on a video game. I had
a lot of Techno Bowl, a lot of Madden, and uh,
you know, to pass a guy like Tony Gonzalez, that
was a pretty special moment.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Is this the greatest game of all time?
Speaker 6 (17:38):
I think you're right. You're right.
Speaker 7 (17:42):
I think the from an emotion standpoint, it was because
you know, again, I know for those who don't know,
I played basketball.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
That was always my passion.
Speaker 7 (17:51):
So when I made this transition, Uh, that game, I
finally had the emotions running through me for the first time.
I'm talking about I was on a silide I want
to say, tears was coming down, and I was like, wow,
what is going on? But I think it was the
idea of what I've been through up until that point,
how difficult it is to get to that level, how
(18:13):
many days you got to kind of fight through that pain,
the hard work, the dedication, the things that it's not
talked about, right, they only see the touchdowns right the
Monday through Saturdays, I like to recall it. So I
was pretty emotional after that game because I was kind
of stagnant for a long time. You know, what you
get It's like lifting weights. You get to three hundred
and you just stuck. You can't go past three hundred.
(18:35):
I was like stagnant at like one tim for a while,
couldn't get to one, to eleven, and then I finally got
to one twelve.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
I think that was the number.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Well, fucking congratulations in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 6 (18:47):
Remember to tune in every Tuesday for a brand new
episode and every Sunday for another Games with Names Highlight
Year
Welcome to Games of Names.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation,
Highlight Real starting now.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Now. Gronk tells a story about how he fell asleep
in his first visit with the Patriots.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
I was so sick of that visit, dude. It wasn't
just a vision. It just wasn't the visit to the Patriots.
So what I went on like a little tour like
you go in. I visited twelve different teams. It's kind
of like you're going on these recruiting visits to each
team because they want to get to know you. And yeah,
the New England Patriots were the last ones on the list,
and bro, I was sick. I was flying from Denver
(00:34):
to Jacksonville to freaking Baltimore, meeting with every team, and
I was so sick of it. And you know, you're
putting like kind of a front on it as well,
and I was literally so sick of I go. I
want to be outrageous here. I need to have some
fun with it. I remember I was kind of hung
over to feeling with crap all these flights. I went
out and partied a couple of the nights too, so
(00:55):
I wasn't even feeling like myself. So I was like,
how do you get back to normal? You just you
just become out. I show up ro I was so tired.
First thing I do is fall asleep in Nancy's office. Yeah,
Bill Belichick heard all about it.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
He comet believe it.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
And then I go into the interview session and Billy
O'Brien draws a play up and then he races on
the board. He's like, all right, can you name what
the wide receivers did, like rename their route and what
the responsibility was. I was like, bro, I have no clue.
I couldn't even think. And then he's like, he's like,
what do you do? I was like, you're just throwing
me the fucking ball, Billy. I'll make some guys miss,
(01:30):
I'll run over some people.
Speaker 6 (01:32):
He's like, he's like, but.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
You don't know the playoffs?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Like I don't need to know the play You throw
me the ball. Like That's basically how our interview went.
And then I literally walked out of there called Drew Rosenhouse.
I said, this team is either gonna take me or
they're fucking laughing at me. And I give no fucks
because I'm over this whole process.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
So what happens.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
New Patriots trade up for me for the forty second
pick in the NFL Draft in twenty ten and select me.
And I looked around the table. I said, I told
you they were gonna take me.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So going back to where we started, that is Gronk
right there, that whole thing, and they built up like
I remember them talking about you, the coaches saying like, yeah, man,
you're gonna love this kid. He's fucking just awesome. He
had like you explained the whole thing that you just
explained and like that was like, oh my god, what
(02:21):
like that doesn't happen in New England, you know what
I mean? And Gronk kinda from your little story right there,
you can kind of portray that you're not a smart
football player, like but you were like brilliant, Like they
would explain that, like, don't think that Grenk didn't know
his fucking plays. This guy you coached him once on
one thing. He never had to say it again. Like
he was like one of the most football intelligent guys.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I knew.
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
I mean at that time when I was doing the interview,
I was beat down.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
I was sick of it.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
So I couldn't really recall, you know, the play after
he showed it to me. And then also I did
struggle a little bit though my rookie year with the playbook,
I actually would have probably started every single game from
the beginning my first eight games. I only was playing
about fifteen to twenty plays a game, if you can
recall that. And then finally boom, the playbook hit. I mean,
it was a tough playbook. I mean in college, I
(03:09):
literally think I had like fifteen plays and I lined
up in the same spot every single play. And I
get to New England, and man, let me tell you
that playbook was outrageous.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
It's not just the playbook, it's the personnel groups you're playing,
why you're playing f exactly, you know what I mean.
It's wheels, you guys gotta flop like it was. It
was definitely tough.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
It was definitely a change.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The fucking formations. There's so many goddamn formations.
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Drove me crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Like I said, in college, I had one formation. I
lined up in the same spot every single play.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
I'm not lying.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Every single play. I get to New England, what sixty
five different formations? Yeah, actually, probably one hundred and fifty
different formations, but then we narrowed it down to about
sixty five. My head was spinning all over the place,
and finally it just clicked, you know, once I got
it under control.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
About week ten.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
It's remember I scored that touchdown first to Chicago Bears
versus Brian Urlacker. Oh yeah, was that panther route where
I had to just get big right at the goal
line and then Tom was gonna throw it low and
then uh, we hit it in practice at Friday. Then
we hit it in the game that Sunday, and since
then I was starting every single play.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Next, Antonio Gates talks about how he transitioned from being
a college basketball player to a tight end.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That first training camp, that first whenever you got there
the mini camp. Talk me through that, because I couldn't
even get into a fucking receiver stance. Bro I watched
my rookie mini camps. I watched my rookie mini camp
recently or like a year ago, and I'm sitting here
looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame trying to take
off on a fucking release, walking through how you transition
(04:39):
because you didn't even play the gods sport.
Speaker 7 (04:41):
Yeah, yeah, right, what dude, Like, you know what I'm saying,
It's the same for everybody. Man, it's the it's the
you know, it's the progression. It's the stages, right, you know,
that's stage one for me and you that ain't. That
don't change, you know. For me, it was even you know,
probably more comp located, you know, the range of which
(05:02):
I had to come from because I didn't play college football.
But I think it served me somewhat on an advantage
because I didn't have any what I would like to
consider credit.
Speaker 6 (05:13):
I didn't have any bad habits.
Speaker 7 (05:15):
I'm like, you're a fresh canvas, right, So I was
learning from a clean slate. But I'm like, gosh, right,
but unlike you know, unlike people that's like you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (05:25):
They come in and they already learned how to run.
Speaker 7 (05:27):
You know, you learn so now you're trying to change
what you learned at Kent State, you know, to say, God,
come from miskan or Ohio. They changing what they've already
learned for three or four years. And I didn't have
to change nothing. I just had to learn it from
the first time. So I felt like it was somewhat
easier for me, like credit, You better to have no
credit than bad credit. Right, So it was like I
(05:48):
felt like I was it was a little easier transition.
Now it wasn't easy. I just felt like it was easier.
I couldn't get in the stands, you know what I'm saying, right,
I couldn't understand motions. You got to remember, I'm here, right, yeah, right,
I'm not Yeah, I'm trying to see what covers of that.
Speaker 8 (06:05):
Right.
Speaker 7 (06:05):
So I got to a point I was so bad.
They just told me to just stand up, just do
what you want to do. Days I would stand up
at the end of the line, I would do whatever,
because they got to be worried about what I'm doing
at this point, why I'm worried about what they're doing.
So yeah, it got to that level. But the idea
was I just remember learning watching who I thought. Like
(06:26):
when you said watching who, I thought, who is your guy?
Speaker 6 (06:30):
I mean?
Speaker 7 (06:30):
We had a guy called Eric named Eric Parker who
played receiver from Tennessee and he was our starting receiver.
And obviously, you know we had Keenom Carter came along,
but Eric Parker to me initially was a guy who
ran robs to the tea.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Dropped his weight.
Speaker 7 (06:47):
I mean coming at you full speed, drop his way,
and I mean two or three steps he coming out.
He ain't overstepping to come out of ship like everything.
I'm like, this is why he's starting simple, this is
why he's starting right. And then I was as I'm
mature and I got a chance to go to the
Pro Bowls and I start watching Marvin Harrison. He was
another guy that I would watch in practice and like,
(07:10):
this is crazy to me.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
This is perfect to me.
Speaker 7 (07:14):
You know, even though I'm playing tight end, I'm still
with the vision of what I think a perfect rout
runner looks like. And I think that's how I seen it.
I didn't see I wouldn't like watching. And obviously I
grew with tight ends in my room, the guys who
performed me. But I was learning from them how to
be a professional. So we had the ultimate professionals for
the Chargers. That's the beauty of it. I was learning
(07:36):
from guys that was in my space, and I was
just like, Okay, he's taking notes, he's doing this, he's
making sure this is his footwork. Okay in the run game, huh, Okay,
get your inside, hand inside, get your foot down, get them,
get them foot in the ground, or you're gonna get
through around. This is day too strong. These are five techniques,
you know what I'm saying. Back then, it was a
four to three defense, So it wasn't the stand up line.
It was a guy his hands out there. He was
(07:59):
two ninety five. They was trying to stop the run
back then, you know what I'm saying. So it changed
to a three four as like we got going, but
everybody was playing four three when I got there, and
I had an end. Pretty much every time it's handing
the ground. So I remember saying, man, I gotta get
my feet in the ground. I got to put that end.
Who are the early and huge I mean back in
the day, I remember you know, I'm going over in
(08:21):
my head in your vision. Yeah, we had some, but
like the handle, they were like the big run stoppers.
So they wasn't the major playmakers. You know, now guys
are sacking, you know what I'm saying. Then the three
four came and then you get you got the merriorments
and then the vans came and all over the rocks
and all those guys that just coming around the edge
but now we're praying blocking. Now, you know, we trade
(08:42):
blocking to the backside, were leaving the inn, were leaving
the sand banking for the full back.
Speaker 6 (08:46):
Before that, it was just those three guys.
Speaker 7 (08:47):
Was in the box and it was those four down linemen,
And I mean I had him. He was at a seven,
he was in y nine, and it was mine and
it was just dude. I used to be like, YOA,
why do you keep helping this guard? You know what
I'm saying, You had to he would have to go down.
I don't know if you understand the run gain. Yeah, yeah,
so you know I would always hidehim on my own
as mean as him. But that's why I wouldn't know
(09:08):
two thirty five tight ends. Back in those days, you
have to be to sixty two seventy. I was a
legit two fifty five to sixty.
Speaker 9 (09:15):
And that was like a smaller range, right, So not
these tight ends are thirty times they bulking up to
two forty. Yeah, there's no true there's no true tight end.
Speaker 6 (09:25):
They no true Titians, no more.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Next up, Heidi Gardner talks about what it was like
having Travis Kelsey host SNL.
Speaker 10 (09:32):
So, what's it like being in bed with Travis Kelsey,
give you any heat?
Speaker 8 (09:38):
I mean, I was honestly cool. How else I answered
it was cool. What it was cool was that a
chief was hosting SNL. That's what was cool, and that's
how I felt the whole week, Like my whole family
came out. I threw a tailgate in my dressing room.
That's all that it was for me. It was cool.
Speaker 10 (10:00):
Who have kicked their coverage more or basically uh more
out of their league?
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Callin Yost or Travis Kelce.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
Who's more out of their league?
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Yea?
Speaker 1 (10:10):
With their girlfriends?
Speaker 8 (10:11):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 10 (10:13):
I mean Median gets Scarlet Johans. I mean she's pretty,
I know, legendary.
Speaker 8 (10:18):
I feel like everybody throws that at Colin, but I
think it makes sense, and I think Travis and Taylor
makes sense. I'm I'm all for love.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Love, Yeah, is what the world's all built on. All
for love, all love.
Speaker 8 (10:31):
Just like, don't make it a distraction, you know. Now,
I feel like they're doing a great job.
Speaker 10 (10:37):
You know, it's been it's it's honestly really impressive how
he's been able to compartmentalize.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Yeah, I mean that's a that's a big thing. He's
going through right now, you know what I mean. So
you know, you.
Speaker 10 (10:52):
Tip your cap to a guy that, yeah, has his
personal life that's so in the spotlight, but also.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Being able to go out and ball out on the
field and know what his job is.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Next, Gronk tells us about his first impressions with Tom Brady.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
What's your favorite Tom memory?
Speaker 4 (11:10):
My favorite Tom memory? Man, I'll always remember the time
when I first met him in the locker room.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
You brought it up during your speech. He just came
up to me.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
I was getting my ankle tape by Jimbo, the Great
Jim Wallen, Great Jim Wallen, Whalen Wallen. It's been a while,
Jim Man. I just called you Jimbo for so long.
I'm forgetting your last name a little bit. You got
it all right, I got I got it though. And
he was taping my ankles and Tom just came cruising by.
You know, I was just some good old rookie and
(11:40):
he just walked up to me and he goes, hey,
I'm Tom Brady, and I go, very nice to meet you,
Tom Brady. I'm Rob Gronkowski. And then he's like, let's
get after it this year. And then he walked away,
and I just was like shook. I was like, man,
tom Brady just came up to me and introduced himself
as Tom Brady. Of course I know who you are,
(12:01):
Tom Brady's but that was just one of the coolest
moments I would remember, you know, for rest of my life.
And uh, we just you know, got to work from
there on out. And he was all business right from
the beginning. He really was, like we said, what he
puts on his persona, what he shows, that's what he
really believes in. And he was all business twenty four
(12:22):
to seven when he was in that building.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
What was your favorite moment too, when we're at it,
My favorite moments were the ones who are like we'd
be throwing routes or some.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
In like he would yell at me or something like.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I remember my rookie year, we put in a four
white personnel group the first the first day of rookie
or the first day of veteran camp, and so it
was me, Wes, Joey Galloway, and Randy and we put
it in there and I was the why and I
did the right thing and ended up dropping the ball
(12:59):
and he started just yelling at me, and I like,
oh snap. And then as soon as we got in
the locker room, he you know, he he came up
to me, he goes, hey, you know if I yell at.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You, that means I like you. And I was like,
you know, you must really love me then, bro.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
You know, that was kind of like those those moments
where you know he was getting on you. That's the
stuff you remember, you like, or you know, the stuff
when we'd be training out and throwing on a field
or something. Those are always the great memories that you'll remember. Yeah,
it's the the big plays of that and the other,
(13:41):
but I think it's the behind the scenes stuff is
that was my favorite.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
I would have to agree with you, man, if he
gets on you, he sees potential in you. And that's
why he got on your your ass all the time.
He got a mit on Robbie a rookie year. I
didn't really like him my rookie year. I mean, he
was just getting on my case just NonStop, and it
was kind of kind of mind fucking me so much,
and I couldn't be myself out there. Sometimes I couldn't
(14:06):
run the right route because I was just thinking so much,
because there was just so much on the plate aft.
First I got a coach telling me to do this.
I got Tom telling me to do this, and then
finally you just figure it out and it all clicks.
It took me about halfway through my rookie year, and
then obviously going in my second year, it clicked to
a whole other level. I mean we went for twenty
one touchdowns total incling the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
But just my rookie year, he was on my case.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
I remember I ran a flag route and I ran
inside the guy instead of getting outside of him. And
he flipped out on me in the meeting after the
practice and told me he's never.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Gonna throw me the ball again.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
And like I got buyer and alg Crumpler saw it too,
and he just he just tapped on my die and
he was like, yop, gronk, don't worry about that. He's
just Tom, just being Tom Man. Just don't worry about
keep doing you. And then it kind of like, you know,
put a fire under your ass though, and that's what
Tom was so great at doing it. I didn't really
realize that's what he was doing either, Like he was
just trying to get the best out of you, and
(15:04):
it kind of lit a fire, you know, under my ass,
and then I just wanted to prove Tom wrong, like,
all right, I'm gonna run this flag round every time
now and you're never gonna throw me to the ball,
but I'm gonna be open by five yards and you're
gonna look like the idiot now. And that happened, and
then then he threw me to the ball about six
hundred more times from there on out.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
So that was also that example is an example of
why Tom was Tom, because he knew what kind of
guy each guy was. Like he could challenge Rob, he
could challenge me because we retaliated to that challenging like
in a whole nother like that was the way he
got us going. You know, other guys he didn't do
that with and he would do it in a different way,
(15:44):
you know. Then that's that's that's the sign of a
good leader is when someone knows what to get out
of the guys and how to get it out of them.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
And I've seen this before, Coach Baichick and Tom challenging
wide receivers and they don't and they don't step up
to the play after the challenge. And let me tell you,
those wide receivers or tight ends were gone the next week.
So hey, if you don't step up to the challenge,
(16:13):
you know you're gone. That's why I love football, That's
why I love sports because there ain't no politics here, buddy.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
It's either you got it or you don't.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Swinger, sim swim next up.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Antonio Gates reflects on breaking the tight end touchdown record.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
In one sentence, why this game?
Speaker 7 (16:32):
I guess it was a home game because we played it,
played the game we won't was on a row, So
I guess they wanted me to break it at home
in Los Angeles at the time.
Speaker 6 (16:42):
Break what the record? Well, record, the NFL touchdown record, NFL.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
The touchdown record for tight end Peaches and Cream one
twelve with.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
Cherry's on top.
Speaker 7 (16:56):
Yeah but yeah, I uh, I man like crazy because
you know, when you do something of that magnitude, man,
you don't really it don't really sink in like you
would think, because it's your life, right, you live in it,
you going through it. I think when I retired, when
it was all done, I was able to capture the
actual moment a little bit better, if that makes sense.
(17:17):
I was able to look back and say, man, that
was crazy. I passed x Y and Z. I remember
playing with those dudes on a video game. I had
a lot of Techno Bowl, a lot of Madden, and uh,
you know, to pass a guy like Tony Gonzalez, that
was a pretty special moment.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Is this the greatest game of all time?
Speaker 6 (17:38):
I think you're right. You're right.
Speaker 7 (17:42):
I think the from an emotion standpoint, it was because
you know, again, I know for those who don't know,
I played basketball.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
That was always my passion.
Speaker 7 (17:51):
So when I made this transition, Uh, that game, I
finally had the emotions running through me for the first time.
I'm talking about I was on a silide I want
to say, tears was coming down, and I was like, wow,
what is going on? But I think it was the
idea of what I've been through up until that point,
how difficult it is to get to that level, how
(18:13):
many days you got to kind of fight through that pain,
the hard work, the dedication, the things that it's not
talked about, right, they only see the touchdowns right the
Monday through Saturdays, I like to recall it. So I
was pretty emotional after that game because I was kind
of stagnant for a long time. You know, what you
get It's like lifting weights. You get to three hundred
and you just stuck. You can't go past three hundred.
(18:35):
I was like stagnant at like one tim for a while,
couldn't get to one, to eleven, and then I finally got
to one twelve.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
I think that was the number.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Well, fucking congratulations in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 6 (18:47):
Remember to tune in every Tuesday for a brand new
episode and every Sunday for another Games with Names Highlight
Year
Host
Julian Edelman
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