The NFL Draft has a funny way of humbling even the most hyped-up athletes. One minute you’re the talk of the town; the next, you’re sitting in a crowded room, wondering what just happened. Your name is called by no one.
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This year, that story belonged to Shedeur Sanders, whose shocking slide from a projected top-10 pick to a fifth-round selection dominated headlines and conversations everywhere. But if Sanders needs a reminder that a draft-day stumble isn’t the end of the world, he need not look further than Rob Gronkowski.
Long before he was spiking footballs and winning Super Bowls, the New England Patriots legend too had a humbling NFL Draft experience. In the latest episode of “Dudes on Dudes,” Gronkowski looked back at the night that almost broke him — and ultimately made him.
Speaking to co-host Julian Edelman, Gronkowski recalled how the Cincinnati Bengals, holding the 21st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, desperately needed a tight end. Their coach had even worked Gronk out at his pro day. So, while he didn’t say it aloud, Gronk was hoping Cincinnati would be his home.
“First team on the clock that needed a tight end — the Cincinnati Bengals,” Gronk said. “I felt like I had a terrific pro day. I felt like I was the best tight end in the draft.”
But when the moment came, Cincinnati chose Oklahoma’s Jermaine Gresham instead.
“I don’t get drafted. They take Jermaine Gresham,” the former Bucs star recalled. “To this day, my mom still claims there are only two days in my life where she saw me truly pissed. Draft night was one of them.”
What was the other time Gronkowski was “truly pissed”? He didn’t remember — classic Gronk. So, Edelman then quipped that it was probably an ice cream truck running out of ice cream, which drew a slight chuckle from Gronk. But soon, he turned serious again, continuing, “I was disappointed. I felt like a first-round talent.”
He bottled up that anger after the Day 1 disappointment and went to bed quietly, preparing for Round 2. Then came the call that would change everything: the New England Patriots, with the 42nd pick.
“When I got that call from New England, I didn’t care one single bit anymore that I didn’t go in the first round,” Gronk shared. “My dream came to life right on the spot in that moment. It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”
Gronk’s emotional swing — from devastation to elation — serves as a powerful reminder that in the end, it’s not about when you get drafted, but that you get drafted at all.
The Patriots’ pick set the tight end on a path to four Super Bowl titles, five Pro Bowl selections, and one Hall of Fame-worthy career. So, just like Gronk turned draft-night disappointment into one of the greatest tight end careers in NFL history, Shedeur Sanders now has a chance to do the same.
As Gronk’s story shows, life is never about how hard you get hit; it’s about how you still keep moving despite the blows. It’s about the bounce back.
