Patriots
English joked about Gronkowski’s eligibility following the workout.
-
Patriots’ rookie linebacker Marte Mapu fined for unnecessary roughness against Dolphins’ wide receiver Jaylen Waddle
-
Jonathan Jones, Sidy Sow ruled out vs. Jets. Here’s what it means for the Patriots
Rob Gronkowski spent time shooting hoops and working on his fundamentals with Providence College’s men’s basketball coach, Kim English, on Saturday.
The former Patriots tight end was seen dunking, taking pull-up jumpers, and showing off his handle. The Friars posted highlights of the workout, and afterward, English joked about Gronkowski’s athletic eligibility.
“Only played three seasons at Arizona?” English said on X.
Gronkowski played basketball in high school as well as baseball before ultimately committing to Arizona for football. His high school basketball coach shared a now-infamous story of the time Gronkowski intentionally missed a free throw to keep his team’s score at 69 points.
As a football player, Gronkowski built up a hall-of-fame resume and became arguably the best tight end in NFL history. On Saturday, he reminded fans just how good of an athlete he is.
In theory, Gronkowski could return to college and play basketball if he wanted to, though that would be incredibly unlikely.
Some athletes have played college sports after going pro in a different sport. J.R. Smith is the latest notable athlete to do so, playing college golf at North Carolina A&T State University after the NCAA ruled him eligible. Ricky Williams played minor league baseball and then won a Heisman trophy in college football.
It’s a longshot that Gronkowski would follow in those footsteps. And the NCAA would have to approve his eligibility if he even wanted to. But, at the very least, the NFL star got a chance to relive his high school basketball glory days on Saturday Providence.
Sign up for Patriots updates🏈
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season.