Rob Gronkowski’s pre-draft visit left a certain kind of impression with Bill Belichick.
While discussing the league’s All-Time Team on NFL Network, the Patriots coach revealed Gronkowski had fallen asleep during a trip to New England ahead of the 2010 NFL Draft.
“Rob was kind of a shot in the dark,” Belichick said. “He came up on his pre-draft visit, had a bad visit. We put him in a room, came back and he was asleep on the floor, didn’t make a very good impression.”
Belichick, who also commented that there “wasn’t much to go on” based on Gronkowski’s college career at Arizona, further explained, “We brought him in, we were getting ready to have a meeting with the coaches and go through and then he fell asleep on the floor —- like ‘oh boy!’ We got a slow start there.”
Gronkowski missed his entire junior season in 2009 due to back surgery.
Looking back nine years later, Belichick is pleased by how life panned out with Gronkowski.
“We traded up for him and just kind of bet that he would come through, and he certainly did big time,” Belichick said.
The Patriots selected Gronkowski in the second round — 42nd overall — in 2010. The tight end announced his retirement in March after nine seasons.
