“I was shook!” Rob Gronkowski admits being starstruck and in awe after his first run-in with Tom Brady as a rookie

Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady went on to play together for 11 seasons.

“I was shook!” Rob Gronkowski admits being starstruck and in awe after his first run-in with Tom Brady as a rookie

Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady (via IMAGO)

Every football fan dreams of meeting Tom Brady. Fans often imagine all the things they would say to him if given the opportunity, but no matter how big their personality or how good a player they are, they can’t help but be starstruck when they meet the greatest of all time.

For 11 seasons, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady haunted defenses in the NFL, going down as the greatest quarterback-tight end duo of all-time. However, when Gronk was first drafted as the 42nd overall pick in 2010, he did not get a chance to meet Tom Brady until practice time.

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The tight end recently revealed on the Games with Names podcast hosted by Julian Edelman that despite having won four Super Bowl rings with Brady, to this day, he continues to cherish their first interaction.

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My favorite Tom memory, Man! I'll always remember the time I first met him in the locker room...I was there getting my ankles taped up...and Tom just came cruising by, I was just a good 'ol rookie and he just walked up to me and he goes, 'Hey, I'm Tom Brady.' And I go, 'Very nice to meet you Tom Brady, I'm Rob Gronkowski.'
Rob Gronkowski said

Surprising, is it not? To hear that after all these years, Gronk brings up the first interaction with Brady as his most memorable one!

Tom Brady kept his first interaction strictly professional with Rob Gronkowski

From the testimonies that fans have heard from Brady’s teammates and coaches, this interaction does not sound unusual. He has always conducted himself with the highest professional standards and was known to keep it strictly business in the locker room. When Gronkowski met Brady, the quarterback had already won Super Bowls and had accomplished a lot.

Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski (via IMAGO)

He had become a household name, and it was obvious that the rookie tight end knew who he was, yet Brady’s humility can be seen from this one instance as he ensured to go up to Gronk and personally introduce himself to him.

After Gronkowski introduced himself, the quarterback had just one more thing to tell him, “Let’s get after it this year!” Truly a welcome to the Patriots moment.

The tight end then went on to breakdown why this interaction continues to be so memorable for him.

I just was like, shook, man, Tom Brady just came up to me and introduced himself...like, of course I know who you are!...That was just one of the coolest moments I'd remember for the rest of my life and we just got to work from there on out.
Rob Gronkowski said

Totally understandable Gronk! A lot of individuals would be ‘shook’ at this interaction. If there is one key takeaway from this incident, it is that the phrase ‘First impression is the best impression,’ still holds good to this day!

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