Rob Gronkowski has made it clear he can have fun anywhere — even the White House.
Gronkowski, the New England Patriots All Pro tight end, popped into White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s daily press briefing Wednesday, showing off the charisma that has made him a star on and off the field.
The Patriots were at the White House to be honored by the president for their 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons from February.
Gronkowski asked Spicer if needed any help.
Spicer, whose tenure as press secretary has had rocky moments, assured that he could handle it.
“I think I got this, but thank you,” Spicer said, smiling.
It was a lighter moment for the White House press secretary and the reporters in the room.
The inimitable Gronkowski has proven he can do that time and time again.
Known for his dominance on the field, the player’s off-the-field “frat-party-bro” “Gronk” persona has helped make him into a cultural icon. He’s appeared in television shows like “Entourage” and “Family Guy,” and has appeared in commercials for Visa and Tide.
A two-time Super Bowl winner, he even had his own party cruise in February 2016 that involved a three-day trip from Miami to the Bahamas and his own personal island “Gronk Island.”
At the White House, he was one of the 34 Patriots on hand Wednesday, according to NESN’s Doug Kyed. Questions surrounded how many Patriots would be there after at least six players announced they would boycott because of President Trump’s policies.
The most famous Patriot, Tom Brady, wasn’t in attendance. He released a statement Wednesday saying he was attending to personal family matters.
Brady disclosed to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King after the Super Bowl that his mother was battling cancer.
Brady, of course, was seen with a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker in September 2015. Brady and President Trump have referred to each other as friends in the past.
Since then,m though, the quarterback has also gone out of his way to try avoid talking about his relationship with Trump, often saying he only wanted to talk about football. Brady also skipped out on visiting the White House when the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, citing another family event.
Brady led a historic comeback in Super Bowl LI, leading his team back from 28-3 deficit to a 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
President Trump tweeted about the game after.
“What an amazing comeback and win by the Patriots,” Trump tweeted. “Tom Brady, Bob Kraft and Coach B are total winners. Wow!”
Gronkowski missed Super Bowl LI after suffering a season-ending back injury in November.
Still, Gronkowski made his presence felt Wednesday.
.@RobGronkowski @Patriots “Need some help?” — GRONK at the White House, crashing @seanspicer’s briefing 😂 @RobGronkowski @Patriots @PressSec pic.twitter.com/dSMwC4z28R
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) April 19, 2017
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.