Veteran football fans surely remember the time Emmitt Smith played with a broken shoulder in 1994 against the New York Giants. It’s one of the most iconic stories in NFL history of persevering through injury. Now, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski have their own stories to tell.
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On Edelman’s podcast, Dudes on Dudes, he and Gronk were having another one of their banter sessions, discussing post-game NFL life and reminiscing about past moments. However, when Edelman noticed Gronk wearing an Emmitt Smith t-shirt, the topic of Smith’s iconic 1994 performance with a broken shoulder came up. And it led Gronk to share his own experience of playing through injury.
Gronk’s Injury Game
“The AFC Championship game… I went up the seem versus the Baltimore Ravens, it was my second year in the league. I was having that wonderful year,” Gronk said as he set the scene. “I caught the ball, then (safety) Bernard Pollard (executed) kind of a hip drop tackle… I Got tackled, he landed on my ankle, and it twisted, and I had a super high ankle sprain.”
It was a pivotal moment in Gronk’s career. The question on every Boston fan’s mind was: would he play through the pain or succumb to the injury? Ultimately, he got the ankle taped up and had to channel a mindset similar to Emmitt Smith’s in 1994, telling himself, “I’m not in pain” or “This is the AFC Championship; I may never be back.”
Gronk then took a shot of Toradol, a drug used to reduce inflammation and pain, and limped through the rest of the contest. While he didn’t make any significant catches, he did say he threw many good blocks that helped his team reach the Super Bowl. Gronk then opened the floor to Edelman to share his own favorite playing through injury game.
Edelman’s Injury Game
“It was the crazy snowstorm game versus Tennessee,” Edelman recalled, referring to the game he played while Gronk was still in college. “I caught a ball and (Kyle) Vanden Bosch fell on me, and I broke my arm… I looked over to the sideline and said, ‘Coach I think I’m hurt’. He goes ‘Stay in!'”
It’s a crazy story, but Gronk wasn’t surprised to hear the coach say that, stating that’s how football coaches think. But Edelman wasn’t done explaining an impressive feat he accomplished on the next drive.
“Hoyer threw me the ball the next drive, and I caught it with a broken arm. It was f**king crazy,” he continued.
A wild cap to Edelman’s story. He explained how the Patriots were dealing with numerous injuries in the receiver room and he simply had no choice but to stay in the game. It was before Edelman had become a staple in the offense, so he was still viewed as an expendable backup.
Gronk further reminisced about Smith’s injury game, talking about how the former running back popped his shoulder out and still came back into the game within minutes. It’s moments like those that inspired Gronk and Edelman to not just become NFL players but to become tough and persevere even through injuries.
