Rob Gronkowski is a man of many talents. He is a Super Bowl-winning tight end, a businessman, and an entertaining TV host. Now he is adding “coach” to his resume while helping out his alma mater. Gronkowski will be in charge of the Arizona Wildcats during the team’s annual spring game.
Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch reportedly held a virtual call with football alumni on Monday and revealed the news. He said that Gronkowski would take control of one team while coaching against another Wildcats’ legend. Tedy Bruschi, who also played for the New England Patriots after leaving Arizona, will coach the other squad. Bruschi joined UA’s staff as a senior advisor to Fisch and the coaching staff.
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The spring game takes place on April 24 and will give fans the first glimpse at the team. According to CBS Sports, the university has not provided all of the details about the upcoming scrimmage. Several questions are still unanswered, including those related to how much power Gronkowski and Bruschi will possess.
A second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Gronkowski spent three seasons with the Wildcats — although he missed his final season due to a back injury. He caught 75 passes for 1,197 yards and 16 total touchdowns in two seasons. He joined the New England Patriots and partnered with Tom Brady for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. He also won three touchdowns with the team.
Bruschi, on the other hand, headlined the Wildcats’ defense from 1991-95. He was a two-time consensus All-American and posted 52 career sacks during his time in Tuscon. He landed with the Patriots as a third-round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft and spent his entire career with the team.
The seven-time team captain played in five Super Bowls during his career, winning three. Bruschi is also the only player in NFL history to register four consecutive interceptions returned for touchdowns. He retired at the end of the 2008 season and became an analyst for ESPN.
With the NFL season complete, there are questions about whether Gronkowski will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He joined the team via trade after missing the 2020 season and partnered with Brady to win a Lombardi Trophy. He is now set to become a free agent once the new league year begins in March. Will he return to the Buccaneers to “run it back?” The answer remains unclear as Gronkowski prepares to coach in the spring game.
