Rob Gronkowski has starred as one of the New England Patriots’ leading men since 2010. Now he may be interested in becoming a leading man in Hollywood.
The Lawrence (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune reports the Patriots’ tight end is considering retirement from the NFL in favor of a second career as an actor.
What’s more interesting is who is supposedly in Gronkowski’s ear: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Sylvester Stallone, both of whom have advised the athlete that he has the chops to be an action star.
After Gronkowski’s Patriots lost Super Bowl LII last Sunday, he told reporters that he was “definitely going to look at my future” and consider his options, including retiring from football.
The story cites an unnamed source who claims that Gronkowski has told friends his numerous injuries from his playing days “have taken a toll on him.”
Gronkowski may be great Hollywood fodder. He already comes with his own catchy, recognizable nickname — Gronk — and he stands tall at 6-foot-6.
Furthermore, he wouldn’t be brand new to the whole acting thing: Gronk already has an IMDb page and 12 acting credits to his name, most from the last year.
Gronk appeared as himself in the 2015 film “Entourage” and acted in various online, television and music video roles in 2017.
He voiced himself as a guest star in the cartoon “Family Guy” and even hosted a Showtime stand-up special that aired in 2018, “Unsportsmanlike Comedy with Rob Gronkowski.”
And who could forget his starring turn in this Tide Pod half-commercial, half-public service announcement last month?
If Super Bowl LII was the last game for Gronkowski, 28, what a career he has had.
In just eight regular seasons, he racked up 7,179 receiving yards and 77 total touchdowns, despite missing large parts of two seasons due to injuries. He added 12 postseason touchdowns, including a memorable performance in Super Bowl LII — nine catches for 116 yards and two scores. And, of course, he has two Super Bowl rings to his name.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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