Rob Gronkowski is a well-known party animal. From throwing wild bashes to hosting his annual Gronk Beach music festival ahead of the Super Bowl, the guy knows how to have a good time. Back in his playing days, Gronk was famous for going all out and letting it loose — but it turns out a little advice from Bill Belichick changed the way he partied. It even helped him stay out of trouble.
Advertisement
Nowadays, Gronkowski only throws down and gets wild during the day. Not because he’s getting older or out of personal preference. Gronk hosts his parties during the day because Belichick once gave him a very useful piece of advice: nothing good happens after 12 o’clock at night.
When the former tight end was younger, like 21, Gronk didn’t quite care about this advice — and honestly, who would expect him to? He’s often described as the “party king” by his friends and former teammates, and it’s something he’s always been pretty open about. Gronk once said that partying actually made him play better, and hey — considering his resume, maybe he was onto something.
Despite the late nights, Gronkowski won four Super Bowls and made four All-Pro first teams as a tight end. But after hanging it up, he finally understood why Belichick sounded like a dad handing out life advice.
“I didn’t truly understand it when I was 21, 22, 23 years old. [But] it always stuck in the back of my head,” Gronkowski told his former teammate Julian Edelman (via Dudes on Dudes).
“He always exemplified and made a point that nothing good happens past 12 o’clock at night. He always reiterated it. And now, thinking about it to this day, I use that line all the time. Like, why would I go out at night time? Nothing good happens past 1 am. Let’s party during the day. It was a great point.”
Edelman laughed at Gronkowski’s piece of advice but also agreed. He even joked that Belichick should use the clip of what Gronk said as a piece of advice for his new UNC football team.
View this post on Instagram
Of course, as Gronkowski said, the saying isn’t going to resonate as much with athletes in their 20s. But as you get older, you begin to understand what folks mean by it. It’s not meant to be taken literally, but more as a general principle to encourage responsible decision-making and safe behavior late at night.
However, Gronkowski does take the saying literally. As he’s transitioned to a role as an analyst, he’s become somewhat more chilled out. The constant partying has faded from his life.
So, don’t expect to see Gronkowski at any nightclubs or raves anytime soon!
