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, he knows how to have a good time. And this is not a post-retirement revelry.
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Back in his playing days, Gronk was famous for going all out and letting it loose. He was often described as the “party king” by his friends and former teammates. It has been something he’s always been pretty open about.
Gronk once said that partying made him play better. And hey, considering his resume, maybe he was onto something. But it turns out a little advice from Bill Belichick changed the way he partied. It even helped him stay out of trouble.
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 past 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? 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 on 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,” added Gronk.
Edelman laughed at Gronkowski’s logic, but he also agreed to it. Edelman even joked that Belichick should use the clip of what Gronk said as a piece of advice for his new UNC football team.
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To Bill’s credit, even while dishing out that advice for Gronk, he let him party the way he wished to. It’s because he knew that his star player wanted to unwind amidst the grueling schedule and demands of the league, which was important.
In Gronk’s book, It’s Good to Be Gronk, he spoke about Belichick once having words with him about his off-the-field antics. He had replied, “The fun stuff makes me grind harder, Coach!”
After which, Bill shook his head and walked away and said, “Whatever works for you…”
Eventually, Gronk took Bill’s advice literally and has become somewhat more chilled out. He prefers being responsible in his decision-making.
As he’s transitioned to a role as an analyst, the constant partying has faded from his life. So, don’t expect to see Gronkowski at any nightclubs or late-night raves anytime soon. But yes, keep an eye out for him in the daytime, perhaps!
