“This mofo ain’t taking my spot,” Rob Gronkowski reveals how Travis Kelce’s debut season inspired him big time
Rob Gronkowski spoke highly about Travis Kelce acknowledging their rivalry over the years.
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Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end, Rob Gronkowski is arguably one of the best players to grace the NFL. The 33-year-old who called time on his career for a second time before this season has been one of the major torchbearers of the change in the role of a tight end in the NFL.
In this change, he has had the likes of Travis Kelce, George Kittle with him all of whom revolutionized the position in the past decade. And when you have players of this caliber all playing in the same era, there’s bound to be comparisons amongst them.
This sort of healthy competition among players often stimulates the concerned individuals to perform better in a bid to outdo the other. Something similar also happened in Rob Gronkowski’s career, when he was spurred on by the performances of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, during the initial seasons.
Speaking on the New Heights podcast, hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce, Gronkowski acknowledged how the former helped him better his game. Travis Kelce had a terrific start to life in the NFL as he recorded a 1000-plus-yard season, and that was enough for Gronkowski to take his career seriously.
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Rob Gronkowski credited Travis Kelce for helping better his game
“With Travis having his first 1,000-yard season and all of that — and I’m having 1,000 yards — he’s coming on the scene because I was like two years ahead,” said Gronkowski of Travis’ first big season.
“Obviously you’re young. You got that juice. And I’m like, ‘This mofo — this guy — ain’t taking my spot.’ [Travis] amped up my game for sure!“At that age, you care, man. You’re like, ‘This guy ain’t taking my spot.’ And then he does it again — and I’m like, ‘This guy is for real, though.’ And it’s pissing me off! I’m like, ‘This guy is trying to take my No. 1 spot.’
The 33-year-old also threw out a special mention for George Kittle, as he felt both of them had a huge role to play in his successes indirectly.
“And then over the last [few seasons], you did it again. And I’m like, ‘Travis is the real deal; he’s the real deal for sure.’ He’s putting up 1,000 yards every year — and touchdowns. He’s leading the offense.
“You definitely helped my game big-time — because without that push, you’re never going to get better. And then that one year, you broke the receiving yard record — like 1300 yards — and you got like 1400 yards. And [George] Kittle did it, too.”
Rob Gronkowski is one of the most successful players in the NFL, with four Super Bowl titles to his name. Although he is currently retired, he would probably still give the younger generation a run for their money if he decided to make a comeback in the league.
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