The Strange Item Rob Gronkowski Stole After Super Bowl 49
Rob Gronkowski — the 30-year-old football tight end turned football analyst for Fox Sports — kept a bit of a souvenir from his years in the NFL when he finally said goodbye to the sport. In a December 2019 interview with CBS News, he admitted he stole something from Super Bowl 49 and still has the item in his home!
Gronkowski started to explain, "I just felt like I should take a blender from our cafeteria because..." CBS News' Reena Ninan interjected, "Super Bowl ring wasn't enough?" Gronkowski continued, "I felt like I deserved the blender, so this is from the stadium." He added that he "didn't care" if anyone knew he stole it, he "just walked in and took it." "This blender helps me out more than the ring does though, for real," the athlete joked.
As fans know, Gronkowski — nicknamed "Gronk" — retired from football in March 2019 after having spent his entire professional career with the New England Patriots. During that time, he won three Super Bowls, but the strain of the game took a toll on him.
Rob Gronkowski's life after football
In a September 2019 interview, Rob Gronkowski told CBS News that he suffered about 20 concussions and five blackouts throughout his years in the NFL. Sometimes after a hit, he couldn't even remember where he was or who he was with. Now, the star is enjoying retirement and has claimed he's "fixed" his brain with mind games.
Despite his exit from the game, Gronkowski has stayed in the spotlight and made plenty of headlines as of late. On March 31, 2020, it was reported that he and his longtime girlfriend, Camille Kostek, donated 20,000 medical-grade KN95 masks: 10,000 to the Boston Medical Center and 10,000 to St. Joseph's University Medical Center in New Jersey (via the Boston Globe).
Plus, as the world gets used to the "new normal" amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gronkowski is continuing to stay involved in sports by serving as the grand marshal for an upcoming virtual NASCAR race, according to the Associated Press. Per AP, "The iRacing events have been a hit with NASCAR on hiatus" right now. Gronkowski is also scheduled to host WrestleMania 36 on April 4 and 5, 2020.