Even after retirement and playing two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rob Gronkowski‘s name has always been synonymous with the New England Patriots. Ahead of their Thursday Night Football showdown against the New York Jets on Thursday, Gronk signed a one-day contract with the team so that he could retire as a Patriot.
The four-time Super Bowl winner, who won his last title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, would have retired as a Buccaneer if he did not do the one-day contract. Of course, he is not even expected to take to the field, but his long-time girlfriend, Camille Kostek, is still very proud of him for retiring as a Patriot.
“Patriot for life ❤️🏈,” she posted On Instagram.
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Kostek also has her roots with the Patriots, as she used to work as a cheerleader for the team. This was where she met Gronkowski, with the taboo that players and cheerleaders not being allowed to date not stopping them from having a long-lasting relationship.
Team owner Robert Kraft was personally on hand for that one-day contract signing, with the Patriots organization going all out and making Thursday a tribute night for Gronkowski, who won three of his four Super Bowl rings with the Patriots.
“His clutch performances were legendary, and his larger than life personality and connections with the fans has truly made him a New England icon,” Kraft said.
Kraft added that the team already had plans to have Gronkowski to formally retire as a Patriot once he became eligible. He was also inducted to the team’s Hall of Fame after the process was accelerated.
Rob Gronkowski Retired As A Patriot To Honor A Request From A Friend
As for why Rob Gronkowski chose to retire as a Patriot, it was because of former New England Patriots cheerleader, Susan Hurley, was was his charity partner. She ran CharityTeams with Gronk, before passing away due to cancer earlier this month.
Before her death, she asked Gronk to retire as a Patriot, and after she died, he honored that request. He stated that the decision was a “no brainer” and also dedicated his return to the team’s fans.
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