December 4, 2024 • 44 mins
In this episode of Pats from the Past, Matt Smith and Paul Perillo are joined by former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk talks about his his welcome to the NFL moment, best Patriots team he played on and what made his relationship with Tom Brady so unique.
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Speaker 1 (00:30):
Patriots Unfiltered, the world's original podcast, Patriots Unfiltered brings you
inside Jillette Stadium for rousing conversations on everything New England, Patriots,
and NFL. Join host Fred Kersh alongside Patriots dot COM's
Paul Parillo, Mike Desso, Evan Lazar Tamara, Brown, and Alex
Francisco as they bring you in depth coverage of the team.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
He's a red shirt rookie at that point, so it's
really that's his rookie season essentially too.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So now we're really not talking about them, really knowing.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Search for Patriots Unfiltered anywhere you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It's another edition of Patch from the past, and we're
pleased to be joined by the best tight end in
franchise history. Paul, is it the best tight end in
NFL history?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
We're gonna get to that land.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I'm gonna get that out of here here, Paul Parolo. Here,
he's number eighty seven on your scorecard, but number one
in everybody's hearts.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Rob Gronkowski, what an introduction, guys. I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Love, uh, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
I play one organization of all times as well. So
it was a great matchup to have the number one
tight end pointing for the number one organization.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
Baby, that's what's up.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I tell you what. Nobody's seen much of you, Like
are you in hiding or anything like that. Nobody's seen
you at all, Like are you a monk? Or are
you like any commercials?
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Or are you having fun to Actually I am in
hiding this week. It's Thanksgiving week. It's a holiday, so
I have off, you know, for about six days. And
you guys actually got me out of hibernation to come here.
But that's okay because it was about three minutes you know,
from the house, you know, So when it's that close
and it's that easy, you know, I can always come
out of the ground and come and say what's up.
(02:09):
And you guys, you know, have been great.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
And you know, my.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Career started here without without being drafted here, you know,
to this organization here in this building. You know, I
wouldn't be on these commercials that you guys see me
on all the time. So appreciate you guys having me
here today.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Do you like chopping it up with the fox guys?
Are you having fun doing that?
Speaker 5 (02:26):
I'm having a lot of fun doing that.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
I'm having a lot of fun doing everything that I'm.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Doing, especially the commercials. I know that's what you guys
are talking about.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Well, but Devin Fox, I mean Sam Sheppard is your
new bestie.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Yes, And it's just it's unbelievable over there. And these
guys are such pros. It's kind of like me entering
the room with like when I was a rookie, Like
how I entered the room, you know, with Vince Wolfour,
Tom Brady, all those guys, you know, as a rookie.
It's like when I enter the room at the Fox Room,
you know, and I got Michael Strahan, I got Jimmy Johnson,
(02:57):
I got Terry Bradshaw, Kurt Menafee, Howie Long. Like it's
kind of like a similar situation. I'm a rookie, but
like these guys have been on TV now for twenty
five thirty years plus. Michael Strahan's the youngest one out
of the whole group, and he's been I think around
fifteen years on the show. And then there I am
as a first year, second year, third year guy now
(03:17):
and I was just looking up to him every single day.
Like they're so on point. They're incredible with their knowledge,
you know, they know when to spit out facts and
when the joke around. So just learning from them and
just going under their wing man, it was something special
and it still is specially and it's so much fun
just working with them every Sunday that I'm on.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
Yeah, good place to start.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You talked about being drafted here, You talked about being
a rookie in TV. What was it like go back
to Arizona and you're coming out. Did you know the
Patriots were heavily interested in?
Speaker 5 (03:48):
What was that process? Like? All right, man, let's go
back to this process.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I like that, And yes, I knew the Patriots were
definitely heavily interested, that's for sure. But I had one
of the worst draft visits of all time. And coach
Balichuck talked about that before. I mean, Nancy, is she
still here as well? Oh yeah, she still talks about
it that I fell asleep right on her desk right
before I was going to go meet.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
All the coaches.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
But to be fair, that was like my seventeenth trip
in like fifteen days, and I was super tired, and
you know, I had to get a nap.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
In real quick.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
So I was sharp and on point, which that's what happened.
But Actually that's not what happened, because I really wasn't
that sharp and on point, and then everything else was
just chaos that trip. So I actually walked out of
this building after that rookie you know that kind of
like a job interview. It was before you get drafted.
You go and see all the teams and talk to them.
I kind of walked out of the building like this
team is either gonna love me and they're gonna take me,
(04:40):
or they just think I'm a complete fool and they
already crossed me off their board. But I was in
the back of my mind, I was like, I have
a feeling that they loved me. But so back to
you know, going Arizona and draft night and all that.
So I wanted to go to the Arizona Cardinals. Actually
they were the number twenty six pick because the reason
(05:00):
was I loved my time at the University of Arizona.
You know, I was in Tucson, I was a wildcat.
They were the Arizona Cardinos were an hour half away
in the Scottsdale Phoenix area, and just to stay as
a whole lot.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Loved being there, loved that area as well.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
So I wanted to go there just because I knew
how familiar I was with and how much I loved
I love being there.
Speaker 6 (05:22):
And then in the back of my mind, I thought
it would be kind.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Of cool if the Bills drafted me because it was
my hometown team. But at the same time, I kind
of didn't want to go to the Buffalo just because
they weren't pressure. Yeah the pressure they stunk, Yeah they stunk.
At the time, just saw that I felt like just
best for my career to just not go back home,
even though it would be a dream to go play there,
like when you were growing up, that was the dream.
(05:46):
And then the other team was the Baltimore Ravens. You know,
they show high interest in me throughout the whole process.
I had plenty of interviews with them. You know, I
truly believed that they were going to take me, and
they were about to take me.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
You do, you know, like you were having fun in
New York and we'll get to that in a second.
You know, it was a scrambled drill of epic proportions
here for the Patriots to get your card in. Like
Bill's looking around, going what's going? John Robinson is running
around the room. Nick's running around the room, the clock's
ticking down, they were sweating that out. Do you know
that it was sort of chaotic by their standards here?
(06:25):
Did you know that that was going on?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Actually, that's something new that I've just learned. Man, I
didn't know how chaotic it was trying to get that in,
but I know they's that's that's pretty pretty wild to
hear that that side of it, because actually thinking about it,
because at the last second, because the Baltimore Ravens were
on the clock with the forty second pick, and that's like,
like I said, they were showing high interest. I thought
(06:48):
for sure I was going to the Baltimore Ravens and
the clock is, you know, counting down, and there's like
thirty seconds left, and usually if a trade happens, it's
usually end by now, and then all of a sudden,
there's like ten seconds left on the clock. Would have
then boom, the New England Patriots trade up, you know,
with the no to the forty second pick, because the
Baltimore Ravens had the forty third pick.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
That's how it was going down.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
They traded up with the I think the Oakland Raiders
at that time. So the Raiders traded down. The Patriots
got the forty second pick and took me, And I
thought the whole time like, all right, I got Baltimore
coming up. I'm pretty sure that's where I'm gonna go.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
But now that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
They were scrambling and that's why I went down there
last seconds, because they were trying to get it in, yeah,
and get that you know trade in, which they did.
And I'm very very thankful they got that trade in.
So whoever, whoever's you know, duties that was, and whoever
accomplished to get that and whoever hustle.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Who was it?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
It was all of them. It was Bill John Robinson Nick.
I mean, Jimmy D's in New York, I think at
the time. So they're yelling at Jimmy to get the car,
didn't you know.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
Oh, I just want to thank you, Jimmy D for
getting that cart in on time.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Man. The rest is history from there.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Did you think you were risk? Other people thought you
were a risk. Were you confident that that everything was
going to be all right? Like by all accounts, you
never should have lasted until the second round, but people
were worried about your back.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah, Yeah, that's that's one hundred percent true. I mean
my back was a little damage coming out of out
of college, that's for sure. I mean I had some
serious back problems. I mean they were serious, but they're
kind of minor at the same time. Actually, but all
back problems are serious when you got pain shooting down
your legs and you can't really move that much. But
it was just a minor procedure where they take the
hernie disc. They just chop it off a little bit
(08:27):
and get it off your spinal cord. And a good
thing was I'm young, so you heal quickly as well.
And no, there's there's more major back surgeries when you
fuse to when.
Speaker 6 (08:38):
You fuse litally buying together and all that.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
So I've had three marcro dissectomies and I've been good
since I had my last one. Actually, that was my
last surgery, which was here sixteen, right, yeah, I think No,
I think it was two thousand and eight eight. No,
twenty sixteen.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
You're right, missed the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
That's why I.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Missed the Super Bowl Verus Atlanta Falcons. But I also
absolutely got level going up to see Earl Thomas, one
of the hardest hitting safeties in the game, and I
was looking at the ball and Boomy hit me going
full speed and popped my disc out. I mean, it
was a football injury. You can't do nothing about it.
I actually made a nice play after that and caught
the ball to the two yard line on the fade,
even though my back was blowing out and I was
(09:16):
I was spitting blood out because I also punctured my
lung on that hit as well.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
But hey, that's football, and you got to be a
tough sob.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
And that's what gets you, you know, the wins and
gets you fire if if you can take the pain.
And I sure was, but we're going back as I
risked kind of, but in my mind I wasn't because
I knew my mindset. I knew I was going to
overcome the injury you know, that I had in college.
I knew I wanted to be a professional football player
as well, so I wasn't going to let anything get
(09:44):
in my way. So when I was asked that question
in the job interviews and everything, I strongly, with confidence
told them, hey, I'm not worried about my back. I
want to be a tight end in the National Football League.
I want to be one of the best tight ends
as well in the National Football League, and I'm going
to do whatever it takes, you know, for my back
to be solidified to where I needed to be throughout
(10:06):
my whole career.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Yeah, there's going to be ups and downs with the.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Back, you know, but I always knew that if I
stayed on top of it as well with the rehab,
you know, doing the core exercises, doing the right back exercises,
that you know, my career will you know, be a
decently long career. So I made sure, you know, to
some of the teams that I wanted to go to, hey,
I'm ready to play. My back is not a problem.
(10:29):
But the reason why it was kind of a problems.
They were saying I had scoliosis and I didn't even
know what scoliosis was because you get the m RI
at the combine, so all the team doctors can.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
Check out your back. So whatever I have, I mean,
I beat it. So screw you.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So you tell the story about the draft visit when
you fell asleep, you also have a story about.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Right after you got drafted.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Didn't take you long to sort of get called into
the principal's office.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Right, No, it didn't. I mean, I I've always. You know,
it was a maniac, especially when I was a young
buck and I like to have a good time.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
That's for sure.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
What a moment that.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I'm telling you, it was one of the best moments
my life, guys. And what's what's great about it is
I was I was pissed I didn't.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Go in the first round. You know. My Mom's like,
I never really seen you pissed before, and.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Like my brother made a comment like that I didn't
go in the first round.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
I was like, shut up.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
You know, I was just pissed, like and and I
should have never even said shut up. I was just
over exaggerating. You know, when you're mad that everything's gonna
make you like you're is gonna make you mad, you
know you're gonna be pissed off, and right rightfully so
because I thought I was a first.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Rounder, you know, I in my mind, I wanted to
be a round. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
But in the end, let me tell you it truly
doesn't matter where you're drafted. It matters what you do
after you're drafted, and once you get the shot, you know,
it's all about what you do with with the opportunity
that you get.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
There's no doubt about it.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
So the second day comes and once I get drafted
by the New Eland Patriots, Like, let me tell you,
that was the best moment and best feeling of my
life right there and then. And I absolutely gave no cares,
no shizzle that I didn't go in the first round.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
My dream was accomplished and that's all it mattered.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
And I never thought about being mad ever again in
my life that I didn't go in the first round.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
But didn't get under your skin when Bears called and said, hey,
cut it out.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
Actually he didn't really get under my skin. We kind
of played it up and we were laughing at it
because I was always a trouble maker growing up, so
it was always funny when I got in trouble. It
eventually became like Rob's in trouble again, you know, because
it was always for something that was silly, right, Like
I never was getting in like serious trouble. Like I
was a guy that just took it to the edge
and then I would stop, like right before I would
(12:48):
fall over the cliff, I would catch myself and then
I would you know, wind back down and it would
drive people crazy, and it kind of like was that situation,
you know, I was up on stage putting the helmet on,
going one on one versus my brother because he was
in the NFL at the time. He put the Detroit
Lions helmet on. We were jumping up down who which
(13:09):
we love to do. I mean that's how we partied.
We always were jumping up and down, acting like maniac.
So we brought the party to the stage and Bears
gave me that call like hey, get off the stage,
like this is what we're not about. And then I
literally put the phone down and I was like, I'm
already getting in trouble.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
This is great.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
So it just never stopped me because I knew I
was never doing anything right right.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So we used to joke all the time, Matt. You know,
we were in there all the time. We go in
and cover these guys, and we used to always talk
all the media guys, that kid has never had a
bad day in his life. And I think that obviously
you're exactly the same. Just how much fun and you
enjoyed it. You enjoyed everything about football, And it was
so obvious, like when did you sort of figure out
(13:54):
this is what you were going to do and that
you could dominate doing this well?
Speaker 4 (13:58):
When I was in high school. Actually, I actually just
went into the Buffalo Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Like tuation.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
I saw that Thank you Guys Caruccio, right yeah, with
Vick Caruco, which actually, all right, there you go. That's
the full socer moment right there, with that question that
you just asked, and then you just brought up Vic Carucci.
So in eighth grade, Vic Crucci has a daughter that's
my age, and all of our friends hung out, and uh,
she invited us over one day and I walked in
the and I walked in the front door, and there's
(14:23):
Vic Crucci was right there, staying right in front of me,
and I knew he was an NFL beat writer or
senior writer or whatever his title was. At that moment,
I looked him straight in the eye and I said, hey, Vic,
you're gonna be writing about me one day.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
I guarantee it.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
And I was in eighth grade and he's like, yeah, right, kid.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
And then but he got away from my daughter like
maybe yeah, he's like you're crazy, and I was like,
now you're gonna be writing about me. I guarantee it.
So it kind of started all the way back then. Man,
I've been manifesting that I was going to go pro
in the NFL for basically my whole entire life, even
though I didn't even start playing football until I was
in seventh grade. Actually, I broke my ankle my like
(15:01):
very first play in seventh grade and didn't even really
start in eighth grade then, So I was telling him
before I even had a football career, I was gonna
make it to the NFL, and he'll be writing writing
about me, so then you know we'll go back again
as well. Then then, like sophomore year in high school,
I really, you know, totally started understanding my size and
(15:22):
my abilities and where I was in life with my
athletic career. I loved playing all the other sports, but
that's when I really knew that football was going to
be my sport. When I was on the varsity team
and I was absolutely dominating games.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
And I was just a sophomore in high school.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
So then you know, you're in English class, you're another class,
and it's like, hey, write about what you want to
do in the future, and I just always wrote about, Hey,
this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna be playing
the NFL, this is how I'm gonna get there. No guarantee,
I'm no guarantees that I'm going to make it, but
I'm guaranteeing you that I'm going to make it. That's
(15:57):
basically what I wrote every single paper about was me
getting there. So I manifested the whole entire thing basically
since you know, since eighth grade, and you know, it's
been just a dream come true. So I really noticed
that I had the abilities when I was in high school.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
We were talking earlier and I was Brian Hore comes
here and does some stuff with us, and I was
asking him. He told me he had you want as
a guest the other day and I said, Brian, let
me ask you a question. Go back to the Pittsburgh
game his rookie year was Zach Gronks coming out party.
He goes, that's a pretty good one. I mean it
was Sunday night football, right, three touchdowns bounds, and I
mean I think people saw that, who covered the team
(16:35):
or who was around the team, watched the team, knew
that there was something. Did you feel like that night,
like I'm sort of putting the league on notice here.
You're not saying that I'm saying that, but watch out
you know.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
That's a good point.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
It definitely was my coming out party to everyone that
was a fan of the New England Patriots. But I
can tell you this the game before, which was my
worst game of my career with the New England Patriots,
that was my true coming out party. And I'll explain why.
That was the first game that I truly was in
the game plan every single play, and I was a
big part of the game plan, and I absolutely dominated
(17:10):
in the blocking scheme of that game. And I had
a lot of great plays as well. In the past game.
I think I had about six catches for about eighty yards.
It's just a rookie, I'm talking. This was a game
right before the Pittsburgh Steelers game. But here's the thing.
I had a fumble on our own two yard line.
I caught a little hook route five yards and then
(17:33):
I saw the end zone about four more yards ahead
of me. So I just tried, you know, barreling through
about four players, and let me tell you didn't work out.
And they hit the ball out of my hand and
I fumbled it.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
And then I also.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Had had a fumble I on the kickoff return.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
I was a wingman. I went to fair ketch it.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Sammy Morris was in the back and then he thought
I was gonna fair catch it, so then he let
it go.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
I let it go, and then it hit the.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Ground and the Cleveland Browns, you know, picked up that
fumble recovery right there on the kickoff return. So therefore
I was the reason for two turnovers. So when you're
the reason for two turnovers, must nothing else that you
did in that game mattered, no matter how good you played.
But let me tell you, besides those two turnovers, having
(18:22):
that fumble on our going into the end zone on
the two yard line and that fumble on the kickoff return,
I had one of my best games as a rookie,
but it was so overshadow. So that's why I truly
believe that was my breakout game. And also really I
learned a lot as well because of those situations and
because of those two plays, and therefore I had the
(18:43):
confidence actually going into the Pittsburgh game because I knew
I played so well. It's just that I had those
two mistakes and that I swear that's what led to
the three touchdowns because I knew I could go out
there and ball. Because of that Cleveland game, I just
had to clean it up a little bit.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Matt Cleveland game.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
You know what that was?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Game with name?
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
That was the Peyton Hillis game.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
Yeah, oh right, that was the Peyton Hillis games.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I mean yeah, I think was a rookie quarterback and
it was like the first time Tom also a rookie
quarterback and along absolutely so it was one of our
two losses that year. Actually, I think we ended up
fourteen and two. We lost to the Browns.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yep, that is exaccurate. I wanted to like getting back
to that rookie year. You come in, Billy Oh is there,
and you know, you and Aaron are both a huge part.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Away of the offense.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
There's two tight end stuff and eventually Billy Oh starts
that that really up temple. I think that was eleven, right,
twenty eleven, that up tempo, really high powered offense, fast
fast temple. What was it like to play in that
that scheme? It looked like you guys just couldn't be stopped.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, that scheme was called NASCAR NASCAR, and it actually
makes sense NASCAR because you're.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Going so I knew there was a name for it,
but I'm getting older.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
I know, Hey, hey, Hey, that happens to me all
the time. And actually I was talking to Julian Edelman
and he brought up NASCAR. And that's why I know
that the term name is NASCAR, because he just brought
it up to me a couple of days ago, So
now it's fresh in my mind.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
I would have been sitting here.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
Like, Ah, what's the what's the uh, what's the what's
the call?
Speaker 5 (20:10):
When you go really fast? And it's not the turbo
two minute drill?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
But it's not the two minute drill because we're ten
minutes into the second quarter. But it's NASCAR, And that
makes total sense why it's called NASCAR. And you had
all just one word terms to know where you lined up,
and you hurried up to the line of scrimmage and
you go. But what made it, you know, what made
it work is because all the players were on the
same page. And when you have a guy like Tom
Brady who's so efficient and so on top of it,
he can manage, you know, you can manage everyone on
(20:37):
the field to where they need to be in such
a short period of time.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
So then it's a vantage on.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
The offense side of the ball because the defense is
still trying to get lined up and wonder where everyone
is and who has who, who's covering who. So it
kind of, you know, dismantled the defense in the way
and then you take advantage of that and you just
hit the open guy really quick. But NASCAR could have
definitely not happened our rookie year, especially with the players
that we had myself, you know, Aaron as well, and
a couple other guys that were young. Because we're still
(21:05):
learning the ins and outs of the NFL. I was
still struggling with the playbook. And that's actually why I
truly didn't really play all the plays my rookie year.
Like the first eight games, I played like twenty plays
only because those are the only twenty plays that they
trusted in me that I knew, and all the other
ones I was, you know, I was kind of messing
up on. So if you don't have the trust of
(21:25):
your teammates and coaches, they're not going to play you
no matter how good you are. So the playbook was,
you know, a high difficulty scale. There's no doubt about that,
especially for myself. So going into our second year is
kind of when NASCAR got introduced, and that's when you
kind of understand the playbook a lot better, and then
you can handle the you know the terms, or just
(21:46):
one word means the whole entire play, because then you
understand the whole entire play already. Now you can handle
just a one word and you know what to do.
So when we put that in and implemented it, it
was such an advantage and we absolutely dominated teams because
of it.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You talk about trust, how did you earn Tom's trust?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Rob?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Is there what eight nine year difference between you guys?
He's smart enough to go, Holy smokes, this kid catch radius.
Look at what he can do. This guy's going to
be able to help me. But the way that you
earn the trust in your combination together, you're talking about
one of the best quarterback receiver combinations, whether you're you know,
(22:24):
tie or whatever in the history of the league. That
just doesn't happen by chance. What went into that relationship
where you became such a valued like he knew we
were going to be all the time, you knew the communication, whatever.
It was something special that people haven't really seen a
lot of.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
It was a really, really special connection might possibly be
one of the best connections of all time, possibly one
of the best quarterback tight end connections of all time,
and not just that just ball passer to ball receiver,
you know, just the aspect of the whole entire game,
not just one position quarterback to a wide receiver, but
(23:04):
just overall, just as a whole. It could have been
one of the best connections. It's up there. I believe
it's up there too. I mean, we've done some incredible things,
but we had actually you said eight to nine year
age difference, it's actually a twelve year age difference. I
was twenty one years old. He was thirty three years old.
I was still both supposed to be a senior in college.
He was just married kids. I mean, we had two
(23:26):
totally different lifestyles.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
Yea.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
The age gap, you know, was tremendous as well, so
you know, but the thing is is that we both
wanted to be great. Obviously, we all knew Tom wanted
to be great already, but as a rookie, I wanted.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
To be great as well.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
And what got us on the same page, what built
that chemistry, was the work that we put out on
the practice field. And it wasn't just a practice field either,
you know, during the practice time. It was after practice
as well, and I was just reminiscing with Brian Hoyer
actually about on his podcast the other day, is that
Brian Hoyer and Tom would say after practice my rookie season,
(24:01):
it would just be myself and I would be running
an Ectra fifteen to twenty different routes every single practice
after practice, just so I can get on the same
page as Tom and the quarterbacks because they saw greatness
in me. And when you see greatness in a player,
Tom wanted to exploit that greatness and bring it out
(24:22):
and so that player could be as great as they
possibly could be. And as a rookie, you know, sometimes
I didn't understand that. It's like I just want to
go home. I got to Oh wow, I gotta I
gotta go to this restaurant, me meet this girl, meet this.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
Friend, meet my brother, meet my family or whatever.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
So he's gotta be not busting your balls. But like, dude,
I know you're twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, you've
got greatenss in you. You better get your ass in
here tomorrow and get your head straight because I'm counting
on you and we're counting on you. Those words must've
like that. That's serious.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yes, definitely serious, and that's basically is what happened. You know,
it was setting those terms, not exactly like that, but
definitely in those terms. And you know, we built that
it through throughout time. It wasn't like hey, just one night,
you know all you know, Brady the Gronk, they're on fire.
That connection is unstoppable. It was built over a year.
You know, that trust was built over a year of
(25:15):
practice and hard work, and it really built going into
my second year. Yeah, we had some great times my
my rookie year, those at three touchdown game you know,
in the playoffs. I had a couple of catches as well,
the game that we lost actually versus the Jets, which stunk,
you know, which dunk. That was a bad exit my
rookie year out of the playoffs. But it happens. But
(25:36):
there was a couple other times I under my rookie
season too where you know, he just didn't trust me
yet either. I was on fire the week before, but
as a rookie, then the next week would show up
and I would be just totally dismantled and.
Speaker 5 (25:48):
Not doing what he wanted me to do.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
And then I didn't see yeah, the consistency, You're right,
it was not there. And then going in to my
second year, everything was clicking a lot better. You know,
you get a little break from the game of football
because you have the off season, you come back and
just everything was firing. I totally understood what he wanted
out of me. I totally understood what the coaches wanted
out of me, and I totally understood where I wanted
(26:10):
to go too, and I knew what I had to
do to get to that level I wanted to be
at and boom from there on out. Going into my
second season, all that hard work though that we did
my rookie year finally paid off and it all started clicking.
It made so much sense why we were running all
those extra routes, why he wanted me where he wanted
me out on the field, because that's where he wanted
(26:31):
to place the ball, away from the defender. All that
little detail and all that good stuff. So it took
a good solid year to have that chemistry. And then
from yere on out, you just you just you know,
just get smart. You just build upon it and build
upon it. But that chemistry will would always be there from.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
There on that so a pretty magical season though, that
that twenty eleven year. You guys, you know you obviously
make the run, you get all the way to the
super Bowl. You talked about the Earl Thomas hit. You
know that that hurt your back. You get a Bernard
Pollard hit in that AFC Championship game.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
How much did that?
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I mean, we all know you weren't yourself in the
super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
How much did that impact you? Yeah, that that actually
was rough.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
That that kind of sucked, to tell you the truth,
It actually gave a bad taste in my mouth for
what and for what a super Bowl experience should be.
Like everyone talks about all what was it like going
to Super Bowl? Well, it kind of blew because I
was dealing with basically a broken ankle, a very high
spraining ankle, which is probably isn't basically it basically is worse.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Than a break.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
A break you can't possibly play on. I don't think
you would have to get the surgery or fix it
right there in their sprain actually takes longer to heal,
but you can actually keep playing on it because you
really can't damage it more. But you're gonna have to
get a fix, Like right when you're done playing on it.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
But it was just such a tough situation.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
It was the first time I was hurt. I was young,
you know, just the stress of wanting to be out
there and not being able to be out there. Just
the preparation as well going into the game. I couldn't
practice at all. I mean I had like one little
workout and then I played in the game as well,
and knowing I wasn't going to play that many games,
and just distress as well on the outside as when
(28:13):
I was twenty two years old, and just all the
questions that were coming in about my ankle. I didn't
really know how to handle it, you know, with my friends,
with my family, tickets for the Super Bowl and everything.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
So it was not that great an experience because of.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
That ankle injury going into my first Super Bowl, it
made it tougher. But I can tell you this, I
learned a lot from it and I grew from it
as a player, and I believe it helped me out
going into the other Super Bowls because I knew how
to handle a Super Bowl situation.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Family, friends, yes, give me this party, give me the
hear or there, yes, and yes exactly.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
And I blew all that off.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
You know, you take care of the people that you
need to truly take care of that were there for
your whole entire life when you were growing up. And
then also, like I said, that stress with the ankle
injury as well, questions coming from your family, your friends,
are you going to play? Coming from just fans stepping
out of the house and going somewhere. It was and
you just didn't know, you know, and you didn't want
to give an answer either because if you gave them
(29:11):
an answer, they could go run to the press with
it and you'd be.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
Like, oh, what the heck?
Speaker 4 (29:15):
And then you know, everything was tight left here in
the New England Patriots organization at that time especially, so
that was putting a lot of stresses on you as just.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
A twenty two year old kid.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
So just going into the other Super Bowls, knew how
to handle the demands being injuried, so not dealing with
that it just made those experiences just that much better
than was.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
That the best team that you played on?
Speaker 5 (29:37):
Rob? Here?
Speaker 3 (29:38):
With that that fourteen team that beats Seattle.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
In my career here here here in New England, was
that the best?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
I think he might think it was.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
That's why I qualified that.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
Was that was a very special team game at the
heck of a game.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
It was one of the best Super Bowls Haymaker all.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Times, no doubt about that. People are like, what was
your favorite super Bowl? Not I always say the first one,
But it wasn't because it was just the first one,
because the first one is always the sweetest. But it
was also because it was one of the best games
in Super Bowl history. Seattle was up, we came back,
they went back up, We took the lead, and you go,
they go back down with you know, final final minute
(30:21):
on the clock, and then Malcolm Butler has that game
ceiling interception and then we're kneeling the ball and I'm
throwing Haymakers out there versus Michael Bennett, you.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
Know, just kneeling the ball. There's a huge brawl in
the end zone.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
So there was just so much too, and it's just
such a great, you know, perspective to fans too for
a game to watch, of what it's all about to play,
you know, you know, to play the game of football.
Just that game brought everything to the table. And what
was great it was such a team win. Julian had
a touchdown, Brandon LaFell had a touchdown, Amandola had a touchdown,
I had a touchdown, and Shane Veren went for about
(30:55):
eleven catches right around there for like I don't know,
one hundred something yards I think, but he had a
big impact even though he didn't score a touchdown too.
So just an incredible game overall. It was by far,
you know, my favorite super Bowl. But was that the
best team? No, you want to believe what the best
team was? That I truly believe was the best.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
One was the year after fifteen.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, twenty fifteen we went undefeated, we went ten to zero,
and then we lost a couple of games.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I mean, this is a year that really frustrates me
a little bit as a as a fanboy because there
were so many games. I thought that there was some
questionable things down the stretch. I'm not gonna put you
on that spot. You know the way you treated the
Miami game at the end with all the runs with
Steven Jackson, you know, kicking off in overtime against the Jets.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
All they needed was one win.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
In that AFC Championship game against Denver, was here instead
of in Denver.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
I do remember that, and going into that Miami game,
we said we're going to run the ball every single play,
I think until we get like five first downs in
a row or like a touchdown or something.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
And we just kept.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
Running the ball and running the ball, and we were
going nowhere with it. It was like third and ten,
run the ball, one more yard, punting on fourth and nine.
But I do remember that game and we lost like
three in a row. We started off unbelievably hot.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
I mean ten and no.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Everyone was on fire. I got hurt actually with a
knee in that Denver game.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
Of that game, you went down bad.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
I did, man, But that was just a bone bruise.
But let me tell you, the bone bruise hurt more
than actually blowing out your ACL and mcl I was like,
I was on the field screaming. I was like, my
career is done done with again. But good thing was
just a bone bruce. But also that game, I was
in the locker room. Right after we won that game,
they called a holding penalty. I'm Patrick Chung in the
(32:46):
end zone. Brock Osweiler was their quarterback and he threw
a pass to the end zone. Let me tell you
I was watching it from the locker room. It was
not a holding penalty, and that call right there, I
think it was fourth and ten or something, and it
gave him the first down, and it gave him the
first down right on their own one yard line to
(33:06):
go and score on the next play. But the game
was over if that holding penalty was never called. And
I'm telling you to this team, go bring up that play.
Patrick Chung did not hold, and I remember that play
clear as day. So we would have been eleven and zero,
still hot. And then we lost to philadelphiacause you know,
once you lose one game, you trick it trickles down,
you lose another.
Speaker 5 (33:27):
And we lost to Philly that year, who was terrible
as well.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
I was out that game, and then we lost a
couple otters at the end four advantage, yeah, four of
the last six.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Yeah, And so I want to get to so yeah,
that fifteen AFC Championship game, to me is one of
the most ridiculous performances by you and Tom, you know,
just because of how good that defense was, and especially
that day. You know, von Miller was the best defensive
player on the planet that day. He dominated up front.
(33:56):
But you guys just keep hanging around and hanging around.
It's fourth and ten and you guys, you know connect.
Tom just says, go down the scene and make a play.
Do you remember this catch that I'm talking about, because
for me, I know you made some circus catches that
were incredible, But to me, I think it was TJ.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Ward hanging on you who you had a little history
with as well.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Just take me through that play.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
That catch was amazing. I remember, like Chris, that was awesome.
It wasn't awesome, it was amazing.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
It was fourth and ten and our season was on
the line after that play to the exact t and
from what I recall, actually what was calling the huddle
was a screen pass to the left and Brady switched
to play right away and he called all goes and
I was like, yeah, that's right, all goes. I'm ready
(34:44):
to go, baby, I'm on fire right now. I'm not
ending the season like this. We're gonna get this first
down and I'm just gonna take off.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
And when I'm taking off, Brady can read that.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
You know, this guy's got a mind of his own,
Like he can tell if a player is rolling down
the field or now he knows when the player is
going full speed, and.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
That's who he always goes to.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Like he can read the decisiveness of a wide receiver
or a tight end or a running back to the
te and that's how he always knew what guy to
go to. And he always knew who was on fire
at the moment and who wasn't. And he could tell
in my eyes.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
Right when we broke that huddle, I was like, oh,
you better just toss his ball up. I was like,
I don't care who's in.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
Front of me, And right when that thing was hike boom,
I just took off and they had that safety he
was all pro.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
Actually I was double coverage.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
I had a linebacker right to my actually a safety
to my left, and the other seat right to my right,
and I just split him and went right through him,
right down the middle, right up to see him, and
Brady just launched that ball up.
Speaker 5 (35:38):
I was like, Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
I'm gonna go grab this thing and we're going to
continue this drive and our season is not ending right now.
And I just went up there. Brady put the ball
right on the money. I just put my hands out,
brought it in, got hit right both ways on my
right in my left right at the same time and
brought it in.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Man, And let me tell you, I was out of breath.
I was like, whoa. I knew our season wasn't gonna end, but.
Speaker 6 (36:01):
I was like, oh, help me up because I can't
breathe right now.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
And then I kind of took off, like the next
three plays, like I kind of.
Speaker 5 (36:08):
Just chipped the the touchdown. Well, I was, I was
in on the plays, but I kind of took off.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
I just kind of lacks of days ago through it,
you know, just because I was so winded from that
play and being up you know, at the mile high.
And also I was sick for that game. I swear
I had food poisoning, man, I was. I was basically
throwing up on the sideline. It was brutal, but hey,
I always come through in the clutch, and when this
seasons on the line, you always throw that ball up
to Robbie g baby. And then I had that two
(36:34):
point conversion as well, that that I was double coverage,
double covered on and I kind of jumped over the
guys and had, you know, control my body to go
and make the catch, and Tom just threw it up
there again. It was fourth and two and actually, no,
it was a two point conversion. No, it was a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
It was a touchdown. It was a touchdown, it was
fourth down, it was fourth and goal.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Yeah, I wasn't going to bring out two point conversion
because they didn't throw it.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
Now, we're not talking about the two point conversion. I
was open though.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
A couple other games rob Uh fourteen, the Jonas Gray game.
Oh you, I mean you had an unbelievable touchdown where
it seems like you literally ran to every member of
the Colts. But we're talking about the play where you
threw Sergio. You you threw Sergio out of the club.
That's what everybody remembers about that game.
Speaker 5 (37:19):
Yes they do.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
I mean that's a real tight end.
Speaker 6 (37:22):
Like, yeah, that's a real time I don't disrespect.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
To some of these other guys were pass catchers, but
you're a blocking guy too.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
I am the dark and you're gonna.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Block your ass off, and you blocked your ass off
on that.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Play, that's for sure. I had a lot of a
pride in my blocking.
Speaker 5 (37:35):
Man.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
I love blocking. I truly believe that. You know, it
helped me, you know, in the passing game as well.
It helped me get open in the play action and
it just you know, I truly I just always felt
and believed in as a tight end just when I
when I started playing the position that you had to
do both. Man, that's what it's all about, you know,
doing the dirty work and then also going out there
and making plays as well in the passing game.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
But I'm that play.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
I mean Sergio Brown came in with me here with
the New England Pages. He was a free agent that
year out of Notre Dame and he was a great player.
He was a safety here. He was he was a
great special teamer and then he went over to the
Colts and you know, he did great things for us
while he was here with the Pages. But that game, man,
he just went and stopped talking. Man, he just won't stop,
(38:18):
you know, you know, trying to get under my skin.
And let me tell you, he eventually got under my skin.
And when you get under my skin talking garbage, you
know it's not going to be good for you on
that defensive side of the ball. And that's what happened. Finally,
I just ticked it. I was like a ticking time bomb.
Speaker 5 (38:33):
The whole game. He just kept going off and off,
talking garbage.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
And then finally he just bo he hit it, he
hit that switch, and then I saw I noticed that play, like,
all right, one on one right here, I'm just gonna drive.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
I'm gonna drive your butt all the.
Speaker 4 (38:47):
Way until I can't drive you anymore, until you get planted,
you know, into the ground.
Speaker 5 (38:51):
And that's basically what happened. Man.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
That's why after the game, I was sitting there with
Chris Collinsworth. I was like, hey, Chris conwer, he was
just yapping too much. I had to throw him out
of the club.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
So a lot of great catches. You know, there was
another one in a Denver game at home. Is there
a catch, one particular catch that stands out among the
rest of them?
Speaker 3 (39:10):
Four It was in fourteen as well. Here against Denver.
Tom throws that up and he goes, how did you
catch that ball?
Speaker 6 (39:17):
You know, I kind of made Tom's career if you
really think about it.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
Same with Julian, same with Moss.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
I mean Tom should be you know, thanking us by
selling us a gift every every single year, like a
four wheeler for Christmas, would be my appreciate it for
all all those you know. I know I'm just messing around,
but Uh, you know, I want to be here without
Tom and uh, but yeah, I would say. One of
my favorite catches was versus Buffalo Bills. And and to
(39:47):
tell your truth, to catch happened because Tom put the ball.
He placed the ball where only I could go and
make the play because I was kind of covered.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
I was. I was going versus the all Pro safety
man names.
Speaker 4 (39:57):
Man, we're out of the league for a little bit.
You gotta look back and you can't get the names
right in the spy. I mean, that's not good. But
there's so many memories and so many players that's hard.
But I was going versus all pro safety. I was
spread out wide one on one. It was right here
in Jillette Stadium, this corner right there, the opposite corner,
left side of the lighthouse, yep. And he threw it
(40:18):
up there and I was on the two yard line.
I just reached back like that. It was a one
hander versus my hometown Buffalo Bills, and vaguely remember just
brought it in, didn't even use my second hand, brought
it toe tapped into the end zone and then fell.
Speaker 5 (40:34):
So it was a one handed grab. Baby. It was
a beauty. It was one of my favorite catches.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
We're gonna wrap this up here in a second, but
I got to ask you this one. You talked about
super Bowl fourteen. How much it mentioned everything like that?
The Kansas City game. It wasn't a super Bowl. It
got you to the super Bowl. That was your last year.
How great was that? Kind of like the last call?
But for Rob Gronkowski's part. You know in that Kansas
(41:01):
City game in the cold, you know that that team's
on the come, here they come, and everything like that.
That was a game. I don't want to put words
in your mouth. How great was that game?
Speaker 4 (41:11):
That was one of the greatest AC Championship games you
could ever imagine or ever be out. It was probably
the greatest AFC Championship game, which was wild. I was
actually hanging over with I was hanging out with my
nephews about four weeks ago, and they're starting to get
to the age where they understand things now. They understand,
you know that I played in the NFL, that I'm
on you Tube and everything, And I was just sitting
(41:32):
there in my little nephew. He goes and puts YouTube
body and he types in my name and he puts
the last five minutes on of the AFC Championship game
in twenty eighteen. It was Correct VERSU the Kansas City Chiefs,
and we watched the last four minutes of the game.
Speaker 5 (41:49):
And that was the first time I've actually seen the game.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
And let me tell you, I was getting goosebumps again. Man,
I was getting excited. I couldn't believe what was going
on in that game. How many touchdowns were scored in
the final four minutes. We went down, we went down,
we scored, They came back, they scored. We went back
down and scored a touchdown to take the lead. And
then with thirty seconds left, Patrick Mahomes did Patrick Mahomes
saying he threw a big deep pass, got him in
(42:14):
field goal position and they kicked a field goal with
the final seconds left and regulation to put us into overtime.
It was one of the most exciting four minutes I've
ever watched. And I played in the game and I
knew what was going to happen, and it was still
that exciting. And what made it so great was that
we had so many third and tens and fourth and tents.
We weren't moving the ball on those final drives. On
(42:36):
the first down or second time, but we completed the
third down every.
Speaker 5 (42:41):
Single time and Julian Edelman ball out.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
It was Julian Edelman over the middle third intent, Julianato
over the middle third and ten that I'm spreading out
why fourth and tent slant for a first down and
then the fade for a first down and then rex
Burg had runs in the for the overtime touchdown as well.
So it was just one of the best four minutes
of football that you could ever watch.
Speaker 5 (43:04):
Was that asc Championship game.
Speaker 4 (43:06):
Man, what an incredible, you know moment, and to win
on the road for the first time to get to
the Super Bowl just made the Patriots dynasty that much greater.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
Man, appreciate you coming in. Thank you so much. Happy
Thanksgiving to you and your family. You'll be here at
some point time, sooner rather than later to get a
red jacket. You're gonna get a gold jacket and Canton
whenever your time comes for there. It was a pleasure
to watch your career and see how great you were
and how you made this team great. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
Tremendous, Yes, I appreciate that, guys. Thank you guys for
having me. This is this is really cool, man to
be here, and just to be back in the building
and see some of the guys. Man, it's bringing back
so many great memories, man, and it's juicing me back up.
Speaker 5 (43:48):
And I like it. Man, this is really cool.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
So thank you guys for inviting me in and go
check out the at the Patriots Hall of Fame. If
you can Gronk spike harder than Gronk can spike because
the velocity was tested and there's a machine that gives
you the you know, the the wavelengths of how hard
you can spike, and if you can compare it, you know,
you can compare.
Speaker 5 (44:08):
It to my velocity and how hard I can spike.
So go check it out. And just great to be back. Man,
this is the pleasure. So you guys are the best.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
Good plucks.
Speaker 5 (44:17):
Thanks Robins, no problem.
Speaker 7 (44:19):
Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple, google Play,
and everywhere else you listen. Like the show, please rate
and review us. Listener comments and ratings help keep us
high in the podcast so new listeners can find us.
Be sure to check Patriots dot com for more news
and more podcasts.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
Patriots Postgame Show join Matt Smith along with Patriots dot
com Paul Parrillo and Mike dessou As. They offer instant
analysis after every Patriots game. We bring you the good,
the bad, and the injured from each game. Plus you'll
hear press conferences, exclusive player interviews, and more on the
Patriots Postgame Show. Search for Patriots Postgame anywhere you get
(45:02):
your podcasts
Patriots Unfiltered, the world's original podcast, Patriots Unfiltered brings you
inside Jillette Stadium for rousing conversations on everything New England, Patriots,
and NFL. Join host Fred Kersh alongside Patriots dot COM's
Paul Parillo, Mike Desso, Evan Lazar Tamara, Brown, and Alex
Francisco as they bring you in depth coverage of the team.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
He's a red shirt rookie at that point, so it's
really that's his rookie season essentially too.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So now we're really not talking about them, really knowing.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Search for Patriots Unfiltered anywhere you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It's another edition of Patch from the past, and we're
pleased to be joined by the best tight end in
franchise history. Paul, is it the best tight end in
NFL history?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
We're gonna get to that land.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I'm gonna get that out of here here, Paul Parolo. Here,
he's number eighty seven on your scorecard, but number one
in everybody's hearts.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Rob Gronkowski, what an introduction, guys. I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Love, uh, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
I play one organization of all times as well. So
it was a great matchup to have the number one
tight end pointing for the number one organization.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
Baby, that's what's up.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I tell you what. Nobody's seen much of you, Like
are you in hiding or anything like that. Nobody's seen
you at all, Like are you a monk? Or are
you like any commercials?
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Or are you having fun to Actually I am in
hiding this week. It's Thanksgiving week. It's a holiday, so
I have off, you know, for about six days. And
you guys actually got me out of hibernation to come here.
But that's okay because it was about three minutes you know,
from the house, you know, So when it's that close
and it's that easy, you know, I can always come
out of the ground and come and say what's up.
(02:09):
And you guys, you know, have been great.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
And you know, my.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Career started here without without being drafted here, you know,
to this organization here in this building. You know, I
wouldn't be on these commercials that you guys see me
on all the time. So appreciate you guys having me
here today.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Do you like chopping it up with the fox guys?
Are you having fun doing that?
Speaker 5 (02:26):
I'm having a lot of fun doing that.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
I'm having a lot of fun doing everything that I'm.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Doing, especially the commercials. I know that's what you guys
are talking about.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Well, but Devin Fox, I mean Sam Sheppard is your
new bestie.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Yes, And it's just it's unbelievable over there. And these
guys are such pros. It's kind of like me entering
the room with like when I was a rookie, Like
how I entered the room, you know, with Vince Wolfour,
Tom Brady, all those guys, you know, as a rookie.
It's like when I enter the room at the Fox Room,
you know, and I got Michael Strahan, I got Jimmy Johnson,
(02:57):
I got Terry Bradshaw, Kurt Menafee, Howie Long. Like it's
kind of like a similar situation. I'm a rookie, but
like these guys have been on TV now for twenty
five thirty years plus. Michael Strahan's the youngest one out
of the whole group, and he's been I think around
fifteen years on the show. And then there I am
as a first year, second year, third year guy now
(03:17):
and I was just looking up to him every single day.
Like they're so on point. They're incredible with their knowledge,
you know, they know when to spit out facts and
when the joke around. So just learning from them and
just going under their wing man, it was something special
and it still is specially and it's so much fun
just working with them every Sunday that I'm on.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
Yeah, good place to start.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You talked about being drafted here, You talked about being
a rookie in TV. What was it like go back
to Arizona and you're coming out. Did you know the
Patriots were heavily interested in?
Speaker 5 (03:48):
What was that process? Like? All right, man, let's go
back to this process.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I like that, And yes, I knew the Patriots were
definitely heavily interested, that's for sure. But I had one
of the worst draft visits of all time. And coach
Balichuck talked about that before. I mean, Nancy, is she
still here as well? Oh yeah, she still talks about
it that I fell asleep right on her desk right
before I was going to go meet.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
All the coaches.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
But to be fair, that was like my seventeenth trip
in like fifteen days, and I was super tired, and
you know, I had to get a nap.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
In real quick.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
So I was sharp and on point, which that's what happened.
But Actually that's not what happened, because I really wasn't
that sharp and on point, and then everything else was
just chaos that trip. So I actually walked out of
this building after that rookie you know that kind of
like a job interview. It was before you get drafted.
You go and see all the teams and talk to them.
I kind of walked out of the building like this
team is either gonna love me and they're gonna take me,
(04:40):
or they just think I'm a complete fool and they
already crossed me off their board. But I was in
the back of my mind, I was like, I have
a feeling that they loved me. But so back to
you know, going Arizona and draft night and all that.
So I wanted to go to the Arizona Cardinals. Actually
they were the number twenty six pick because the reason
(05:00):
was I loved my time at the University of Arizona.
You know, I was in Tucson, I was a wildcat.
They were the Arizona Cardinos were an hour half away
in the Scottsdale Phoenix area, and just to stay as
a whole lot.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Loved being there, loved that area as well.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
So I wanted to go there just because I knew
how familiar I was with and how much I loved
I love being there.
Speaker 6 (05:22):
And then in the back of my mind, I thought
it would be kind.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Of cool if the Bills drafted me because it was
my hometown team. But at the same time, I kind
of didn't want to go to the Buffalo just because
they weren't pressure. Yeah the pressure they stunk, Yeah they stunk.
At the time, just saw that I felt like just
best for my career to just not go back home,
even though it would be a dream to go play there,
like when you were growing up, that was the dream.
(05:46):
And then the other team was the Baltimore Ravens. You know,
they show high interest in me throughout the whole process.
I had plenty of interviews with them. You know, I
truly believed that they were going to take me, and
they were about to take me.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
You do, you know, like you were having fun in
New York and we'll get to that in a second.
You know, it was a scrambled drill of epic proportions
here for the Patriots to get your card in. Like
Bill's looking around, going what's going? John Robinson is running
around the room. Nick's running around the room, the clock's
ticking down, they were sweating that out. Do you know
that it was sort of chaotic by their standards here?
(06:25):
Did you know that that was going on?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Actually, that's something new that I've just learned. Man, I
didn't know how chaotic it was trying to get that in,
but I know they's that's that's pretty pretty wild to
hear that that side of it, because actually thinking about it,
because at the last second, because the Baltimore Ravens were
on the clock with the forty second pick, and that's like,
like I said, they were showing high interest. I thought
(06:48):
for sure I was going to the Baltimore Ravens and
the clock is, you know, counting down, and there's like
thirty seconds left, and usually if a trade happens, it's
usually end by now, and then all of a sudden,
there's like ten seconds left on the clock. Would have
then boom, the New England Patriots trade up, you know,
with the no to the forty second pick, because the
Baltimore Ravens had the forty third pick.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
That's how it was going down.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
They traded up with the I think the Oakland Raiders
at that time. So the Raiders traded down. The Patriots
got the forty second pick and took me, And I
thought the whole time like, all right, I got Baltimore
coming up. I'm pretty sure that's where I'm gonna go.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
But now that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
They were scrambling and that's why I went down there
last seconds, because they were trying to get it in, yeah,
and get that you know trade in, which they did.
And I'm very very thankful they got that trade in.
So whoever, whoever's you know, duties that was, and whoever
accomplished to get that and whoever hustle.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Who was it?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
It was all of them. It was Bill John Robinson Nick.
I mean, Jimmy D's in New York, I think at
the time. So they're yelling at Jimmy to get the car,
didn't you know.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
Oh, I just want to thank you, Jimmy D for
getting that cart in on time.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Man. The rest is history from there.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Did you think you were risk? Other people thought you
were a risk. Were you confident that that everything was
going to be all right? Like by all accounts, you
never should have lasted until the second round, but people
were worried about your back.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah, Yeah, that's that's one hundred percent true. I mean
my back was a little damage coming out of out
of college, that's for sure. I mean I had some
serious back problems. I mean they were serious, but they're
kind of minor at the same time. Actually, but all
back problems are serious when you got pain shooting down
your legs and you can't really move that much. But
it was just a minor procedure where they take the
hernie disc. They just chop it off a little bit
(08:27):
and get it off your spinal cord. And a good
thing was I'm young, so you heal quickly as well.
And no, there's there's more major back surgeries when you
fuse to when.
Speaker 6 (08:38):
You fuse litally buying together and all that.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
So I've had three marcro dissectomies and I've been good
since I had my last one. Actually, that was my
last surgery, which was here sixteen, right, yeah, I think No,
I think it was two thousand and eight eight. No,
twenty sixteen.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
You're right, missed the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
That's why I.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Missed the Super Bowl Verus Atlanta Falcons. But I also
absolutely got level going up to see Earl Thomas, one
of the hardest hitting safeties in the game, and I
was looking at the ball and Boomy hit me going
full speed and popped my disc out. I mean, it
was a football injury. You can't do nothing about it.
I actually made a nice play after that and caught
the ball to the two yard line on the fade,
even though my back was blowing out and I was
(09:16):
I was spitting blood out because I also punctured my
lung on that hit as well.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
But hey, that's football, and you got to be a
tough sob.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
And that's what gets you, you know, the wins and
gets you fire if if you can take the pain.
And I sure was, but we're going back as I
risked kind of, but in my mind I wasn't because
I knew my mindset. I knew I was going to
overcome the injury you know, that I had in college.
I knew I wanted to be a professional football player
as well, so I wasn't going to let anything get
(09:44):
in my way. So when I was asked that question
in the job interviews and everything, I strongly, with confidence
told them, hey, I'm not worried about my back. I
want to be a tight end in the National Football League.
I want to be one of the best tight ends
as well in the National Football League, and I'm going
to do whatever it takes, you know, for my back
to be solidified to where I needed to be throughout
(10:06):
my whole career.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Yeah, there's going to be ups and downs with the.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Back, you know, but I always knew that if I
stayed on top of it as well with the rehab,
you know, doing the core exercises, doing the right back exercises,
that you know, my career will you know, be a
decently long career. So I made sure, you know, to
some of the teams that I wanted to go to, hey,
I'm ready to play. My back is not a problem.
(10:29):
But the reason why it was kind of a problems.
They were saying I had scoliosis and I didn't even
know what scoliosis was because you get the m RI
at the combine, so all the team doctors can.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
Check out your back. So whatever I have, I mean,
I beat it. So screw you.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So you tell the story about the draft visit when
you fell asleep, you also have a story about.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Right after you got drafted.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Didn't take you long to sort of get called into
the principal's office.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Right, No, it didn't. I mean, I I've always. You know,
it was a maniac, especially when I was a young
buck and I like to have a good time.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
That's for sure.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
What a moment that.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I'm telling you, it was one of the best moments
my life, guys. And what's what's great about it is
I was I was pissed I didn't.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Go in the first round. You know. My Mom's like,
I never really seen you pissed before, and.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Like my brother made a comment like that I didn't
go in the first round.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
I was like, shut up.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
You know, I was just pissed, like and and I
should have never even said shut up. I was just
over exaggerating. You know, when you're mad that everything's gonna
make you like you're is gonna make you mad, you
know you're gonna be pissed off, and right rightfully so
because I thought I was a first.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Rounder, you know, I in my mind, I wanted to
be a round. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
But in the end, let me tell you it truly
doesn't matter where you're drafted. It matters what you do
after you're drafted, and once you get the shot, you know,
it's all about what you do with with the opportunity
that you get.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
There's no doubt about it.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
So the second day comes and once I get drafted
by the New Eland Patriots, Like, let me tell you,
that was the best moment and best feeling of my
life right there and then. And I absolutely gave no cares,
no shizzle that I didn't go in the first round.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
My dream was accomplished and that's all it mattered.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
And I never thought about being mad ever again in
my life that I didn't go in the first round.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
But didn't get under your skin when Bears called and said, hey,
cut it out.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
Actually he didn't really get under my skin. We kind
of played it up and we were laughing at it
because I was always a trouble maker growing up, so
it was always funny when I got in trouble. It
eventually became like Rob's in trouble again, you know, because
it was always for something that was silly, right, Like
I never was getting in like serious trouble. Like I
was a guy that just took it to the edge
and then I would stop, like right before I would
(12:48):
fall over the cliff, I would catch myself and then
I would you know, wind back down and it would
drive people crazy, and it kind of like was that situation,
you know, I was up on stage putting the helmet on,
going one on one versus my brother because he was
in the NFL at the time. He put the Detroit
Lions helmet on. We were jumping up down who which
(13:09):
we love to do. I mean that's how we partied.
We always were jumping up and down, acting like maniac.
So we brought the party to the stage and Bears
gave me that call like hey, get off the stage,
like this is what we're not about. And then I
literally put the phone down and I was like, I'm
already getting in trouble.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
This is great.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
So it just never stopped me because I knew I
was never doing anything right right.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So we used to joke all the time, Matt. You know,
we were in there all the time. We go in
and cover these guys, and we used to always talk
all the media guys, that kid has never had a
bad day in his life. And I think that obviously
you're exactly the same. Just how much fun and you
enjoyed it. You enjoyed everything about football, And it was
so obvious, like when did you sort of figure out
(13:54):
this is what you were going to do and that
you could dominate doing this well?
Speaker 4 (13:58):
When I was in high school. Actually, I actually just
went into the Buffalo Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Like tuation.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
I saw that Thank you Guys Caruccio, right yeah, with
Vick Caruco, which actually, all right, there you go. That's
the full socer moment right there, with that question that
you just asked, and then you just brought up Vic Carucci.
So in eighth grade, Vic Crucci has a daughter that's
my age, and all of our friends hung out, and uh,
she invited us over one day and I walked in
the and I walked in the front door, and there's
(14:23):
Vic Crucci was right there, staying right in front of me,
and I knew he was an NFL beat writer or
senior writer or whatever his title was. At that moment,
I looked him straight in the eye and I said, hey, Vic,
you're gonna be writing about me one day.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
I guarantee it.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
And I was in eighth grade and he's like, yeah, right, kid.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
And then but he got away from my daughter like
maybe yeah, he's like you're crazy, and I was like,
now you're gonna be writing about me. I guarantee it.
So it kind of started all the way back then. Man,
I've been manifesting that I was going to go pro
in the NFL for basically my whole entire life, even
though I didn't even start playing football until I was
in seventh grade. Actually, I broke my ankle my like
(15:01):
very first play in seventh grade and didn't even really
start in eighth grade then, So I was telling him
before I even had a football career, I was gonna
make it to the NFL, and he'll be writing writing
about me, so then you know we'll go back again
as well. Then then, like sophomore year in high school,
I really, you know, totally started understanding my size and
(15:22):
my abilities and where I was in life with my
athletic career. I loved playing all the other sports, but
that's when I really knew that football was going to
be my sport. When I was on the varsity team
and I was absolutely dominating games.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
And I was just a sophomore in high school.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
So then you know, you're in English class, you're another class,
and it's like, hey, write about what you want to
do in the future, and I just always wrote about, Hey,
this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna be playing
the NFL, this is how I'm gonna get there. No guarantee,
I'm no guarantees that I'm going to make it, but
I'm guaranteeing you that I'm going to make it. That's
(15:57):
basically what I wrote every single paper about was me
getting there. So I manifested the whole entire thing basically
since you know, since eighth grade, and you know, it's
been just a dream come true. So I really noticed
that I had the abilities when I was in high school.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
We were talking earlier and I was Brian Hore comes
here and does some stuff with us, and I was
asking him. He told me he had you want as
a guest the other day and I said, Brian, let
me ask you a question. Go back to the Pittsburgh
game his rookie year was Zach Gronks coming out party.
He goes, that's a pretty good one. I mean it
was Sunday night football, right, three touchdowns bounds, and I
mean I think people saw that, who covered the team
(16:35):
or who was around the team, watched the team, knew
that there was something. Did you feel like that night,
like I'm sort of putting the league on notice here.
You're not saying that I'm saying that, but watch out
you know.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
That's a good point.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
It definitely was my coming out party to everyone that
was a fan of the New England Patriots. But I
can tell you this the game before, which was my
worst game of my career with the New England Patriots,
that was my true coming out party. And I'll explain why.
That was the first game that I truly was in
the game plan every single play, and I was a
big part of the game plan, and I absolutely dominated
(17:10):
in the blocking scheme of that game. And I had
a lot of great plays as well. In the past game.
I think I had about six catches for about eighty yards.
It's just a rookie, I'm talking. This was a game
right before the Pittsburgh Steelers game. But here's the thing.
I had a fumble on our own two yard line.
I caught a little hook route five yards and then
(17:33):
I saw the end zone about four more yards ahead
of me. So I just tried, you know, barreling through
about four players, and let me tell you didn't work out.
And they hit the ball out of my hand and
I fumbled it.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
And then I also.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Had had a fumble I on the kickoff return.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
I was a wingman. I went to fair ketch it.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Sammy Morris was in the back and then he thought
I was gonna fair catch it, so then he let
it go.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
I let it go, and then it hit the.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Ground and the Cleveland Browns, you know, picked up that
fumble recovery right there on the kickoff return. So therefore
I was the reason for two turnovers. So when you're
the reason for two turnovers, must nothing else that you
did in that game mattered, no matter how good you played.
But let me tell you, besides those two turnovers, having
(18:22):
that fumble on our going into the end zone on
the two yard line and that fumble on the kickoff return,
I had one of my best games as a rookie,
but it was so overshadow. So that's why I truly
believe that was my breakout game. And also really I
learned a lot as well because of those situations and
because of those two plays, and therefore I had the
(18:43):
confidence actually going into the Pittsburgh game because I knew
I played so well. It's just that I had those
two mistakes and that I swear that's what led to
the three touchdowns because I knew I could go out
there and ball. Because of that Cleveland game, I just
had to clean it up a little bit.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Matt Cleveland game.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
You know what that was?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Game with name?
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
That was the Peyton Hillis game.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
Yeah, oh right, that was the Peyton Hillis games.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I mean yeah, I think was a rookie quarterback and
it was like the first time Tom also a rookie
quarterback and along absolutely so it was one of our
two losses that year. Actually, I think we ended up
fourteen and two. We lost to the Browns.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yep, that is exaccurate. I wanted to like getting back
to that rookie year. You come in, Billy Oh is there,
and you know, you and Aaron are both a huge part.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Away of the offense.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
There's two tight end stuff and eventually Billy Oh starts
that that really up temple. I think that was eleven, right,
twenty eleven, that up tempo, really high powered offense, fast
fast temple. What was it like to play in that
that scheme? It looked like you guys just couldn't be stopped.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, that scheme was called NASCAR NASCAR, and it actually
makes sense NASCAR because you're.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Going so I knew there was a name for it,
but I'm getting older.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
I know, Hey, hey, Hey, that happens to me all
the time. And actually I was talking to Julian Edelman
and he brought up NASCAR. And that's why I know
that the term name is NASCAR, because he just brought
it up to me a couple of days ago, So
now it's fresh in my mind.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
I would have been sitting here.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
Like, Ah, what's the what's the uh, what's the what's
the call?
Speaker 5 (20:10):
When you go really fast? And it's not the turbo
two minute drill?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
But it's not the two minute drill because we're ten
minutes into the second quarter. But it's NASCAR, And that
makes total sense why it's called NASCAR. And you had
all just one word terms to know where you lined up,
and you hurried up to the line of scrimmage and
you go. But what made it, you know, what made
it work is because all the players were on the
same page. And when you have a guy like Tom
Brady who's so efficient and so on top of it,
he can manage, you know, you can manage everyone on
(20:37):
the field to where they need to be in such
a short period of time.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
So then it's a vantage on.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
The offense side of the ball because the defense is
still trying to get lined up and wonder where everyone
is and who has who, who's covering who. So it
kind of, you know, dismantled the defense in the way
and then you take advantage of that and you just
hit the open guy really quick. But NASCAR could have
definitely not happened our rookie year, especially with the players
that we had myself, you know, Aaron as well, and
a couple other guys that were young. Because we're still
(21:05):
learning the ins and outs of the NFL. I was
still struggling with the playbook. And that's actually why I
truly didn't really play all the plays my rookie year.
Like the first eight games, I played like twenty plays
only because those are the only twenty plays that they
trusted in me that I knew, and all the other
ones I was, you know, I was kind of messing
up on. So if you don't have the trust of
(21:25):
your teammates and coaches, they're not going to play you
no matter how good you are. So the playbook was,
you know, a high difficulty scale. There's no doubt about that,
especially for myself. So going into our second year is
kind of when NASCAR got introduced, and that's when you
kind of understand the playbook a lot better, and then
you can handle the you know the terms, or just
(21:46):
one word means the whole entire play, because then you
understand the whole entire play already. Now you can handle
just a one word and you know what to do.
So when we put that in and implemented it, it
was such an advantage and we absolutely dominated teams because
of it.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You talk about trust, how did you earn Tom's trust?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Rob?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Is there what eight nine year difference between you guys?
He's smart enough to go, Holy smokes, this kid catch radius.
Look at what he can do. This guy's going to
be able to help me. But the way that you
earn the trust in your combination together, you're talking about
one of the best quarterback receiver combinations, whether you're you know,
(22:24):
tie or whatever in the history of the league. That
just doesn't happen by chance. What went into that relationship
where you became such a valued like he knew we
were going to be all the time, you knew the communication, whatever.
It was something special that people haven't really seen a
lot of.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
It was a really, really special connection might possibly be
one of the best connections of all time, possibly one
of the best quarterback tight end connections of all time,
and not just that just ball passer to ball receiver,
you know, just the aspect of the whole entire game,
not just one position quarterback to a wide receiver, but
(23:04):
just overall, just as a whole. It could have been
one of the best connections. It's up there. I believe
it's up there too. I mean, we've done some incredible things,
but we had actually you said eight to nine year
age difference, it's actually a twelve year age difference. I
was twenty one years old. He was thirty three years old.
I was still both supposed to be a senior in college.
He was just married kids. I mean, we had two
(23:26):
totally different lifestyles.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
Yea.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
The age gap, you know, was tremendous as well, so
you know, but the thing is is that we both
wanted to be great. Obviously, we all knew Tom wanted
to be great already, but as a rookie, I wanted.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
To be great as well.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
And what got us on the same page, what built
that chemistry, was the work that we put out on
the practice field. And it wasn't just a practice field either,
you know, during the practice time. It was after practice
as well, and I was just reminiscing with Brian Hoyer
actually about on his podcast the other day, is that
Brian Hoyer and Tom would say after practice my rookie season,
(24:01):
it would just be myself and I would be running
an Ectra fifteen to twenty different routes every single practice
after practice, just so I can get on the same
page as Tom and the quarterbacks because they saw greatness
in me. And when you see greatness in a player,
Tom wanted to exploit that greatness and bring it out
(24:22):
and so that player could be as great as they
possibly could be. And as a rookie, you know, sometimes
I didn't understand that. It's like I just want to
go home. I got to Oh wow, I gotta I
gotta go to this restaurant, me meet this girl, meet this.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
Friend, meet my brother, meet my family or whatever.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
So he's gotta be not busting your balls. But like, dude,
I know you're twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, you've
got greatenss in you. You better get your ass in
here tomorrow and get your head straight because I'm counting
on you and we're counting on you. Those words must've
like that. That's serious.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yes, definitely serious, and that's basically is what happened. You know,
it was setting those terms, not exactly like that, but
definitely in those terms. And you know, we built that
it through throughout time. It wasn't like hey, just one night,
you know all you know, Brady the Gronk, they're on fire.
That connection is unstoppable. It was built over a year.
You know, that trust was built over a year of
(25:15):
practice and hard work, and it really built going into
my second year. Yeah, we had some great times my
my rookie year, those at three touchdown game you know,
in the playoffs. I had a couple of catches as well,
the game that we lost actually versus the Jets, which stunk,
you know, which dunk. That was a bad exit my
rookie year out of the playoffs. But it happens. But
(25:36):
there was a couple other times I under my rookie
season too where you know, he just didn't trust me
yet either. I was on fire the week before, but
as a rookie, then the next week would show up
and I would be just totally dismantled and.
Speaker 5 (25:48):
Not doing what he wanted me to do.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
And then I didn't see yeah, the consistency, You're right,
it was not there. And then going in to my
second year, everything was clicking a lot better. You know,
you get a little break from the game of football
because you have the off season, you come back and
just everything was firing. I totally understood what he wanted
out of me. I totally understood what the coaches wanted
out of me, and I totally understood where I wanted
(26:10):
to go too, and I knew what I had to
do to get to that level I wanted to be
at and boom from there on out. Going into my
second season, all that hard work though that we did
my rookie year finally paid off and it all started clicking.
It made so much sense why we were running all
those extra routes, why he wanted me where he wanted
me out on the field, because that's where he wanted
(26:31):
to place the ball, away from the defender. All that
little detail and all that good stuff. So it took
a good solid year to have that chemistry. And then
from yere on out, you just you just you know,
just get smart. You just build upon it and build
upon it. But that chemistry will would always be there from.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
There on that so a pretty magical season though, that
that twenty eleven year. You guys, you know you obviously
make the run, you get all the way to the
super Bowl. You talked about the Earl Thomas hit. You
know that that hurt your back. You get a Bernard
Pollard hit in that AFC Championship game.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
How much did that?
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I mean, we all know you weren't yourself in the
super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
How much did that impact you? Yeah, that that actually
was rough.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
That that kind of sucked, to tell you the truth,
It actually gave a bad taste in my mouth for
what and for what a super Bowl experience should be.
Like everyone talks about all what was it like going
to Super Bowl? Well, it kind of blew because I
was dealing with basically a broken ankle, a very high
spraining ankle, which is probably isn't basically it basically is worse.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Than a break.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
A break you can't possibly play on. I don't think
you would have to get the surgery or fix it
right there in their sprain actually takes longer to heal,
but you can actually keep playing on it because you
really can't damage it more. But you're gonna have to
get a fix, Like right when you're done playing on it.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
But it was just such a tough situation.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
It was the first time I was hurt. I was young,
you know, just the stress of wanting to be out
there and not being able to be out there. Just
the preparation as well going into the game. I couldn't
practice at all. I mean I had like one little
workout and then I played in the game as well,
and knowing I wasn't going to play that many games,
and just distress as well on the outside as when
(28:13):
I was twenty two years old, and just all the
questions that were coming in about my ankle. I didn't
really know how to handle it, you know, with my friends,
with my family, tickets for the Super Bowl and everything.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
So it was not that great an experience because of.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
That ankle injury going into my first Super Bowl, it
made it tougher. But I can tell you this, I
learned a lot from it and I grew from it
as a player, and I believe it helped me out
going into the other Super Bowls because I knew how
to handle a Super Bowl situation.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Family, friends, yes, give me this party, give me the
hear or there, yes, and yes exactly.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
And I blew all that off.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
You know, you take care of the people that you
need to truly take care of that were there for
your whole entire life when you were growing up. And
then also, like I said, that stress with the ankle
injury as well, questions coming from your family, your friends,
are you going to play? Coming from just fans stepping
out of the house and going somewhere. It was and
you just didn't know, you know, and you didn't want
to give an answer either because if you gave them
(29:11):
an answer, they could go run to the press with
it and you'd be.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
Like, oh, what the heck?
Speaker 4 (29:15):
And then you know, everything was tight left here in
the New England Patriots organization at that time especially, so
that was putting a lot of stresses on you as just.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
A twenty two year old kid.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
So just going into the other Super Bowls, knew how
to handle the demands being injuried, so not dealing with
that it just made those experiences just that much better
than was.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
That the best team that you played on?
Speaker 5 (29:37):
Rob? Here?
Speaker 3 (29:38):
With that that fourteen team that beats Seattle.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
In my career here here here in New England, was
that the best?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
I think he might think it was.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
That's why I qualified that.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
Was that was a very special team game at the
heck of a game.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
It was one of the best Super Bowls Haymaker all.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Times, no doubt about that. People are like, what was
your favorite super Bowl? Not I always say the first one,
But it wasn't because it was just the first one,
because the first one is always the sweetest. But it
was also because it was one of the best games
in Super Bowl history. Seattle was up, we came back,
they went back up, We took the lead, and you go,
they go back down with you know, final final minute
(30:21):
on the clock, and then Malcolm Butler has that game
ceiling interception and then we're kneeling the ball and I'm
throwing Haymakers out there versus Michael Bennett, you.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
Know, just kneeling the ball. There's a huge brawl in
the end zone.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
So there was just so much too, and it's just
such a great, you know, perspective to fans too for
a game to watch, of what it's all about to play,
you know, you know, to play the game of football.
Just that game brought everything to the table. And what
was great it was such a team win. Julian had
a touchdown, Brandon LaFell had a touchdown, Amandola had a touchdown,
I had a touchdown, and Shane Veren went for about
(30:55):
eleven catches right around there for like I don't know,
one hundred something yards I think, but he had a
big impact even though he didn't score a touchdown too.
So just an incredible game overall. It was by far,
you know, my favorite super Bowl. But was that the
best team? No, you want to believe what the best
team was? That I truly believe was the best.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
One was the year after fifteen.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, twenty fifteen we went undefeated, we went ten to zero,
and then we lost a couple of games.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I mean, this is a year that really frustrates me
a little bit as a as a fanboy because there
were so many games. I thought that there was some
questionable things down the stretch. I'm not gonna put you
on that spot. You know the way you treated the
Miami game at the end with all the runs with
Steven Jackson, you know, kicking off in overtime against the Jets.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
All they needed was one win.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
In that AFC Championship game against Denver, was here instead
of in Denver.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
I do remember that, and going into that Miami game,
we said we're going to run the ball every single play,
I think until we get like five first downs in
a row or like a touchdown or something.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
And we just kept.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
Running the ball and running the ball, and we were
going nowhere with it. It was like third and ten,
run the ball, one more yard, punting on fourth and nine.
But I do remember that game and we lost like
three in a row. We started off unbelievably hot.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
I mean ten and no.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Everyone was on fire. I got hurt actually with a
knee in that Denver game.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
Of that game, you went down bad.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
I did, man, But that was just a bone bruise.
But let me tell you, the bone bruise hurt more
than actually blowing out your ACL and mcl I was like,
I was on the field screaming. I was like, my
career is done done with again. But good thing was
just a bone bruce. But also that game, I was
in the locker room. Right after we won that game,
they called a holding penalty. I'm Patrick Chung in the
(32:46):
end zone. Brock Osweiler was their quarterback and he threw
a pass to the end zone. Let me tell you
I was watching it from the locker room. It was
not a holding penalty, and that call right there, I
think it was fourth and ten or something, and it
gave him the first down, and it gave him the
first down right on their own one yard line to
(33:06):
go and score on the next play. But the game
was over if that holding penalty was never called. And
I'm telling you to this team, go bring up that play.
Patrick Chung did not hold, and I remember that play
clear as day. So we would have been eleven and zero,
still hot. And then we lost to philadelphiacause you know,
once you lose one game, you trick it trickles down,
you lose another.
Speaker 5 (33:27):
And we lost to Philly that year, who was terrible
as well.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
I was out that game, and then we lost a
couple otters at the end four advantage, yeah, four of
the last six.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Yeah, And so I want to get to so yeah,
that fifteen AFC Championship game, to me is one of
the most ridiculous performances by you and Tom, you know,
just because of how good that defense was, and especially
that day. You know, von Miller was the best defensive
player on the planet that day. He dominated up front.
(33:56):
But you guys just keep hanging around and hanging around.
It's fourth and ten and you guys, you know connect.
Tom just says, go down the scene and make a play.
Do you remember this catch that I'm talking about, because
for me, I know you made some circus catches that
were incredible, But to me, I think it was TJ.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Ward hanging on you who you had a little history
with as well.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Just take me through that play.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
That catch was amazing. I remember, like Chris, that was awesome.
It wasn't awesome, it was amazing.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
It was fourth and ten and our season was on
the line after that play to the exact t and
from what I recall, actually what was calling the huddle
was a screen pass to the left and Brady switched
to play right away and he called all goes and
I was like, yeah, that's right, all goes. I'm ready
(34:44):
to go, baby, I'm on fire right now. I'm not
ending the season like this. We're gonna get this first
down and I'm just gonna take off.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
And when I'm taking off, Brady can read that.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
You know, this guy's got a mind of his own,
Like he can tell if a player is rolling down
the field or now he knows when the player is
going full speed, and.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
That's who he always goes to.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Like he can read the decisiveness of a wide receiver
or a tight end or a running back to the
te and that's how he always knew what guy to
go to. And he always knew who was on fire
at the moment and who wasn't. And he could tell
in my eyes.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
Right when we broke that huddle, I was like, oh,
you better just toss his ball up. I was like,
I don't care who's in.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
Front of me, And right when that thing was hike boom,
I just took off and they had that safety he
was all pro.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
Actually I was double coverage.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
I had a linebacker right to my actually a safety
to my left, and the other seat right to my right,
and I just split him and went right through him,
right down the middle, right up to see him, and
Brady just launched that ball up.
Speaker 5 (35:38):
I was like, Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
I'm gonna go grab this thing and we're going to
continue this drive and our season is not ending right now.
And I just went up there. Brady put the ball
right on the money. I just put my hands out,
brought it in, got hit right both ways on my
right in my left right at the same time and
brought it in.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Man, And let me tell you, I was out of breath.
I was like, whoa. I knew our season wasn't gonna end, but.
Speaker 6 (36:01):
I was like, oh, help me up because I can't
breathe right now.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
And then I kind of took off, like the next
three plays, like I kind of.
Speaker 5 (36:08):
Just chipped the the touchdown. Well, I was, I was
in on the plays, but I kind of took off.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
I just kind of lacks of days ago through it,
you know, just because I was so winded from that
play and being up you know, at the mile high.
And also I was sick for that game. I swear
I had food poisoning, man, I was. I was basically
throwing up on the sideline. It was brutal, but hey,
I always come through in the clutch, and when this
seasons on the line, you always throw that ball up
to Robbie g baby. And then I had that two
(36:34):
point conversion as well, that that I was double coverage,
double covered on and I kind of jumped over the
guys and had, you know, control my body to go
and make the catch, and Tom just threw it up
there again. It was fourth and two and actually, no,
it was a two point conversion. No, it was a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
It was a touchdown. It was a touchdown, it was
fourth down, it was fourth and goal.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Yeah, I wasn't going to bring out two point conversion
because they didn't throw it.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
Now, we're not talking about the two point conversion. I
was open though.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
A couple other games rob Uh fourteen, the Jonas Gray game.
Oh you, I mean you had an unbelievable touchdown where
it seems like you literally ran to every member of
the Colts. But we're talking about the play where you
threw Sergio. You you threw Sergio out of the club.
That's what everybody remembers about that game.
Speaker 5 (37:19):
Yes they do.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
I mean that's a real tight end.
Speaker 6 (37:22):
Like, yeah, that's a real time I don't disrespect.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
To some of these other guys were pass catchers, but
you're a blocking guy too.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
I am the dark and you're gonna.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Block your ass off, and you blocked your ass off
on that.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Play, that's for sure. I had a lot of a
pride in my blocking.
Speaker 5 (37:35):
Man.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
I love blocking. I truly believe that. You know, it
helped me, you know, in the passing game as well.
It helped me get open in the play action and
it just you know, I truly I just always felt
and believed in as a tight end just when I
when I started playing the position that you had to
do both. Man, that's what it's all about, you know,
doing the dirty work and then also going out there
and making plays as well in the passing game.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
But I'm that play.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
I mean Sergio Brown came in with me here with
the New England Pages. He was a free agent that
year out of Notre Dame and he was a great player.
He was a safety here. He was he was a
great special teamer and then he went over to the
Colts and you know, he did great things for us
while he was here with the Pages. But that game, man,
he just went and stopped talking. Man, he just won't stop,
(38:18):
you know, you know, trying to get under my skin.
And let me tell you, he eventually got under my skin.
And when you get under my skin talking garbage, you
know it's not going to be good for you on
that defensive side of the ball. And that's what happened. Finally,
I just ticked it. I was like a ticking time bomb.
Speaker 5 (38:33):
The whole game. He just kept going off and off,
talking garbage.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
And then finally he just bo he hit it, he
hit that switch, and then I saw I noticed that play, like,
all right, one on one right here, I'm just gonna drive.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
I'm gonna drive your butt all the.
Speaker 4 (38:47):
Way until I can't drive you anymore, until you get planted,
you know, into the ground.
Speaker 5 (38:51):
And that's basically what happened. Man.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
That's why after the game, I was sitting there with
Chris Collinsworth. I was like, hey, Chris conwer, he was
just yapping too much. I had to throw him out
of the club.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
So a lot of great catches. You know, there was
another one in a Denver game at home. Is there
a catch, one particular catch that stands out among the
rest of them?
Speaker 3 (39:10):
Four It was in fourteen as well. Here against Denver.
Tom throws that up and he goes, how did you
catch that ball?
Speaker 6 (39:17):
You know, I kind of made Tom's career if you
really think about it.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
Same with Julian, same with Moss.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
I mean Tom should be you know, thanking us by
selling us a gift every every single year, like a
four wheeler for Christmas, would be my appreciate it for
all all those you know. I know I'm just messing around,
but Uh, you know, I want to be here without
Tom and uh, but yeah, I would say. One of
my favorite catches was versus Buffalo Bills. And and to
(39:47):
tell your truth, to catch happened because Tom put the ball.
He placed the ball where only I could go and
make the play because I was kind of covered.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
I was. I was going versus the all Pro safety
man names.
Speaker 4 (39:57):
Man, we're out of the league for a little bit.
You gotta look back and you can't get the names
right in the spy. I mean, that's not good. But
there's so many memories and so many players that's hard.
But I was going versus all pro safety. I was
spread out wide one on one. It was right here
in Jillette Stadium, this corner right there, the opposite corner,
left side of the lighthouse, yep. And he threw it
(40:18):
up there and I was on the two yard line.
I just reached back like that. It was a one
hander versus my hometown Buffalo Bills, and vaguely remember just
brought it in, didn't even use my second hand, brought
it toe tapped into the end zone and then fell.
Speaker 5 (40:34):
So it was a one handed grab. Baby. It was
a beauty. It was one of my favorite catches.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
We're gonna wrap this up here in a second, but
I got to ask you this one. You talked about
super Bowl fourteen. How much it mentioned everything like that?
The Kansas City game. It wasn't a super Bowl. It
got you to the super Bowl. That was your last year.
How great was that? Kind of like the last call?
But for Rob Gronkowski's part. You know in that Kansas
(41:01):
City game in the cold, you know that that team's
on the come, here they come, and everything like that.
That was a game. I don't want to put words
in your mouth. How great was that game?
Speaker 4 (41:11):
That was one of the greatest AC Championship games you
could ever imagine or ever be out. It was probably
the greatest AFC Championship game, which was wild. I was
actually hanging over with I was hanging out with my
nephews about four weeks ago, and they're starting to get
to the age where they understand things now. They understand,
you know that I played in the NFL, that I'm
on you Tube and everything, And I was just sitting
(41:32):
there in my little nephew. He goes and puts YouTube
body and he types in my name and he puts
the last five minutes on of the AFC Championship game
in twenty eighteen. It was Correct VERSU the Kansas City Chiefs,
and we watched the last four minutes of the game.
Speaker 5 (41:49):
And that was the first time I've actually seen the game.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
And let me tell you, I was getting goosebumps again. Man,
I was getting excited. I couldn't believe what was going
on in that game. How many touchdowns were scored in
the final four minutes. We went down, we went down,
we scored, They came back, they scored. We went back
down and scored a touchdown to take the lead. And
then with thirty seconds left, Patrick Mahomes did Patrick Mahomes
saying he threw a big deep pass, got him in
(42:14):
field goal position and they kicked a field goal with
the final seconds left and regulation to put us into overtime.
It was one of the most exciting four minutes I've
ever watched. And I played in the game and I
knew what was going to happen, and it was still
that exciting. And what made it so great was that
we had so many third and tens and fourth and tents.
We weren't moving the ball on those final drives. On
(42:36):
the first down or second time, but we completed the
third down every.
Speaker 5 (42:41):
Single time and Julian Edelman ball out.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
It was Julian Edelman over the middle third intent, Julianato
over the middle third and ten that I'm spreading out
why fourth and tent slant for a first down and
then the fade for a first down and then rex
Burg had runs in the for the overtime touchdown as well.
So it was just one of the best four minutes
of football that you could ever watch.
Speaker 5 (43:04):
Was that asc Championship game.
Speaker 4 (43:06):
Man, what an incredible, you know moment, and to win
on the road for the first time to get to
the Super Bowl just made the Patriots dynasty that much greater.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
Man, appreciate you coming in. Thank you so much. Happy
Thanksgiving to you and your family. You'll be here at
some point time, sooner rather than later to get a
red jacket. You're gonna get a gold jacket and Canton
whenever your time comes for there. It was a pleasure
to watch your career and see how great you were
and how you made this team great. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
Tremendous, Yes, I appreciate that, guys. Thank you guys for
having me. This is this is really cool, man to
be here, and just to be back in the building
and see some of the guys. Man, it's bringing back
so many great memories, man, and it's juicing me back up.
Speaker 5 (43:48):
And I like it. Man, this is really cool.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
So thank you guys for inviting me in and go
check out the at the Patriots Hall of Fame. If
you can Gronk spike harder than Gronk can spike because
the velocity was tested and there's a machine that gives
you the you know, the the wavelengths of how hard
you can spike, and if you can compare it, you know,
you can compare.
Speaker 5 (44:08):
It to my velocity and how hard I can spike.
So go check it out. And just great to be back. Man,
this is the pleasure. So you guys are the best.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
Good plucks.
Speaker 5 (44:17):
Thanks Robins, no problem.
Speaker 7 (44:19):
Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple, google Play,
and everywhere else you listen. Like the show, please rate
and review us. Listener comments and ratings help keep us
high in the podcast so new listeners can find us.
Be sure to check Patriots dot com for more news
and more podcasts.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
Patriots Postgame Show join Matt Smith along with Patriots dot
com Paul Parrillo and Mike dessou As. They offer instant
analysis after every Patriots game. We bring you the good,
the bad, and the injured from each game. Plus you'll
hear press conferences, exclusive player interviews, and more on the
Patriots Postgame Show. Search for Patriots Postgame anywhere you get
(45:02):
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